DOER RFR-ENE-2026-010 Home Efficiency Rebates Program Implementer Request for Response 09.12.25

The contract involves the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) seeking a lead vendor, in partnership with others, to manage and implement the Home Efficiency Rebates (HER) Program across approximately 40 Municipal Light Plant communities not currently served by Mass Save. The scope encompasses program design, outreach, rebate processing, data management, reporting, and ensuring compliance with federal and state energy efficiency standards, including the Inflation Reduction Act. The vendor must develop consistent rebate offerings, conduct outreach to homeowners and contractors, track and report program progress quarterly, and develop market transformation strategies. The program emphasizes adherence to DOE and Commonwealth requirements, cybersecurity protocols, and data security standards, with deliverables including post-installation certificates, quality assurance, and dispute resolution processes. The procurement process evaluates proposals based on multiple factors, with the most weight given to the Supplier Diversity Plan (at least 25%), followed by relevant experience, technical capability, and pricing. Bidders must demonstrate substantial commitments to supplier diversity, including spending with certified diverse businesses listed in recognized directories, and must complete detailed certification and reporting forms. The selection employs a best value trade-off approach, with scoring based on qualitative and quantitative criteria. Contract performance is expected to commence around December 1, 2025, with the end date to be specified in the final contract, and performance will be distributed statewide across participating communities. Deliverables include program outreach, data collection, quality assurance, and compliance with federal and Commonwealth standards, with onsite inspections at the installation sites and post-installation verification as key components of acceptance. The contract incorporates multiple Commonwealth standard forms, terms, and conditions, emphasizing security, confidentiality, and ethical conduct, and requires electronic submission of proposals via COMMBUYS by October 27, 2025.