Grant Writing Assistance Services

Request for Proposals (RFP)
for Consultant Services
Title: Grant Writing Assistance Services
Bid No. LR 2606
RFP Issue Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2026
RFP submittal Deadline: Friday, November 13, 2026 5:00 p.m. PST
Contract Administrator: Emily Lemei
Address: Northern California Power Agency
651 Commerce Drive
Roseville, CA 95678
Phone: (916) 781-4293
Email: emily.lemei@ncpa.com

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) LR2606
FOR CONSULTANT SERVICES
TITLE: Grant Writing Assistance Services
Bid No. LR 2606
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 1
2. SCOPE OF SERVICES ........................................................................... 1
3. INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENT .................................................... 2
4. TENTATIVE TIMELINE ......................................................................... 6
5. PROPOSAL FORMAT REQUIREMENTS .............................................. 6
6. CONTRACT TYPE AND METHOD OF PAYMENT ............................... 9
7. EVALUATION PROCESS ...................................................................... 10
ATTACHMENTS
A. RESPONDENT INFORMATION FORM ............................................. A-1
B. FORM CONSULTING SERVICES AGREEMENT ............................. B-1
Section 4. Insurance Requirements ........................................ B-3
Exhibit A - Scope of Services .................................................... B-16
Exhibit B - Compensation Schedule and Hourly Fees ........... B-17

1. INTRODUCTION
The Northern California Power Agency ("NCPA" or "Agency") is a joint powers agency, a
public entity established under California Government Code sections 6500 et seq. NCPA was
established in 1968 by a consortium of locally owned electric utilities to make joint
investments in energy resources that would ensure an affordable, reliable, and clean supply
of electricity for customers in its member communities. NCPA members include
municipalities, a rural electric cooperative, and other publicly owned entities for which the
not-for-profit agency provides such services as the generation, purchase, aggregation,
scheduling, and management of electrical energy. NCPA Members are: the Cities of
Alameda, Biggs, Gridley, Healdsburg, Lodi, Lompoc, Palo Alto, Redding, Roseville, Santa
Clara, Shasta Lake, and Ukiah, the Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative, the Port of
Oakland, the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, and the Truckee Donner Public
Utility District (individually referred to as "Member" or collectively as "Members"
hereafter).
2. SCOPE OF SERVICES
Through this RFP, NCPA is seeking proposals from qualified firms or individuals for grant
writing and grant application preparation assistance, including the following services:
* Funding Needs Analysis - Work with NCPA and/or NCPA Member(s) to assess current
funding priority areas and identify new priority areas for funding.
* Grant Funding Research - Conduct research to identify grant resources including, but
not limited to, federal, state, foundation, agencies, and organizations that support
funding needs and priorities in areas identified for the requesting Agency or Member.
* Grant Proposal Development - Provide grant proposal writing services associated with
the completion of grant applications on behalf of the requesting Agency or Member,
including the preparation of funding abstracts and the production and submittal of
applications to funding sources.
* Grant Proposal Consultation - Provide assistance for the development of grant
proposals undertaken by Agency or Member.
* Monthly Reports - the Consultant may be requested to submit monthly reports to NCPA
and/or NCPA Member(s) summarizing the activities undertaken during the previous
month.
* Ad Hoc Reports - the Consultant may be requested to provide regularly updated reports
compiling grant funding opportunities.
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Potential grant topics include:
* Energy Efficiency
* Building Electrification
* Transportation Electrification
* Zero-Emission and Near-Zero-Emission Vehicles and Infrastructure
* Renewable Energy
* Energy Storage
* Demand Management
* Distribution System Security (Physical/Cyber)
* System Hardening/Reliability
* Broadband Infrastructure
* Wildfire Mitigation
* Climate Resilience
* Emergency Preparedness
* Research, Demonstration. or Deployment of Innovative Technologies
* Additional topics as requested by Agency and/or Members
Agency intends to execute enabling agreement(s) with successful Respondent(s). The
primary purpose of this RFP is to select successful Respondent(s) to provide grant writing
assistance services to NCPA and its Members on an as-needed basis through enabling
agreements between Agency and successful Respondent(s).
Agency seeks proposals for a term of five years, with an estimated start date in January
2027. Agency reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to consider proposals or execute
contracts with successful Respondents for an agreement term that is greater than or less
than that potential five years, which may or may not be structured to include options to
extend the terms of the Agreement.
The Consulting Services Agreement is included as Attachment B. Services provided under
the agreement may include services directly to the Agency or, as requested by the Agency,
to NCPA Members, Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA), or SCPPA
Members. Respondents should thoroughly review the agreement in its entirety.
3. INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENT
Any Respondent who submits a Proposal agrees to do so without legal recourse against
Agency, their Commissions, managers, agents, Consultants or Members for rejection of any
response(s), for failure to execute an agreement for any reason, or for any costs relating to
the Proposal including the costs of preparation. Agency shall not be liable to any
Respondent or party at law or in equity for any reason whatsoever for any acts or omissions
arising out of or in connection with this RFP.
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By submitting its Proposal, each Respondent waives any right to challenge any valuation by
Agency of any responses of any Respondent or any determination of Agency to select or
reject any response of any Respondent or to take any action contemplated by this RFP,
including any right of a Respondent to intervene in any governing body proceeding for the
purpose of protesting the selection or rejection of any Respondent, any other decision of
Agency contemplated by this RFP or any resulting agreement related to a selected
Respondent. Each Respondent, in submitting its response, irrevocably agrees and
acknowledges that it is submitting its Proposal subject to and in agreement with the terms
of this RFP and agrees that Agency shall be entitled to specific performance of their rights
hereunder and injunctive relief.
3.1 Public Nature of Proposal
All Proposals submitted in response to this RFP become the exclusive property of
Agency. All Proposals received in response to this RFP become a matter of public
record and shall be regarded as public records, except as noted herein. If the
Respondent so specifies and clearly identifies portions of its response as
"PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL", Agency will make reasonable efforts to treat the
marked portions as confidential information ("Confidential Information"). Agency
reserves the right to release such Confidential Information to its agents, Consultants,
or Participating Members for the purpose of evaluating a Proposal. Such agents,
Consultants and Participating Members will be required to observe the same care
with respect to disclosure as Agency. Under no circumstances will Agency, their
Commission, managers, agents, Consultants or Participating Members, be liable for
any damages resulting from any disclosure of Respondent's Confidential Information
during or after this RFP process.
Although the California Public Records Act recognizes that certain confidential trade
secret, proprietary and similar information may be protected from disclosure, Agency
may not agree that Confidential Information that a Respondent submits is indeed
confidential under California law. If a request is made for Confidential Information
and Agency do not agree that it is confidential under California law, Agency shall
provide the Respondent who submitted the Confidential Information with reasonable
notice to allow the Respondent to seek protection from disclosure by a court of
competent jurisdiction.
3.2 Rights of Agency
This RFP does not commit Agency, or any Participating Member, to enter into a
contract.
Agency reserve the right to:
* Make the selection based on its sole discretion;
* Enter into relationships with more than one Respondent;
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* Reject any and all Proposals;
* Issue subsequent Requests for Proposals;
* Postpone opening for Agency's own convenience;
* Remedy technical errors in the Request for Proposals process;
* Approve or disapprove the use of particular sub-consultants;
* Negotiate with any, all, or none of the Respondents;
* Accept other than the lowest offer;
* Waive informalities and irregularities in one or more Proposals;
* Enter into an agreement with another Respondent in the event the originally
selected Respondent defaults or fails to execute an agreement with Agency;
* Utilize others to perform or supply work of the type contemplated by this RFP;
and/or
* Request proposals from others with or without requesting proposals from
contractors for work of the type contemplated by this RFP.
Evaluation of a Proposal does not constitute a commitment by Agency to acquire such
services from any source. Agency and Participating Members are not obligated in any
way to proceed with this RFP or consider or enter into any agreement or undertake
any liability to any Respondent in connection with this RFP and any and all Proposals,
whether qualified or not, may be rejected without any liability whatsoever to any
Respondent on the part of Agency or any Participating Member. Agency shall not be
responsible for any costs incurred by Respondent to prepare, submit, negotiate,
contract, or participate in this RFP process.
3.3 Examination of Proposal
This RFP includes a description of the scope of services, proposal requirements, and
instructions for submitting a proposal. The submission of a Proposal shall be deemed
a representation and certification by the Respondent that the Respondent:
* Has carefully read and fully understands the information provided by Agency to
serve as the basis for submission of the proposal;
* Has the capability and qualifications to successfully undertake and complete the
responsibilities and obligations of the Proposal being submitted;
* Represents that all information contained in the Proposal is true and correct;
* Did not, in any way, collude, conspire to agree, directly or indirectly, with any
person, firm, corporation or other Respondent in regard to the amount, terms or
conditions of this Proposal; and
* Acknowledges that Agency have the right to make any inquiry they deem
appropriate to substantiate or supplement information supplied by Respondent,
and Respondent hereby grants Agency permission to make these inquiries, and
to provide any and all related documentation in a timely manner.
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No request for modification of the Proposal shall be considered after its submission
on grounds that Respondent was not fully informed about any fact or condition.
3.4 Addenda/Clarifications
Questions or comments regarding this RFP must be put in writing and received by
Agency no later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, October 23, 2026. Direct all inquiries
regarding this RFP by electronic mail to Emily Lemei at emily.lemei@ncpa.com.
Information provided by anyone other than the above contact may be invalid and
proposals which are submitted in accordance with such information may be declared
non-responsive. Responses from Agency will be communicated via email to all
recipients of this RFP. No oral representations or interpretations will be made to any
Respondent as to the meaning of this RFP.
In the event that it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, written addenda
will be issued. Any amendment to this RFP is valid only if it is in writing and issued by
Agency. No oral interpretations or answers shall bind Agency unless confirmed by
Agency in writing. All addenda shall become a part of this RFP and shall be
acknowledged on the Respondent's Information Form (Attachment A).
3.5 Submission of Proposals
Responses to this RFP are due to Agency with the appropriate attachments by
electronic mail no later than 5:00 p.m. (PDT) on November 13, 2026. All proposals
shall be submitted to Agency at:
Email: emily.lemei@ncpa.com
A hard copy of the response is not required. However, Respondents may also send a
hard copy of the response and/or other supporting documents to Agency no later
than 5:00 p.m. (PDT) on November 13, 2026, at:
Northern California Power Agency
ATTN: Emily Lemei
651 Commerce Drive
Roseville, CA 95678
Agency, in its sole discretion, may reject any late or incomplete response.
All materials submitted by the Respondent in response to this RFP will become the
property of Agency and may be used by Agency for the purpose of evaluating
qualifications, soliciting proposals, executing any agreements, regulatory hearings,
and administering any resulting definitive agreements.
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3.6 Withdrawal of Proposals
A Respondent may withdraw its proposal at any time before the expiration of the
time for submission of proposals as provided in the RFP by delivering a written
request for withdrawal signed by, or on behalf of, the Respondent.
4. TENTATIVE TIMELINE
The proposed timeline is as follows:
RFP Issued October 7, 2026
Deadline for questions, clarifications October 23, 2026
Proposals Due November 13, 2026
November 16-
Review of Responses
December 4, 2026
Selection of Respondent(s) December 7, 2026
Contract preparation December 7-31, 2026
Agency approval of contracts January 2027
Work commences January 2027
Solicitation timeline is subject to change. Any updates to the timeline prior to the submittal
deadline for Proposals will be posted as an addendum.
5. PROPOSAL FORMAT REQUIREMENTS
These instructions outline the guidelines governing the format and content of the proposal
and the approach to be used in its development and presentation. The intent of the RFP is
to encourage responses that clearly communicate the Respondent's understanding of the
NCPA's requirements and its approach to successfully provide the products and/or services
on time and within budget. Only that information which is essential to an understanding
and evaluation of the proposal should be submitted. Items not specifically and explicitly
related to the RFP and proposal, e.g. brochures, marketing material, etc. will not be
considered in the evaluation.
Proposals must be limited to 40 pages in length, including attachments.
All proposals shall address the following items in the order listed below and shall be
numbered 1 through 8 in the proposal document.
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5.1 Respondent Information Form
Include a completed Respondent Information Form, which is provided as Attachment
A to this solicitation.
The Respondent Information Form shall be signed by an official legally authorized to
bind the Respondent:
* Proposals submitted on behalf of a Partnership shall be signed in the firm name
by a partner or the Attorney-in-Fact. If signed by the Attorney-in-Fact, there
shall be attached to the proposal a Power-of-Attorney evidencing authority to
sign proposals, dated the same date as the proposal and executed by all partners
of the firm.
* Proposals which are submitted on behalf of a Corporation shall have the correct
corporate name thereon and the actual signature of the authorized officer of the
corporation written (not typed) below the corporate name. The title of the
office held by the person signing for the corporation shall appear below the
signature of the officer.
* Proposals which are submitted on behalf of a Limited Liability Company ("LLC")
shall be signed by the person or persons authorized to bind the LLC under the
LLC's articles of organization.
* Proposals which are submitted by an Individual Doing Business under a firm
name ("dba") shall be signed in the name of the individual doing business under
the proper firm name and style.
5.2 Proposal Summary
Discuss the highlights, key features, and distinguishing points of the Proposal. A
separate sheet shall include a list of individuals and contacts for this Proposal and how
to communicate with them. This section should be limited to three (3) pages including
the separate sheet.
5.3 Profile of the Proposing Respondent(s)
Include a brief description of the Respondent's firm size, as well as the proposed local
organization structure. Include a discussion of the Respondent firm's financial
stability, capacity and resources. Include all other firms participating in the Proposal,
including similar information about the firms.
Additionally, this section shall include a listing of any lawsuit or litigation and the
result of that action resulting from (a) any public project undertaken by the
Respondent or by its subcontractor where litigation is still pending or has occurred
within the last five (5) years or (b) any type of project where claims or settlements
were paid by the Respondent or its insurers within the last five (5) years.
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5.4 Qualifications of the Respondent
Include a brief description of the Respondent's and any subcontractor's qualifications
and previous experience on similar or related projects. Provide in a table format
descriptions of pertinent project experience with other publicly-owned electric
utilities, investor-owned electric utilities, or other entities that includes a summary of
the work performed, the total project cost, the percentage of work the firm was
responsible for, the period over which the work was completed, and the name, title,
and phone number of client's to be contacted for references. Give a brief statement
of the firm's adherence to the schedule and budget for the project. NCPA may, at its
discretion, contact any or all of the references provided.
5.5 Approach & Work Plan
Present a well-conceived work plan. Include a full description of major tasks and
subtasks. This section of the proposal shall establish that the Respondent understands
the Agency's objectives and work requirements and Respondent's ability to satisfy
those objectives and requirements. Succinctly describe the proposed approach for
addressing the required services and the firm's ability to meet the Agency's schedule,
outlining the approach that would be undertaken in providing the requested services.
Proposers must submit a detailed proposal which includes, at a minimum, the
following:
* Define the methodology/approach to be used to identify the needs which would
be eligible for funding through grants.
* Detail the procedure you would utilize in identifying grants which would address
the needs identified as above.
* Detail the involvement and role of NCPA or Member staff and resources in the
grant writing process.
* Describe, in detail, the process you would utilize to prepare the actual grant
application.
* Examples of successful grant applications.
5.6 Project Staffing
Discuss how the Respondent would propose to staff this project. Key project team
members shall be identified by name, title and specific responsibilities on the project.
An organizational chart for the project team and resumes for key Respondent
personnel shall be included.
Attach resumes of key personnel who will perform proposed work and who are
assigned to this project. The resumes must include a summary of the person's
experience (especially that which is specific to this RFP), a chronological, detailed
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