Resilient Energy Systems for Municipal Buildings

The State of Maine's Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, in partnership with the State Resilience Office, is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP 202601004) to procure comprehensive technical assistance and installation services for resilient energy systems across ten pre-selected Maine municipalities: Caribou, Carthage, Dover-Foxcroft, Fairfield, Jonesport, Limestone, Lubec, Machias, Millinocket, and Rockland. The procurement seeks a single vendor to design and install integrated resilient energy systems including heat pumps, solar photovoltaic systems, battery storage, LED lighting, weatherization, and insulation tailored to each municipality's resilience and energy goals. Key deliverables include component selection and system design compliant with federal requirements, installation of systems across all ten municipal buildings, and quarterly and final performance reports. Vendors must demonstrate substantial experience with clean energy, energy efficiency, and weatherization technologies; knowledge of federal incentive programs including Efficiency Maine Rebates and federal tax credits; and adequate workforce or subcontractor capacity to complete installations within the contract timeline. Evaluation will be conducted on a 100-point scale assessing Organization Qualifications and Experience (35 points), Proposed Services (35 points), and Cost Proposal (30 points), with cost evaluation including blended hourly rates for specified tasks, a fixed-price example project cost, and budget narrative justification. Questions must be submitted by March 20, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. local time, and proposals are due April 10, 2026, by 4:00 p.m. via the Vendor Self Service System, with performance running from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2028, with one optional renewal period through April 30, 2029.

Funding for this procurement is provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the FY24 Community Project Funding program, which imposes compliance requirements including adherence to 2 CFR 200, National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 reviews, HUD's environmental review under Part 58, and Buy American Preference requirements for iron and steel. The RFP does not identify any specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting the types of organizations that may respond, though all vendors must meet the technical and experience qualifications outlined. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are referenced in the available documentation. The anticipated award amount for the initial contract period is $2,492,500, representing a significant investment in resilient energy infrastructure for climate-vulnerable Maine municipalities.