Notice of Grant Contract Availability

Conservation Applied Research and Development

Working Group Facilitation for Energy Conservation and Optimization

Income-Eligible Utility Programs

COMM-CARD01-20241216

The Minnesota Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) seeks proposals from qualified organizations or individuals to support facilitating engagement among community-based stakeholders to improve utilities’ energy efficiency programs and ensure that all customers—especially those considered under-resourced, residing in multi-family properties, and renters—are benefiting from deep energy savings.

Minnesota’s Energy Conservation and Optimization (ECO) Program is a ratepayer funded utility-administered program with regulatory oversight provided by Commerce. Utility ECO portfolios promote energy-efficient technologies and practices by providing rebates, marketing, and technical assistance to utility customers. ECO programs help Minnesota households and businesses lower their energy costs by using electricity and natural gas more efficiently.

Commerce is in the process of establishing a standing work group made up of utilities and interested parties to facilitate ongoing development and feedback concerning ECO income-eligible programing. This work group will build on similar activities during 2023, where utilities and interested parties discussed elements in the ECO Act and how these might be incorporated into the utility ECO Triennial Plans.

A Request for Proposal (“RFP”) and required forms are available for download on Commerce’s RFP website at https://mn.gov/commerce/business/rfp.jsp. Proposals must be submitted through Commerce’s grant submission portal. A link to the portal and instructions for submitting proposals can be found in the RFP.

Proposals are due by Friday, January 24, 2025, at 5:00PM CDT. Late proposals will not be considered.

This request does not obligate the State to complete the work contemplated in this notice. The State reserves the right to cancel this solicitation. All expenses incurred in responding to this notice are solely the responsibility of the Responder.

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