RFP for Lighting Project

Rudyard Area Schools in Michigan is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for an energy conservation and operational improvement project on a performance contracting basis. The procurement seeks qualified vendors to design and implement comprehensive energy conservation measures that may include HVAC system modifications, lighting upgrades, energy management systems, fenestration improvements, water conservation, and other operational improvements. Vendors must submit detailed proposals including comprehensive project descriptions with identified equipment manufacturers, engineering calculations for energy savings, cash flow analysis, measurement and verification plans compliant with International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) standards, and references for five similar projects completed within the past ten years. A mandatory pre-bid meeting is scheduled for February 7, 2025, with a question deadline of February 14, 2025, and the RFP response deadline of 2:00 p.m. on February 19, 2025. Proposals must be submitted in sealed form with one original and three copies, plus one PDF copy on a flash drive, delivered to Tom McKee at 11185 W 2nd St., Rudyard, MI 49788. The Board will review proposals and select a vendor on February 26, 2025, with contract execution anticipated by March 26, 2025, and project implementation beginning May 1, 2025. The successful vendor must demonstrate net benefits over the fifteen-year period with guaranteed annual energy savings and must cover any shortfalls between projected and actual savings.

All proposals require a bid security of five percent of the bid amount in the form of a bid bond or certified check. The successful vendor must procure workers compensation insurance, commercial general liability insurance of $2,000,000 per occurrence, an umbrella/excess liability policy of $5,000,000, and performance and payment bonds equal to 100 percent of the contract price. The contract term will span a minimum fifteen-year period for financial analysis purposes, with the savings guarantee not to exceed five years as determined by the Owner, and the financing rate will be established at 5.0 percent with no more than 3 percent escalation allowed. The Owner will incur no start-up costs, and the school district reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and award the contract to one or more vendors. No specific set-aside designations or restrictions on organization types have been identified in the RFP documentation, and no incumbent vendors or specific budget values are listed.