SOLICITATION NOTICE
L -- Technical Support for the Home Performance Energy STAR Program Northern Virginia Pilot
- Notice Date
- 4/13/2009
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- Contracting Office
- Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Acquisition Management, EPA/Headquarters, Environmental Protection Agency, Administrative Contract Service Center, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, Nw, Washington, DC 20460
- ZIP Code
- 20460
- Solicitation Number
- RFQ-DC-09-00167
- Response Due
- 4/28/2009
- Archive Date
- 5/28/2009
- Point of Contact
- Point of Contact, Jessica Wilson, Purchasing Agent, Phone (202) 564-2504<br />
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- NAICS Code: 541990 Sources Sought Notice NAICS: 541990 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Headquarters Procurement Operations Division, Administrative Contract Service Center (3803R) 1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20460Response Date: April 28, 2009 4:00 p.m. (Local Time)Description:The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), Office of Atmospherics Programs (OAP) Climate Protection Partnerships Division (CPPD) ENERGY STAR Residential Branch, is conducting a sources sought notice for information purposes only. Under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)Code 541990, in preparation for an upcoming procurement the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Protection Partnerships Division (CPPD) ENERGY STAR Residential Branch is conducting Market Research for a contractor to participate in a pilot Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) program in Northern Virginia. This is a program that will depend on home performance contractors to deliver customized energy improvements that are appropriate for the unique needs of each individual home. The program requires building performance testing before and after work is complete to help ensure that the work is completed correctly and in a safe and healthy manner. Only organizations that meet specific criteria may participate in this program.The organization must have recent (within 3 years) experience performing the duties of professional accreditation of the residential building performance industry. The organization must have established accreditation standards which are created and updated through a process that is open and consensus-based to ensure that professional integrity is maintained in the process. The organization must demonstrate they have the skill set to review and accredit (verify) that contractors meet the eligibility criteria EPA has established for participation in a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR pilot program. The accrediting organization also must be independent of other organizations involved in training contractors on technical building science standards so as to avoid any potential conflict of interest. This is an essential service for this growing industry and important to EPA's mission and efforts to help consumers save energy. A qualifying organization must have, as a customary business practice: 1)An existing consensus-based building science standard operating procedures (SOPs) for contractors on how to perform home energy efficiency improvements. 2)An existing list of training providers that can train to the existing SOPs as described in 1).3)The capacity and an existing framework to review and accredit (verify) that contractors meet eligibility criteria: a.Licensing, bonding, and insurance requirement, as required by the pilot market;b.Commitment and ability to perform services according to consensus-based building science standards and best practices. c.Commitment and ability to use quality management systems to record and track both work records and business activities for each project. 4)Routine collection of technical information on jobs completed in the program and summarized results for periodic review.5)Routine collection fees for verification activities. In addition, the qualifying organization shall assist contractors on establishing internal Quality Management Systems (QMS) that will help participating contractors be successful and reliable partners in the HPwES program. A copy of the full Statement of Work is attached: THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. This is a request for interested potential offerors to submit a brief capability statement demonstrating how they plan to meet the above requirement. Submissions shall be limited to no more than 10 pages. Standard brochures will not be considered as a sufficient response to this notice. The capability statements should include the following: (1) Name of vendor; (2) Contract information (address, telephone, facsimile, e-mail,); (3) Technical description of capabilities in meeting the requirement; and (4) Business size and classification (small, large, small-disadvantage, SBA-certified 8(a), HUBZone, woman-owned, service-disabled veteran, native American, etc.) Business should submit an electronic copy of the requested information to Mrs. Jessica Wilson, Contracting Officer, at wilson.jessica@epa.gov, no later than Monday April 28, 2009 at 4:00 pm local Time. Based upon information available currently, the Government does not anticipate fulfilling the requirement through a small business set-aside. The method of completion will be determined after all responses to this notice have been evaluated. Interested firms may obtain a copy of the draft Statement of Work below. This Sources Sought Notice does not constitute a commitment by the Government or otherwise pay for any information or inquiry. The Request for Quote (RFQ), including the Statement of Work, Evaluation factors, and Quote submission instructions will be available on or about July 22, 2009 at the following website: http://www.epa.gov/oamhpod1/admin_placement/0900167/index.htm it is the responsibility of the interested parties to regularly monitor the aforementioned website for updates to this procurement. Prospective sources are also reminded that award will only be made to a Contractor registered in the Central Contractor Registration database at www.ccr.gov (See FAR Subpart 4.11 at http.acquisition.gov/raf//index/html for more information.) STATEMENT OF WORKTechnical Support for the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program Northern Virginia Pilot I. Background The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program, as well as other Energy Star initiatives are all voluntary pollution prevention programs sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Protection Partnerships Division (CPPD). The primary goal of these Programs is to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants through reduced energy consumption.The goal of the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) is to encourage homeowners to make comprehensive energy efficiency improvements to their homes. Quality Assurance (QA) is a very important component of the HPwES program and helps to ensure that homeowners get actual energy savings and that the reputation of the ENERGY STAR "brand" is protected. More information about HPwES can be found at www.energystar.gov/hpwessponsors.EPA, working with the Department of Energy, plan to test pilot a HPwES program model with direct partnerships with home performance contractors and oversight by an independent agent. This pilot will test a new quality assurance approach and marketing a performance metric. A copy of the draft pilot plan can be obtained by sending a request to homeperformance@energystar.gov. II. Purpose The purpose of the Task Order is for the Contractor to accredit (verify) that home performance contractors, participating in a pilot HPwES program in Northern Virginia, meet the program eligibility requirements and follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) for evaluating home energy efficiency and completing home energy efficiency improvements. In addition, the Contractor will provide guidance to home performance contractors on how to establish Quality Management Systems (QMS) to record and track home performance and business metrics for each job. This guidance may include, but is not limited to, explaining the requirements and protocols to home performance contractors in writing and presentations. The Contractor shall also provide protocols for electronic data transfer so that home performance contractors can easily submit information on their work for review and evaluation. The Contractor staff shall at all times identify themselves as Contractor employees and shall not present themselves as EPA employees. Furthermore, they shall not represent the views of the U. S. Government, EPA, or its employees. In addition, the Contractor shall not engage in inherently government activities, including but not limited to actual determination of EPA policy and preparation of documents on EPA letterhead. III. Required Personnel The optimal organization to perform the work in this task order shall have personnel with expertise in accrediting residential building performance companies including the review of business Quality Management Systems of home improvement and weatherization businesses. The personnel shall have experience and a proven understanding of the HPwES program, the requirements of the pilot HPwES program, and building science. The organization shall have personnel with knowledge of information technology and electronic data transfer standards. The Contractor may obtain the services of subcontractors if necessary to gain additional expertise for the tasks covered under this task order. IV. Tasks Task 1Accredit (verify) that home performance contractors seeking to participate in the pilot HPwES program meet the eligibility requirements and follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) for evaluating home energy efficiency and completing home energy efficiency improvements This will be done by visiting the contractor's place of business for the accreditation interview. The Contractor will collect a fee from contractors to cover at least half (?) the cost of the accreditation activity. The requirements for contractors to participate in the pilot HPwES program are as follows:"Commitment and ability to perform a comprehensive home energy assessment according to consensus-based, building science SOPs;"Commitment and ability to install energy efficiency improvements according to local codes and consensus-based, building science SOPs;"Commitment and ability to use quality management systems to record and track home performance and business metrics for each job;"Have $1 million in general inability insurance; "Have workers compensation insurance; and"Have registrations, licensing and/or bonding documentation that is required by state or local government to conduct business. The accreditation shall consist of four parts:1)Meet face to face with the home performance contractors to review records, equipment and personnel qualifications in order to determine if the pilot program requirements have been satisfied.2)Routinely collect and review information from participating contractors to determine if SOPs are followed. This will include in-home inspections of 5% (percent) of all jobs completed to ensure that work was done to program requirements. Report a summary of jobs completed by participating contractors on a quarterly basis to the EPA Task Order Project Officer (TOPO).3)Distribute and collect customer satisfaction surveys on jobs done by participating contractors; and4)Annually accredit that participating contractors meet the requirements of the pilot and have completed any agreed upon improvements to their business quality management systems. The Contractor will be expected to begin accrediting home performance contractors one month after a contract is awarded. The EPA TOPO will provide a list of potential contractors that are interested in participating in the pilot program. The Contractor will provide the EPA TOPO with the name, address, email address and phone number of each accredited home performance contractor within 5 business days after completing a verification/review. The Contractor will provide the EPA TOPO with a written summary report quarterly, that includes the number of jobs completed by each accredited home performance contractor, results from customer satisfaction surveys (sent and returned), and activities to review if SOPs are being followed. Task 2Provide guidance to home performance contractors on internal business and technical Quality Management Systems (QMS). QMS is a set of policies and procedures an organization commits to follow to ensure the delivery of quality building performance contracting services which includes, but is not limited to quality planning, quality control, quality assurance and quality improvement. The guidance should make it clear to contractors what practices and policies they need to adopt to establish an internal business quality management system, why it is important, and all the steps necessary to meet quality assurance requirements to participate in the pilot HPwES program. Guidance can be delivered through multiple media including, printed documents, web site, video, seminar, workshop or one-on-one consultation. The Contractor will provide the EPA TOPO with a quarterly summary of all documents and methods used to provide guidance to contractors. Task 3Develop an electronic data transfer standard protocol (i.e. XML) to electronically transmit information between participating contractors and the Contractor. The information transmitted should be sufficient for the Contractor to review if participating contractors have followed SOPs. A draft data standards and instructions for using the standard will be developed and distributed to all interested parties for comment. Deliverables will include a draft data transfer standard and instruction and a final standard and instructions. The final standard is due 1 month after written comments are received on the draft standard. Task 4EPA plans to contract with a separate organization to conduct an evaluation of the pilot HPwES Program in Northern Virginia. The Contractor will cooperation with EPA's evaluation contractor and provide information requested by the EPA TOPO within 2 weeks of a request. This evaluation will look at jobs completed, type of work completed in each job, customer satisfaction, complaints, and inspection results. It will estimate the percentage of jobs meeting program standards and recommend program changes to improve performance.
- Web Link
-
FedBizOpps Complete View
(https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=345433a1dc90a79f9c4d1aee80813f20&tab=core&_cview=1)
- Record
- SN01791726-W 20090415/090413220720-345433a1dc90a79f9c4d1aee80813f20 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |