OER - administrator for high-efficiency heat pump program

The Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER) is seeking a program administrator to design, administer, and report on a high-efficiency heat pump program throughout the state. The selected vendor will be responsible for developing and implementing the program from January 2023 through December 31, 2026, with an additional six-month period for administrative tasks and final reporting. The program's initial three months will focus on program design, with the primary objectives including customer outreach, application processing, quality assurance, and comprehensive reporting. Vendors must submit separate technical and cost proposals electronically through the Ocean State Procures system by November 4, 2022 at 4:00 PM GMT. A non-mandatory pre-bid conference was held on September 29, 2022, and vendor questions were accepted from September 22 to October 5, 2022. The evaluation criteria will include technical merit, cost proposal (with the lowest cost receiving maximum points), and the vendor's proposed Minority, Women, and Disability Business Enterprise (ISBE) participation rate.

The procurement encourages participation from Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Women Business Enterprises (WBEs), and Disability Business Enterprises (DisBEs), with vendors receiving evaluation points based on their proposed ISBE utilization rates. Vendors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage, including $1 million in general liability, workers compensation, automobile liability, $2 million in professional liability, $1 million in environmental/pollution liability, and $5-20 million in cyber/privacy insurance depending on data access levels. The contract is subject to termination with 30 days' notice based on vendor performance and is contingent on the availability of appropriated funds. While specific budget ranges were not disclosed in the documentation, the state reserves the right to award the contract to a single prime vendor or multiple vendors across different categories. Successful vendors must comply with state laws regarding non-discrimination, affirmative action, and business registration requirements, including obtaining a certificate of authority for foreign corporations transacting business in Rhode Island.