Q. Is the Office of Energy and Planning (OEP) using any particular definition for "small,""large," or "micro" businesses and nonprofits?
A. OEP relies on the bidders of this Request for Proposals to define the NH-appropriate business sizes that they wish to serve with loans and grants. The US Small Business Administration has industry size standards for various types of "small" businesses. Typically, businesses with fewer than 10 employees are micro businesses; fewer than 100 are small businesses; and more than 100 are mid-sized or large businesses.
Q. Assuming that loans are repaid into the revolving loan fund making loan cycles possible for many years, is there a point in time when the federal ARRA requirements (e.g., Davis Bacon wages, Buy American, detailed reporting) no longer apply?
A. OEP has asked this question to the Department of Energy and the National Association of State Energy Offices. An answer is forthcoming.
Q. Regarding the above Request for Proposals, did you U.S. mail or e-mail the RFP to specific individual companies? If so, to whom?
A. All RFPs will be available on the OEP ARRA web site, the Office of Economic Stimulus web site, and the Department of Administrative Services Web site. OEP sends out a blast update to the entire OEP-ARRA listserv when each RFP is issued, alerting people to the issuance of the RFP. RFPs are not mailed to individuals or companies. To join the listserv, please e-mail Kate Vattes at OEP.
Q. What type of companies do this type of work in New Hampshire and in New England?
A. OEP anticipates that lending and granting businesses will be interested in administering these loan and grant programs for businesses.
Q. Please confirm that the RFP does not seek administrative services for any DOE-funded weatherization programs.
A. This RFP is strictly for the administration of the loans and grants program for businesses seeking to add energy efficiency measures to their buildings and processes and/or renewable energy systems to their facilities.
Q. What NH entity administers the Weatherization programs?
A. The Community Action Agencies administer the Weatherization Programs for New Hampshire’s low-income homeowners.
Q. May prospective applicants see a copy of NH OEP's application to DOE describing the intended EECBG and SEP programs?
A. Relevant application information about NH’s State Energy Programs and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program is available at the OEP ARRA Web site.
Q. Does a Table of Contents count in the 6-page proposal limit?
A. A Table of Contents should not be necessary for the proposal, assuming that information is clear, concise, and in a reasonable order.
Q. We assume that the reference on RFP page 6 "...total hours worked for those employees paid with ARRA funding" refers to all recipients of ARRA-funded grants and/or loans through OEP, as well as to the contractor's employees - please confirm or clarify.
A. That is correct. Job creation/retention is a very important component and metric to this program, and as such all hours spent on ARRA projects, from top administrative efforts to vendors of sub-sub recipients must be counted and reported to OEP.
Q. Which entity (OEP, State of NH, selected administrator, other?) will cut the checks for these awarded grants/loans?
A. The selected program administrator will "cut checks" for loans and grants to businesses. OEP will reimburse the program administrator based on invoices and other reporting requirements. OEP anticipates this will happen on a monthly basis, although an alternative and mutually acceptable agreement may also be allowed.
Q. Given that proposals may be submitted by e-mail, would it be acceptable for the hard copies to be mailed at the same time as the e-mail submission is sent (i.e., before 4:00 pm 9/30), even though those hard copies will arrive later than the 9/30 deadline?
A. The deadline for all proposals, both the five hardcopies and the digital copy (which can be either CD or PDF), is 4:00 p.m., Wednesday September 30, 2009, at the Office of Energy and Planning. Late or incomplete proposals will not be accepted.
Q. Please explain the Certificate of Vote/Authority referenced on page 8 of the RFP.
A. In order for some organizations to commit to contracts, the Board of Directors must vote and provide authority to accept funds. In such cases, OEP requires proof of this authority. Some boards meet on a sporadic basis or there are significant time lapses between meetings; if this is the case, OEP wants these entities to be positioned to process contracts on an expeditious basis.
Q. In the RFP, it mentions that we need to provide up to (5)"letters of consumer demand". Can you please describe what the content of these letters should be? For example, should specific needs be requested or projects be identified in these letters?
A. OEP would like to see that bidders have existing relationships with businesses, and that businesses are interested in such a program. Bidders are not required to submit this component to the program, however information volunteered through such documents will help OEP select the bidder, and be able to envision the types of projects the bidder anticipates funding. Possible information to provide in such letters should include funding levels, loans versus grants and why one is preferred over the other, terms and interest rates, project types and sizes, anticipated energy and emissions savings, and if possible job creation estimates. OEP recognizes that not all of this information will be available at this point from some businesses, and reiterates that this is an optional component to the proposal.
Q. Is there a limit or budget for the administration portion of each program? Either lump-sum dollar amount or percentage?
A. Under the Department of Energy's funded State Energy Programs, there is not an administrative cost cap. OEP recognizes that loan and grant programs may require significant initial coordination and oversight. With that said, OEP expects the selected administrator to creatively reduce administrative costs as best as realistically possible. OEP expects bidders to be realistic with projected administrative costs when creating a budget for this program. OEP additionally recognizes that as the selected administrator makes awards to businesses, smaller loans and grants will require higher administrative costs per dollar awarded than larger awards.
Q. It appears that OEP wants the program defined/developed by the bidders and included in their proposal. This is quite time-consuming and costly information to develop prior to being awarded a contract and would typically be developed by the successful bidder as part of their contract work. Specifically, Article III, section 3 (all bullets), Article III, section 4 - bullets 4, 6 & 7.
A. This is a valid question. OEP recognizes that the Request for Proposals for the loans and grants programs is rigorous and challenging, and that it asks for more information than RFPs usually require. In order to quickly launch ARRA programs, however, OEP needs as much detail and information as possible. OEP recognizes that this program will most likely evolve and will require mutually agreed upon changes over the course of the program. Nevertheless, OEP needs to be confident that the successful bidder is familiar with and has the capacity to handle the rigorous requirements of the program, can launch this program expeditiously upon award, and fully understands the market. OEP will not hold the selected bidder to specific answers from the proposal, but rather needs to understand how bidders envision a program functioning, including items highlighted in the RFP. Qualitative answers that assure OEP of the capacity and experience of the bidder will suffice.
Q. Are we to assume that no responses to questions will be posted until after the 9/23 deadline? Is there a link that can be sent to responsive entities so we can quickly find the FAQ section?
A. Questions that have come to OEP regarding the Loans and Grants program have been posted at the OEP web site. OEP will make every effort to answer questions quickly and thoroughly.
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