SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- FY18 Green Proving Ground Program - RFI
- Notice Date
- 10/30/2017
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service (PBS), CO Acquisition Services Division (47PA01), 1800 F Street, Room 6318, Washington, District of Columbia, 20405, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20405
- Solicitation Number
- 47PA0118N0001
- Archive Date
- 12/23/2017
- Point of Contact
- Erica B Pelham, Phone: 202-501-3394
- E-Mail Address
-
Erica.Pelham@gsa.gov
(Erica.Pelham@gsa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- RFI 47PA0118N0001 - FY18 Green Proving Ground Program The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are issuing this joint Request for Information (RFI) to obtain responses from private sector entities, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and other interested parties on innovative, pre-commercial or early commercial (defined below) building technologies that can cost-effectively transform the operational efficiency of federal and commercial buildings. Responses to this RFI will be evaluated and considered for inclusion in the GSA Proving Ground (GPG) program or the DOE High Impact Technology Innovation Catalyst (HIT Catalyst), or both. The performance of technologies selected for either or both of these programs will be evaluated in occupied, operational buildings. Throughout this document, the word "technology" refers broadly to integrated systems based on any combination of hardware (equipment), software (processing), materials engineering processes, and resource management devices, methods, tools, or models based on scientific or engineering principles. Technologies appropriate for measurement and verification (M&V) performance studies must be either "pre-commercial," defined as technology that is not yet fully available on the open market and has a value proposition or price that is still being defined, or "early commercial," defined as technology whose value and risks are understood by specialists for some applications but the supply chain and/or full-scale production have not yet been fully established. Commercial technologies already broadly in use and readily available in the marketplace are not appropriate candidates for the GPG or the HIT Catalyst M&V performance studies. Overview of Fiscal Year 2018 Technology Categories: GSA and DOE are requesting information about innovative, transformational pre-commercial or early commercial building technologies that have the potential to: (1) optimize operating costs, (2) reduce energy consumption or offer process improvements, or both, for federally and privately owned commercial buildings and (3) provide, through an M&V performance study, evidence-based information needed to validate the technical and operational characteristics of the technology and its potential for future deployment. Technologies submitted must apply to one or both of the following two categories: 1. Behind-the-Meter Load Optimization : Technologies that optimize behind-the-meter generation, building loads, storage, or any combination of these, to provide resiliency, energy efficiency, or enable participation in dynamic rate structures, or any combination thereof. Technologies may be applicable to individual buildings or campuses, or both. 2. Improving Overall Building Operations and Maintenance : Technologies that either help operators better understand when buildings are not functioning within operational or design parameters, or dynamically correct these faults without operator intervention. This may include tools that enable the identification, prioritization, and improvement of physical building components or software systems, or both. (Any Smart Energy Analytics platforms submitted should integrate and enhance the functionality of GSA Link, which is built on the SkyFoundry program.) The Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 RFI focuses exclusively on the two categories listed above. If your technology does not fall into one or both of the above categories, please check back next year for a new set of categories. How to Submit a Response: Parties wishing to be considered for GSA's FY 2018 GPG program or DOE's HIT Catalyst, or both, including respondents who submitted information in response to previous years' program requests and whose submissions meet the requirements stated above, should respond to this RFI by completing the web-based questionnaire at the link provided below. Only submissions from respondents who fully complete the web-based questionnaire will be reviewed. The web-based questionnaire can be found at: https://goo.gl/JZGL7Y. Additional information may be requested during the GPG or the HIT Catalyst planning and selection process. This announcement will remain open until 11:59 PM EST on Friday, December 8, 2017. Questions about this announcement should be directed to gpg@gsa.gov. Information Session: Representatives from the GPG and the HIT Catalyst programs will host one web-based information session to discuss the federal programs and provide more detail on the RFI questionnaire on Thursday, November 16, 2017 at 3:00 PM EST. You can register for the session at: https://meet.gsa.gov/rfi-2018/event/registration.html. Instructions for access will be emailed to registrants. Fiscal Year 2018 RFI Selection Process: Teams from GSA and DOE will review and consider technologies submitted for M&V performance studies as part of the GPG program or the HIT Catalyst, or both. Neither the GPG program nor the HIT Catalyst will fund technology procurements through this RFI. Information submitted in response to or arising out of the performance testing under this RFI will enable the HIT Catalyst to connect technology providers with field study host sites and identify DOE-funded third-parties to verify performance. To be selected, the respondent must provide compelling responses to the RFI questionnaire and the technology must demonstrate the ability to advance the achievement of the federal goals stated above. To participate in the GPG program, the respondent must either agree to donate the technology unconditionally to GSA in sufficient quantity to test and evaluate its performance or provide alternative financing, such as through a Utility Energy Service Contract (UESC). Applicants offering an alternative financing mechanism must submit documentation supporting the financial commitment, as well as an agreement from the financing partner to participate in the program. To participate in the HIT Catalyst, technology providers must agree to work directly with building owners/operators to supply equipment for monitoring and testing as well as with laboratory experts to support M&V studies. Using the collected information, a subset of respondents may be invited to participate in the FY 2018 GPG program or the HIT Catalyst, or both. Responses to the RFI will be evaluated through a multi-stage review process. Based on the evaluation of the submissions, each respondent will be notified whether or not GSA and DOE will request a follow-up presentation. Respondents who are invited to submit additional information will be asked to provide a brief written presentation to GSA and DOE. After considering the follow-up material, if any, and the submissions, a subset of respondents may be asked to participate in additional discussions with GSA and DOE. Respondents are advised that neither GSA nor DOE are under any obligation to provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this RFI. GSA and DOE reserve the right to select for inclusion in their respective programs any, all, or none of the submissions received. There is no commitment by either GSA or DOE to make any contract awards, nor will GSA or DOE be responsible for any costs or expenses incurred by the respondents in responding to this RFI. Neither GSA nor DOE will provide debriefs for those respondents not selected for inclusion in their respective programs. Responses to this RFI do not bind either GSA or DOE to any further actions related to this matter. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP). Neither GSA nor DOE will issue an RFP as a follow-up to this RFI. Responses to this RFI are not offers and will not be accepted by the Federal Government to form an agreement or binding contract of any nature. Any information obtained as a result of this RFI is intended to be used by the Federal Government on a non-attribution basis for planning and strategy development; this RFI does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals or abstracts and your response to this notice will be treated as information only. Information received may be used to assist GSA and DOE in planning the scope of future technology performance studies or deployment efforts and may be shared with other federal agencies. Technology evaluations may be shared between GSA and DOE and technologies submitted may be selected for the GPG program, the HIT Catalyst, both of these programs, or neither. Background: GSA's mission is to deliver the best value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the Federal Government and the American people. GSA supports over 1 million federal civilian workers by managing more than 8,700 federally owned or leased properties comprising 374 million square feet of workspace. The GPG program enables GSA to make sound investment decisions in next generation building technologies based on their real world performance. Since its inception in 2011, the GPG program has evaluated dozens of next-generation building technologies in real-world operational settings, recommending the most promising for deployment within GSA's real estate portfolio. By discovering best-of-breed innovative technologies early in their development and placing them strategically within federal properties, GSA has become widely recognized as a leader in the commercial building industry and is able to make sound investment decisions that greatly benefit the American taxpayer. More information about the program can be found at gsa.gov/gpg. The mission of DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is to create and sustain American leadership in the transition to a global clean energy economy. Its vision is a strong and prosperous America powered by clean, affordable, and secure energy. EERE's HIT Catalyst weighs changing market conditions against technological innovation to map out a cohesive step-by-step strategy that enables DOE to leverage work by others, access key partnerships, and answer critical scientific and market-related requirements. Elements of the HIT Catalyst include the use of model- and data-based analytical tools coupled with laboratory and field testing to understand integration trade-offs and long-term research and development requirements that will produce more, cost-effective ultra-low energy commercial buildings. More information about the program can be found at buildings.energy.gov/hitcatalyst TERMS AND CONDITIONS : 52.215-3 Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (Oct 1997) (a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. (b) Although "proposal" and "offeror" are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal. (c) This solicitation is issued for the purpose of gathering information on new sustainable building technologies. DISCLAIMER AND IMPORTANT NOTES : This RFI is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA); therefore, EERE is not accepting applications at this time. EERE may issue an FOA in the future based on or related to the content and responses to this RFI; however, EERE also may elect not to issue an FOA. There is no guarantee that an FOA will be issued as a result of this RFI. Responding to this RFI does not provide any advantage or disadvantage to potential applicants if EERE chooses to issue an FOA regarding the subject matter. Final details, including the anticipated award size, quantity and timing of EERE-funded awards, will be subject to Congressional appropriations and direction. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION : Because information received in response to this RFI may be used to structure future programs and FOAs or otherwise be made available to the public, respondents are strongly advised to NOT include any information in their responses that might be considered business sensitive, proprietary or otherwise confidential. The Federal Government does not guarantee confidentiality of the information received. Although GSA and DOE ask that no confidential business information be submitted, it is GSA's and DOE's practice to protect the provided information and make it available on a need-to-know basis only to Federal Government personnel and contractors who will be using this information on behalf of the Federal Government. However, neither GSA nor DOE can guarantee that information will be free from access by others, during transmission or while stored in its system or otherwise in GSA's or DOE's custody or control or in the custody or control of another federal agency or their contractors, and the Federal Government and its contractors will have no liability whatsoever for disclosure of such information. If a respondent chooses to submit business sensitive, proprietary or otherwise confidential information, it must be clearly and conspicuously marked as such in the response. Responses containing confidential, proprietary or privileged information must be conspicuously marked as described below. Failure to comply with these marking requirements may result in the disclosure of the unmarked information under the Freedom of Information Act or otherwise. The Federal Government is not liable for the disclosure or use of unmarked information, and may use or disclose such information for any purpose. If your response contains confidential, proprietary or privileged information, you must include a cover sheet with your response marked as follows identifying the specific pages containing the confidential, proprietary or privileged information: Notice of Restriction on Disclosure and Use of Data : Pages [list applicable pages by number] of this response may contain confidential, proprietary or privileged information that is exempt from public disclosure. Such information may be used or disclosed only for the purposes described in this RFI 47PA0118N0001. The Federal Government may use or disclose any information that is not appropriately marked or otherwise restricted, regardless of source. In addition, (1) the header and footer of every page that contains confidential, proprietary or privileged information must be marked as follows: "Contains Confidential, Proprietary or Privileged Information Exempt from Public Disclosure" and (2) every line and paragraph containing proprietary, privileged or trade secret information must be clearly marked with double brackets or highlighting. EVALUATION AND ADMINISTRATION BY FEDERAL AND NON-FEDERAL PERSONNEL : Federal employees are subject to the non-disclosure requirements of a criminal statute, the Trade Secrets Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1905. The Federal Government may seek the advice of qualified non-Federal personnel. The Federal Government also may use non-Federal personnel to conduct routine, nondiscretionary administrative activities. The respondents, by submitting their response, consent to GSA and DOE providing their response to non-Federal parties. Non-Federal parties given access to responses will be subject to an appropriate obligation of confidentiality prior to being given the access. Submissions may be reviewed by support contractors and private consultants. Primary Point of Contact: Daniel Simon GSA GPG Program gpg@gsa.gov This is a Request for Information (RFI) as identified in FAR 15.201(c)(7). This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP). A solicitation is not being issues at this time, and this notice shall be not be considered as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. Responses to this RFI are not offers and shall not be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The responses to this RFI may be used to assist the Government in to provide. Per Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 - Market Research, this RFI is posted for data gathering and planning purposes only. It does not constitute a solicitation, and shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or award a contract. The Government will not reimburse any respondent for any costs associated with information submitted in response to this RFI. Industry feedback is vitally important and the Government will be receptive to any and all ideas received from industry. This RFI is an expression of the Government's interest only and does not obligate the Government to pay for the requested information nor respond to any submission. Proprietary information is not being solicited; however, if it is submitted, highlight and clearly mark those sections with "proprietary information". FAR Provision 52.215-3 is hereby incorporated in full text: 52-215-3 Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (OCT 1997) a. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal cost, of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. b. Although "proposal" and "offeror are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal c. This solicitation is issued for the purpose of: [Not Applicable, this is an RFI] (End of provision) (Please no telephone inquiries) Overview of Fiscal Year 2018 Technology Categories:
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/ea568c128abfcbc7b3c7573978431cd7)
- Place of Performance
- Address: 1800 F STREET, NW, WASHINGTON, District of Columbia, 20405, United States
- Zip Code: 20405
- Zip Code: 20405
- Record
- SN04726349-W 20171101/171030231006-ea568c128abfcbc7b3c7573978431cd7 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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