Issued By: The Human Service Chamber of Franklin County

Submission Deadline: Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning April 28, 2025. 

Submission Email: Please email this proposal as a single PDF document to humanservicechamber@gmail.com with “Climate Resilience Program Proposal” in the subject line.

Contact Person: Michael Corey, mcorey@humanservicechamber.org 

Summary: The Human Service Chamber seeks support from an area contractor to manage an energy audit program with the City of Columbus that is being funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

About the Human Service Chamber

The Human Service Chamber (HSC) is a chamber of commerce for 200+ health and human services nonprofits. HSC provides support through: (1) Advocacy, (2) Professional services, capacity-building, and other cost-savings resources; (3) Distribution of free goods ranging from Covid test kits to office furniture; (4) Driving collaboration and convening nonprofits and key stakeholders; and (5) E-Newsletters to make resources, analysis, information, and more as accessible for busy nonprofit leaders as possible. 

Scope of Work

HSC is looking to engage a consultant or contractor to provide support in managing an energy audit program for Columbus-area health and human service nonprofits. This contractor will need to: 

• Develop and manage an RFP process to identify and contract with firm(s) to provide commercial building energy audits to approximately 30-35 area health and human service nonprofits and technical assistance to approximately area health and human services nonprofits;
• Design and implement an application and review process to identify nonprofits to be considered as one of the beneficiaries of an energy audit and technical assistance;
• Oversee and coordinate the implementation of energy audits and technical assistance to the identified nonprofits, ensuring effective communication between the audit and technical assistance firm(s) and the nonprofit participants;
• Prepare and support required grant reporting to the City of Columbus, including tracking participation, summarizing findings, and compiling relevant data. 
• Because this program is funded through a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, the contractor must be familiar with federal procurement, reporting, and documentation requirements. 

The engagement is expected to last 12 to 18 months, with the possibility of adjustments based on program needs and funding requirements.

Proposal Requirements

Please submit a proposal as a single PDF that includes the following:

• Summary of your background & approach.
• A potential work plan.
• Case studies of similar projects you’ve worked on, especially with local, state, or federal government partners.
• 3 client references.
• Contact information & resume(s) of the key person or persons working on this project.
• Pricing & fee structure. Pricing should include all charges and outline any special costs or optional add-ons.

Please email this proposal to humanservicechamber@gmail.com with “Climate Resilience Program Proposal” in the subject line. 

Evaluation Criteria

An ideal consultant or contract would have: 

• Experience with nonprofits.
• Strong understanding of federal grant compliance and procurement requirements. 
• Strong project management skills, especially in collaborative projects. 
• Awareness of current trends, policies, and best practices in climate change and sustainability.
• Familiarity with tools, frameworks, and resources commonly used in sustainability work.
• Willingness to ask questions and learn.