Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership Direct Funding Opportunity

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, "Attachment No. 5 - CMAP - Eligibility Verification," is a required form to be submitted as part of the proposal for the Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership (CMAP) RFP. It is used to verify that the submitting organization and the represented communities or industries meet the eligibility requirements outlined in the RFP. This form is not included in the defined page count of the application.

• Submitting Organization: Bidders must indicate if they are a non-profit entity (including energy cooperatives, government entities, Tribes, etc.) or a U.S. company located within the United States.
• Communities/Industries Represented: Bidders must specify if they represent communities or industries operating in remote, rural, or island regions of Alaska, Hawaii, or contiguous United States (excluding U.S. Territories for Topic Area 1-4). For Topic Area 5, it specifies representing U.S. businesses operating commercial or industrial facilities in these regions.
• Proposed Project Intent: Bidders must initial all applicable statements describing the project's intent, such as supporting electrically isolated microgrids, addressing repeated energy outages, or reducing/stabilizing energy costs. Specific criteria related to current residential electricity prices (150% of national average or 125% of state average) are detailed.
• Proposal Submission Commitment: Bidders must initial statements confirming their willingness to provide information on energy costs, availability, and reliability, share experiences to accelerate microgrid development, and intend to use certified or commercially available technology.
• Signature Block: Fields for Name, Title, Company, and Date are provided for official submission.

This form is critical for determining bidder eligibility. Bidders must carefully review and accurately complete all sections to ensure their proposal meets the fundamental requirements of the RFP. Failure to properly complete this form may disqualify the proposal. The details provided here will inform the government's assessment of the bidder's suitability for the opportunity.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a "Sample Subcontract Schedule - Firm Fixed Price" which outlines the terms and conditions for a subcontract. It details the work to be performed, period of performance, pricing, payment terms, applicable documentation, order of precedence, rights to proposal data, subcontract administration responsibilities, and other administrative details.

• Work to be Performed: References Appendix A, Statement of Work, for specific tasks and deliverables.
• Period of Performance: Commences upon execution and may be extended by mutual agreement.
• Price & Payment: Stipulates a Total Price of $0.00, with payments made upon receipt and acceptance of deliverables.
• Applicable Documentation: Lists key appendices including Statement of Work (Appendix A), Standard Terms and Conditions (Appendix B-2), and Intellectual Property Provisions (Appendix C-1 or C-2).
• Order of Precedence: Defines the hierarchy for resolving inconsistencies, with the Schedule taking precedence over other documents and the technical proposal.
• Subcontract Administration: Outlines responsibilities for signature authority, subcontract administration, and technical monitoring.
• Key Personnel: Requires the assignment of specific individuals for successful performance.
• Invoices: Details electronic submission requirements and payment processing.
• Publicity Release & Data Rights: Governs public communications and data usage.
• Compliance: Addresses DOE Order 486.1A regarding foreign government-sponsored activities and scientific integrity.
• Alterations to Terms and Conditions: Details modifications to Appendix B-2, including changes to System for Award Management clauses and payment methods.
• Appendices: Lists available appendices for Standard Terms and Conditions and Intellectual Property Provisions.

This document defines the contractual framework for the subcontract. Bidders should review the terms, particularly regarding the scope of work (via Appendix A), payment terms, invoicing procedures, and any specific compliance or administrative requirements. The "Alterations to Terms and Conditions" section highlights recent changes to standard clauses, which may impact subcontract administration and payment processes.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This Request for Proposals (RFP) from the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) seeks proposals for the "Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership Direct Funding Opportunity" (C-MAP). The program aims to expand American access to affordable energy, strengthen grid reliability, and bolster national security by supporting the implementation of innovative OE-funded research to improve energy delivery in rural and remote areas with less reliable energy systems. The solicitation supports rural and remote communities in developing and implementing advanced microgrid energy systems, conducting engineering designs and financial assessments, expanding collaboration, and improving existing microgrid operations.

• Proposals must address one of five specific topic areas: Regional Microgrid Coordination, Microgrid Integration with Large Load Energy Consumers, Microgrid Development, Microgrid Transformation, or Microgrid Assessment for Industrial or other Large Load Energy Consumers.

• Projects must target areas with populations of not more than 10,000, or specific U.S. business operations in remote/rural/island regions.

• Projects must demonstrate a need for improved affordability, availability, reliability, or quality of electric energy service, often indicated by frequent or prolonged power outages or high energy costs.

• Offerors must identify how their proposed microgrid could increase power affordability, availability, or reliability, and/or stabilize energy costs.

• Deliverables will be detailed in Attachment 1 (Statement of Work) and may be modified.

• Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price Subcontract.

• Period of Performance: Up to 24 months, varying by topic area (12-24 months).

• Estimated Total Funding: $2.5 million.

• Maximum Award per Topic Area:

  • Topic Area 1: $200,000 base + $75,000 per community (up to $575,000).
  • Topic Area 2: Maximum $300,000.
  • Topic Area 3: Maximum $300,000.
  • Topic Area 4: Maximum $400,000.
  • Topic Area 5: Maximum $200,000 (with a minimum 20% offeror price participation).

• Issue Date: 5/12/2026

• Technical Questions Due: 5/28/2026

• Proposal Due Date: 7/2/2026, 2:00 PM Mountain Time

• Submission Method: Electronic copies (PDF) in a compressed folder.

• Evaluation Criteria: Best Value Selection, based on 90% qualitative merit (technical factors) and 10% programmatic factors. Price (cost) is also a key factor.

• Key Proposal Components: Technical proposal, price/cost proposal, representations & certifications, conflict of interest statements, community and microgrid specifications, deliverable schedule, and other required forms.

• Eligible entities: U.S.-based non-profit entities (including energy cooperatives), state and local governmental entities, and federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and villages.

• Ineligible entities: Banned entities, entities owned/controlled by governments of risk, Entities of Concern, and FFRDCs.

• Topic Area 5 requires a minimum 20% offeror price participation (cost share).

• Awardees from previous C-MAP or NLR/DOE solicitations are eligible to apply.

• Proposals must address individual topic areas; combination/hybrid proposals are non-responsive.

• Work funded by this award must occur in the U.S.

• Use of generative AI technology is permitted but must be disclosed.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a Small Business Size Certification form required by the National Laboratory of the Rockies Acquisition Services. It is used to certify a company's size status for contracting purposes.

• Fields for Subcontract/PO Number, Company Name, Address, Contact Person, Phone Number, and Email.
• Checkboxes for various small business certifications, including:
  • Small Business
  • Certified by SBA as a Women-Owned Small Business
  • Small Disadvantaged Business
  • Certified by SBA as a Veteran-Owned Small Business
  • Certified by SBA as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business
  • Certified by SBA as a HUBZone Small Business
  • Other - Specify
• Section to self-certify as a Small Business, requiring NAICS Code and corresponding Size Standard.
• Signature and Title, and Date fields.

Bidders must complete and submit this form to certify their small business status, which is likely a requirement for participation in the opportunity. It requires specific information about the company's size and any relevant SBA certifications. The form also provides guidance on where to find definitions and assistance for determining size status.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, "Attachment No. 3 - Community and Microgrid Specification - 2026," requires bidders to provide detailed information about existing microgrids included in their proposals. It serves as a template for specifying community and microgrid technical and operational data.

Bidders must provide information for each existing microgrid, including:

• Associated Community: State, region, utility name & system operator.
• Community Demographics: Census population (with date), number of consumers.
• Load Data: Maximum typical load (kW), average load (kW).
• Cost & Reliability: Residential electricity cost and Reference Cost (cents/kWh), reliability metrics (SAIDI/SAIFI/other).
• Point of Contact: Name, phone number, and email.
• Current System Components: Detailed specifications for Generation (Solar, Wind, Biomass, Hydro, Generator sets, Other), Electrical Energy Storage, and Inverters (manufacturer, technology, capacity, output).
• Fuel Storage: Details on fuel storage capacity, annual use, supply method, and delivery frequency.
• Control Systems: Description of SCADA or other power system controls.
• Distribution System: Relevant details on the existing distribution network.
• Energy Management System: Information if applicable.
• Other Information: Any other relevant energy system details.

This attachment is crucial for bidders to detail the existing infrastructure they intend to incorporate or assess as part of the opportunity. Accurate and complete information is necessary for proposal preparation and evaluation, demonstrating the current state of microgrid systems.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

This Statement of Work (SOW) outlines the objectives for the Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership (C-MAP) Direct Funding Opportunity. The primary goal is to foster collaboration between communities, energy suppliers, and large energy consumers to improve the operation, performance, and efficiency of their energy systems. The project aims to support rural and remote communities in developing and implementing multi-community support efforts for advanced microgrid energy systems, developing detailed engineering designs and financial assessments, expanding collaboration between energy providers and large load energy users, and assessing and improving existing microgrid systems.

The SOW details five (5) topic areas for the project:

• Topic Area 1: Regional Microgrid Coordination: Focuses on collaboration among multiple communities to improve microgrid operations and development.
• Topic Area 2: Microgrid Integration with Large Load Energy Consumers: Supports integration between community microgrids and large industrial energy consumers.
• Topic Area 3: Microgrid Development: Assists communities in completing detailed engineering designs and investment plans for new or retrofitted microgrid systems.
• Topic Area 4: Microgrid Transformation: Enables communities to assess, design, and implement improvements to existing operational microgrid systems.
• Topic Area 5: Assessment of Microgrids for Industrial or Other Large Load Energy Consumers: Assists individual industrial consumers in assessing advanced microgrid concepts to lower costs and increase energy availability.

For each topic area, the SOW outlines specific tasks, deliverables, and expected outcomes, emphasizing a disciplined engineering approach and measurable improvements in efficiency, reliability, resilience, operability, and cost reduction.

Not explicitly stated in this document, but the opportunity is dated May 7, 2026.

Projects funded under this effort are not intended to fund the implementation of new energy systems but to support the development of necessary materials and skills to secure future funding. Projects should also serve as demonstrations for other communities. The focus is on microgrid energy systems for community or industrial needs that are electrically isolated or designed to operate independently of the grid for prolonged periods. Projects should not focus strictly on energy resilience for emergency services.

The SOW outlines numerous deliverables across the five topic areas, including summaries of work effort, community needs assessments, collaboration plans, technical development plans, design reports, financial assessments, and final reports. These deliverables are scheduled at various intervals following subcontract execution.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, "Attachment No. 4 - Template Deliverable Schedule by Topic Area," provides a template for outlining deliverables and their associated timelines across five distinct topic areas related to microgrid development and integration. It serves as a guide for bidders to understand the expected structure and timing of work products.

Topic Area 1 - Regional Microgrid Coordination

• Deliverables: Summary of Work Effort, Q1-Q7 Reports, Regional Community Needs Identification, Collaboration Plan, Results and Next Steps Report, Impact Report.
• Timeline: Deliverables span up to 24 months.
• Notes: Quarterly reports are expected to range from $2,000 to $5,000 each. Additional deliverables may be proposed if they align with the topic area.

Topic Area 2 - Microgrid Integration with Large Energy Consumers

• Deliverables: Summary of Work Effort, Q1-Q4 Reports, Power System Collaboration Plan, Technical Development Plan, Microgrid Transformational Design, Microgrid Financial Assessment, Microgrid Development Final Report.
• Timeline: Deliverables span up to 18 months.
• Notes: Quarterly reports are expected to range from $2,000 to $5,000 each. Additional deliverables may be proposed if they align with the topic area.

Topic Area 3 - Microgrid Development

• Deliverables: Summary of Work Effort, Q1-Q5 Reports, Microgrid Design Specification, Microgrid Development Plan, Microgrid Design Report, Microgrid Performance Assessment, Microgrid Financial Assessment, Microgrid Construction Specification, Microgrid Development Final Report.
• Timeline: Deliverables span up to 18 months.
• Notes: Quarterly reports are expected to range from $2,000 to $4,000 each. Additional deliverables may be proposed if they align with the topic area.

Topic Area 4 - Microgrid Transformation

• Deliverables: Summary of Work Effort, Q1-Q5 Reports, Improvement Specification and Assessment Plan, Microgrid Transformational Design, Microgrid Transformational Implementation, Microgrid Transformational Final Report.
• Timeline: Deliverables span up to 18 months.
• Notes: Quarterly reports are expected to range from $2,000 to $5,000 each. Additional deliverables may be proposed if they align with the topic area.

Topic Area 5 - Microgrid Assessment for Industrial or other Large Load Energy Consumers

• Deliverables: Summary of Work Effort, Q1-Q3 Reports, Options Assessment, Microgrid Design Specification, Pre-feasibility Technical and Financial Assessment, Microgrid Development Final Report.
• Timeline: Deliverables span up to 12 months.
• Notes: Quarterly reports are expected to range from $2,000 to $5,000 each. A 20% subcontractor price participation is required for this topic area. Additional deliverables may be proposed if they align with the topic area.

This attachment is crucial for bidders to understand the specific deliverables, their sequencing, and the expected reporting cadence for each topic area. It provides a framework for structuring proposals and estimating effort. Bidders should pay close attention to the report value ranges and any specific requirements like subcontractor price participation for Topic Area 5.