request for proposal - cse · pdf filerequest for proposal ... o retail marketing and...

This RFP is being issued by the Center for Sustainable Energy® on behalf of the 2016

Statewide Marketing Education and Outreach program, funded by California ratepayers

served by Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas

Company and San Diego Gas & Electric under the auspices of the California Public Utilities

Commission.

Request for Proposal 2016 Energy Upgrade California® Retail Marketing Services

Energy Upgrade California 2016 Retail RFP 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. ENERGY UPGRADE CALIFORNIA®, CHANNEL, SERVICE & RFP OVERVIEW ............................................................................ 3

A. Company Overview ........................................................................................................................................................ 3

B. Energy Upgrade California Overview.............................................................................................................................. 3

C. Retail Channel & Services Requested ............................................................................................................................. 4

D. Key Performance Indicators ........................................................................................................................................... 6

E. Top Ten Best Practices/Key Learnings ............................................................................................................................ 6

F. Parameters & Key Insight to RFP .................................................................................................................................... 8

G. Eligibility and Minimum Contractor Requirements ....................................................................................................... 8

H. Key Dates ........................................................................................................................................................................ 9

2. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................................................ 10

3. EVALUATION CRITERIA ........................................................................................................................................................ 12

4. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL ................................................................................................................................................ 12

A. Questions ..................................................................................................................................................................... 12

B. Electronic Submission of Proposals .............................................................................................................................. 13

C. Verification of Receipt of Proposal ............................................................................................................................... 13

D. Errors or Omissions ...................................................................................................................................................... 13

E. RFP Withdrawal ............................................................................................................................................................ 13

F. Proposal Preparation Costs ........................................................................................................................................... 13

G. Terms and Conditions .................................................................................................................................................. 13

H. Indemnification ............................................................................................................................................................ 14

I. Proposal Review - Clarifications .................................................................................................................................... 14

J. Permits, Licenses or Certifications ................................................................................................................................ 14

K. CSE Rights..................................................................................................................................................................... 15

5. CONTRACT EXECUTION ....................................................................................................................................................... 15

6. ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS FOR REFERENCE ....................................................................................................................... 15

7. CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSALS ........................................................................................................................................ 16

A. Logo Use/Publicity ........................................................................................................................................................ 16

B. Women/Minority/Disabled-Veteran-Owned Business and Small Business ................................................................. 16

C. Confidentiality .............................................................................................................................................................. 17

8. ADDENDUM ........................................................................................................................................................................ 18


1. ENERGY UPGRADE CALIFORNIA®, CHANNEL, SERVICE & RFP OVERVIEW

A. Company Overview The Center for Sustainable Energy® (CSE) is an independent, nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization that helps residents,

businesses, and public agencies save energy, reduce grid demand, and generate their own power through a variety

of rebate, technical assistance, and education programs. CSE is the administrator of Energy Upgrade California®,

which is the state’s energy management brand and statewide marketing, education and outreach (SW ME&O)

initiative, led by the California Public Commission (CPUC) in coordination with the California Energy Commission.

Herein this request for proposal (RFP), CSE shall be identified as “CSE” and the service provider sought shall be

“Bidder” or “Contractor”.

B. Energy Upgrade California Overview On December 27, 2013, the CPUC issued D.13-12-038 (“Decision”), adopting the SW ME&O initiative and Energy

Upgrade California as the state’s umbrella brand for residential and small business demand side management

(DSM) programs and activities. The Decision established CSE as the administrator and implementer of the

statewide initiative and determined the two-year timeframe for the program to be 2014 to 2015. The Decision

provides direction to CSE, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas and Electric,

and SoCal Gas Company (IOUs) and the Regional Energy Networks (RENs) regarding governance, roles and

responsibilities and other implementation details. The most recent decision, D.15-08-033, provided bridge funding

to support this program through 2016 and identified CSE to continue management and administration of this

initiative.

The purpose of this RFP is to provide the opportunity for parties to submit bids to provide comprehensive retail

marketing services for the statewide Energy Upgrade California marketing and outreach campaign(s). 1 The selected

contractor will support the retail channel (medium) and serve as an integral part of this larger SW ME&O initiative.

All interested parties and qualified firms should review the criteria set forth and submit relevant proposals by the

deadline.

CSE provides a wide variety of supporting documents on the Retail RFP website for each Bidder to access and

review: https://energycenter.org/2015-Retail-RFP. The following are the Energy Upgrade California “Educate,

Motivate and Activate” Objectives as noted in the Integrated Communication Plan IV (ICP IV) which can be

downloaded on the site. The retail channel plays a critical role in achieving these objectives:

Educate Californians on why energy use matters, how California homes and small businesses use energy, plus energy efficiency, demand response, distributed generation, and energy management actions available to them through programs, products, services, and no-cost/low-cost actions.

Motivate Californians to learn more about their energy use and connect personal energy management choices with the benefits of reduced costs, increased savings, comfort, and the identity of being Californian.

Activate Californians to make better choices in their behavior and decision-making around energy use and take action to manage their use through customized calls to action per campaign.

It is strongly recommended each Bidder review the documents provided to learn more about this initiative. Please

visit the brand’s website at www.EnergyUpgradeCA.org, sign up for the Energy Upgrade California newsletter, and

use the MyEnergyUpgrade tool to create your own energy plan.

1 Energy Upgrade California promotes different energy management topics or “campaigns” during each marketing plan period.

Typically the plan period is six months; however the current phase is 15 months, Oct 2015-Dec 2016.

https://energycenter.org/2015-Retail-RFP

http://www.energyupgradeca.org/


C. Retail Channel & Services Requested The retail channel is the newest and most challenging channel to execute a holistic energy education initiative. CSE believes, however, that this channel holds the greatest opportunity to realize actionable, accountable and measurable results for Energy Upgrade California. This channel affords Energy Upgrade California the opportunity to build long-term relationships with retailers (i.e. The Home Depot, Sears, Dixieline), manufactures (i.e. Whirlpool, Lennox, Nest) and other key partners (i.e. ENERGY STAR®, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers) to develop new marketing and education strategies and tactics that will support all partners’ goals and objectives. Last, this channel is at the center of launching new technologies and products such as the home automation category, new ENERGY STAR Most Efficient branded appliances and more, which makes retail the perfect channel for Energy Upgrade California to be part of. The goals, objectives and proposed services required by the selected Bidder include the following: 1. Goal: Source, secure and build partnerships with retailers, manufacturers & other stakeholders

Objectives o Sell in and secure approval from targeted retailers to allow Energy Upgrade California to utilize

their retail stores in California to promote the brand’s Educate mission. While the program has been operating in retail since its launch in September 2014, the coverage of retailers must expanded. CSE will look for the selected Bidder to lead the sell-in process at retail and be willing to collaborate with other Energy Upgrade California partners to expand coverage to more retailers. The current program gained approval to work within 80+ stores to promote the variety of Energy Upgrade California topics.

o Source, secure and build partnerships with manufacturers of energy efficient products. It is critical to the success of the retail channel that partners support the sell-in to retailers, enable Energy Upgrade California to gain valuable insight, and provide an opportunity for co-op marketing/promotions to increase education and awareness metrics, along with raising brand credibility.

o Collaborate with California IOUs. Energy Upgrade California believes this will yield increased education, awareness and participation metrics for all entities. Coordination with IOUs will lead to better insight and a more effective implementation of Energy Upgrade California’s retail marketing initiatives as well as increase awareness and participation of IOU programs.

o Source and secure partnerships with organizations that will enhance implementation at retail such as ENERGY STAR, National Retail Federation, or the American Lighting Association. This effort will be a key aspect of the retail channel’s success in 2016.

o The agency must be willing to collaborate with CSE and other Energy Upgrade California agency partners to collectively build a list of key associations and organizations to be targeted.

2. Goal: Co-create, collaborate and execute an implementation plan to exceed Energy Upgrade California program

performance metrics & retail KPIs

Energy Upgrade California is seeking an agency to create an implementation plan for the retail channel. Final approval of the plan will reside with CSE. The agency must have the capacity to execute the implementation plan through a variety of retail marketing services that may include, but not be limited to, the following tactics:

o Account team to manage the program o Source, secure and manage full-time and part-time field representatives to support Energy

Upgrade California o Merchandising services


o Retail marketing and execution services to implement promotions, parking lot events, couponing, contests, etc.

o Source and secure retail marketing materials, as needed o Conduct retail and industry research, as needed o Mystery Shopper Services o Data capture and reporting capabilities o Agency support services, as needed (HR, finance, warehousing, IT, creative, marketing & other

vendors) o Retail sell-in (as noted above)

Retail Marketing Strategies & Tactics from ICP IV The winning agency will be tasked with using a variety of retail marketing strategies and tactics to promote each campaign as it pertains to targeted product categories and shoppers’ interests, as follows:

Engage shoppers at targeted product categories within the store, parking lot events, or via in-store educational demonstrations, at applicable retailers

Build and leverage manufacturer partnerships to increase educational opportunities and expand retailer coverage

Utilize interactive tools to increase the number and length of engagements plus increase retention of educational messages and customer data capture

Engage shoppers with defined messages and applicable educational moments that relate to their shopping interests/objectives

Promote applicable IOU programs and provide relevant brochures and materials from stakeholders and partners

Integrate State of Saving financing campaign into retail outreach to help people engaged in conversation already

Create and collaborate with partners on retail marketing ideas to increase Energy Upgrade California results at retail

Lead the integration of retail with other channels to increase collaboration that yields higher results for all channels (e.g., Earned and Social Media, Mobile, Sponsorships etc.)

If the prime contracting agency does not have the capacity within their agency to implement these services, we highly encourage the Bidder to partner with WOMEN, MINORITY AND DISABLED VETERAN OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (WMDVBE) and Small Business and Disadvantaged Small Businesses. Three points may be awarded to Bidders who are verified as a Women/Minority/Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (WMDVBE) and two points for those verified as a small business. These points will only be awarded if: 1) Bidder provides verification in their proposal, and, 2) Bidder meets the minimum threshold of 70% of total possible points for sections A-C; and 3) If the Bidder with the highest score on sections A-C does not qualify for Preference Points.

General Guidelines for Creating the RFP:

Contract Period: November 2015 through December 2016

Budget o $1,000,000 all-inclusive o Budget for out-of-pocket expenses are “at cost” and should not include any agency service fees added

to the actual cost of the items

RFP Project Timeline: o Planning and preparing for 2016: November and December 2015 o In-field execution starts: Forecasted to start February 2016 o In-field execution completed: End of 2016 o Metrics & KPI’s will be agreed on and included in the final contract


A strategy and tactical collaborative meeting is mandatory prior to contract development and applicable SOW

D. Key Performance Indicators

Key Performance Indicators for 2016 The following are a non-inclusive list of KPI’s for retail:

# of events, store visits, total retailers participating/approved, total stores covered

# of consumer engagements/interactions, # consumer impressions, # of consumer seminars/workshops

# of retail sales associates trained, # of retail sales associated signed up for online training, # retail sales associate formal/regional trainings

Retail sales associated mindshare/understanding of the brand’s value proposition

# of contractor workshops, # of contractors engaged, # of contractor events

# products promoted/sold that can be verified as influenced by education

# of IOU collaborated events/promotions/educational initiatives

# of new partners secured and # of initiatives created & implemented

# of promotions created and executed

# of merchandising pieces created, placed and total # of impressions

# premiums distributed

# of pledges/commitments from shoppers

Verification or validation of understanding and comprehension of educational messages

# e-mails secured

Cost based metrics – examples: cost per action, cost per event, cost per engagement etc.…

Hourly rates for all applicable metrics (engagements per hour, e-mail captured per hour etc..), as applicable

E. Top Ten Best Practices/Key Learnings To provide Bidders insight on the retail channel, here are the Top Ten Best Practices/Key Learnings from retail: 1. Retailers require longer lead times to create, approve, communicate and implement energy education

initiatives like Energy Upgrade California versus other channels like paid media, community outreach and social media since this is a new concept to retailers

Assume 6 to 8 months lead time as a minimum assuming a relationship is already established

Anticipate retailers merchandising and promotional calendars for the year

Proactively schedule participation in retailer's regional trainings

Schedule Q4 2016 holiday implementation no later than May 2016 to ensure approval 2. Retailers require approvals from multiple departments/personnel due to the variety of products and services

for this topic, which is typically not the case for normal manufacturer in-store marketing activities that focus on one product/brand within one category

For example: approval could be required from store ops, individual store management, merchant/buyer, sustainability personnel, marketing and training departments

Retailers are becoming more aware and interested in sustainability and energy education, therefore understanding and aligning with retailers’ corporate missions is critical to ensure faster sell-in and understanding of Energy Upgrade California’s value proposition

3. Create an in-store tabling experience that quickly and simply demonstrates to shoppers Energy Upgrade California is not directly selling anything to shoppers is key to increasing engagements with shoppers

Retailers may have “in-aisle” sales representatives “hard selling” or aggressively promoting their products and services so shoppers expect to be “approached” while browsing

Many home improvement stores utilize their own retail sales associates to roam inside stores to promote their store services, such as kitchen remodeling or installation services

Energy Upgrade California representatives conduct tabling events have only a few seconds to initially engage shoppers, therefore it is critical that the in-store experience clearly identifies the representative's role to educate shoppers


In-store tabling events and Energy Upgrade California Brand Ambassadors working within home improvement stores are often mistaken as solar sales agents (e.g., Solar City, Sungevity), therefore is critical that the supporting marketing elements create an inviting experience that encourages shoppers to want to engage

4. Understand retailer needs and ensure their interests are valued, by proactively providing customized retail marketing initiatives along with insightful and timely updates to build long-term partnerships with corporate personnel, district & stores management along with retail sales associates in individual stores

Retailers need to be educated on Energy Upgrade California’s value proposition as it relates to their needs

Corporate retailers need insight from the field to build a solid relationship with Energy Upgrade California by demonstrating the value of “field level” intelligence

Energy Upgrade California is a trusted advisor, therefore our “recon” from the field has a higher level of validity/quality

Providing a flexible menu of marketing options for retailers to “choose from” ensures faster approval and demonstrates a genuine interest in retailers’ needs and nuances of their in-store experience

5. Demonstrate how “education” can lead to increased sales is critical to maintaining retailers’ support in-store

The key is to relate the energy education topic directly to the applicable product category to motivate shoppers to take action

Energy Upgrade California is “brand agnostic”, which affords our brand the ability to promote the entire category, which is highly valued by the retailer

Energy Upgrade California has an invaluable unique position in-store as being the ONLY in-store representative to be able to talk to a wide variety of products, services and brands that relate to energy and water education

6. Collaborate with the manufactures/IOUs/key partners/agencies to proactively demonstrate the value of Energy Upgrade California to each group

Manufacturers are eager to partner with Energy Upgrade California once they clearly understand the value proposition provided to shoppers, retail sales associates and contractors

Local utility programs are a key component of Energy Upgrade California’s educational mission, as participating in IOU programs at retail is a key “energy action” shoppers can take

Energy Upgrade California could provide valuable retail recon to entities like ENERGY STAR, the CPUC and the CEC

7. Create and promote Energy Upgrade California’s value proposition at the store level to retail sales associates, department managers and store management

Answer the question for each group: “Why is Energy Upgrade California important to them?”

Each role requires a slightly different approach and message which needs to be understood and effectively communicated

8. Pilot ideas and concepts quickly, gain key learnings, and provide solid recommendations timely

Having a “start-up” type mentality is key to the success at retail, as in many ways, this initiative is very innovative and ground breaking which requires an ability to learn at a “fast and furious” pace

9. In-store reps should not try to be an “energy expert or know-it-all” and overwhelm shoppers with too much information as this creates “information overload” and leads to inaction, which is in direct contrast to Energy Upgrade California’s goal

Assume the engagement with shoppers is the “first” in a long road of communication to start each person on their energy journey

Ensure in-store reps receive training on soft communication skills in addition to each energy topic

Train reps to provide the key message effectively and have the ability to guide shoppers to the resources in support of their “next step” or action

10. Deliver the Energy Upgrade California message in a simple, easy to understand manner to motivate action and understanding based on the key targets


Key Targets: Consumers, contractor, retail sales associate, retailer dept./store manager, manufacturer, key marketing personnel at retailers & manufactures, key sustainability personnel at retailers & manufacturers

F. Parameters & Key Insight to RFP This RFP is an open and competitive process and will award one purchase order that will be managed by the

selected contractor. If the execution of the Scope of Work requires the hiring of sub-contractors, clearly state this in

the proposal and define the work of the sub-contractor(s). The evaluation will be on a best value basis considering

the criteria as scored by CSE, CPUC and other possible evaluators. The terms of the contract will include

implementation through the calendar year 2016, unless noted otherwise in the final contract agreed to by the

winning agency.

Ownership Rights

Contractor agrees that all reports, designs, diagrams, studies, conclusions, recommendations, analyses and other

materials developed, generated or produced by Contractor as required in the performances of the Scope of Work or

“Work Product” shall be owned by and shall be the exclusive property of CSE. The Work Product, including any

duplicate copies kept by Consultant, shall not be shown to any other public or private person or entity except as

expressly authorized in writing by CSE or as required by law. All Work Product shall become the property of CSE

without restriction as to use.

It is strongly recommended that each Bidder:

Objectively assess your agency’s capabilities to fulfill the requested services

Verify that your agency meets the minimum qualifications to respond to this RFP

Read and understand the ICP IV prior to creating your response

Coverage for retail is defined by the CA IOU service territories, therefore please be mindful when building your coverage models as to not include coverage outside these regions

Include coverage in the Central Valley, as many agencies may be inclined to neglect this territory

Understand all three targets (Striving Believers, Leading Achievers etc.…) and pay close attention to how each target will sync up with the focused topic

Do not go over budget

Include a reliable and intuitive data capture and reporting system

Demonstrate your understanding of the energy industry in California and its relationship with retail

Provide a brief summary of your plan to train and re-train the field reps to ensure their understanding of each topic

Assume you will have access to an online training tool to promote to retail sales associates and utilize as a tool to train the account team/staff

Include your plan for retail sell in and build manufacturer relationships

Adhere to the submission and formatting requirements as noted in this document

Submit your questions in the form requested and before the deadline listed in this RFP

Be very willing to collaborate

G. Eligibility and Minimum Contractor Requirements CSE will contract with one Prime Contractor. If your company is not best in class in meeting each of these criteria,

CSE is open to your serving as the Prime Contractor with strategic alliance partners on your project team that do

meet the criteria, except where specified for the Prime Contractor.

Minimum Requirements:

Business must have a minimum of eight (8) years in operation.


Must have an office located in California where the majority of the work will be performed.

Must have retail marketing experience of at least five (5) years.

Experience in developing and implementing retail marketing and education initiatives.

Willingness and demonstrated ability to collaborate with a wide variety of partners and stakeholders.

Experience working retail locations within CA.

This contract is subject to General Order 156 and related supplier diversity policies that require WOMEN,

MINORITY AND DISABLED VETERAN OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (WMDVBE) and Small Business and

Disadvantaged Small Businesses to have the maximum practicable opportunity to participate in the

performance of work. Our contract goals comply with General Order 156 which is 15% for minority-owned

businesses, 5% for women-owned businesses and 1.5% for service-disabled-veteran-owned businesses. We

encourage as much diversity as optimal and points may be awarded for certified WMDVBE and small

business inclusion on project teams.

Compliance: Execution and management of the account, understanding and adherence to the business

process and procedures as outlined in the final Statement of Work (SOW) and/or as directed by CSE, is vital

to the implementation of this initiative. In general, the winning Bidder will need to collaborate with a wide

variety of agencies and stakeholders, and provide a depth of reporting and accountability.

Contractor preferences, but not requirements:

Main corporate office is located in CA.

Background and/or experience in CA’s energy industry.

Experience creating and implementing any type of behavior change initiatives.

Understanding of government regulation process and procedures.

Experience working with CA IOUs, CPUC, CEC, local government partners in CA or partnering with other

Program Implementers in CA.

Experience working with other utilities or energy industry partners outside of CA.

Additional points may be given to firms that utilize teams with professionals representing WMDVBE

businesses, small business and disadvantaged small businesses.

Experience working with ENERGY STAR.

Demonstrated ability and willingness to collaborate and work with other partners and agencies.

H. Key Dates The following is the schedule of planned milestones. This schedule is subject to change by CSE as required and

without notice:

RFP Released 10/6/2015

Deadline for Bidders to submit questions 10/9/2015

Answers to Bidder questions posted 10/13/2015

Intent to Submit from Bidders 10/16/2015 @ 5pm PDT

Proposals due 11/2/2015 @ Noon PDT

Selection of top Bidder(s) 11/11/2015

Face-to-face interviews for finalists 11/18/2015


2. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Please review carefully, as non-compliance may be cause for your proposal to be eliminated from consideration.

To ensure all proposals are reviewed in a timely and efficient manner we request the following:

All proposals must contain, at minimum, all of the following elements in order and titled as noted in each

section (e.g., Bidder’s Executive Summary, Bidder’s Solution and Recommendation, etc.)

All submitted documents must be in Microsoft Word

Limit the number of attachments to your response in general it should only include the word and verification of

WMDVBE, if applicable

Limit the proposal to less than 50 pages

A. Cover Page

On the cover page, submissions must include the Bidder’s Name, Contact Information, Date of

Submission with the title on the page: “2016 RFP Retail Marketing Agency Response from Bidder’s

Name”

B. Bidder’s (insert your name) Executive Summary Overview of your agency’s value proposition, recommendations and solutions

Overview of the budget breakdown by percentage of the Bidder’s total budget to field personnel, account

management, retail sell in and retail marketing/support materials, etc.

Overview of the retail metrics chart

C. Bidder’s Solution & Recommendations Summary of your solution based on reviewing the ICP IV

Goals, Objective, Strategy & Tactics of Bidder’s Solution

Forecasted metrics

Timeline for implementation and execution

Plan to ensure quality control and plan to manage the field/implementation

D. Bidder’s Experience & Capabilities Summary of experience and capabilities as it pertains to this RFP

Bios of key account personnel that will work on the business (please do not include bios of personnel that

are involved in the pitch but will not work on the business)

For the past five (5) years, provide:

o Three (3) applicable case studies that are not more than one page each

o All retailers your agency has worked with in California

o All California-based clients your agency has/is currently working with

o All California government entities, non-profit organizations and California IOUs your agency has

worked/is working with

o Three (3) references

E. Bidder’s Budget There is up to $1,000,000 funding available for this effort

Summary of the rationale and strategy behind building the budget. Submitted bids must include all costs

associated with the services which include but are not limited to management, reporting, training, on-


boarding, estimated travel, phone/communication costs etc. CSE shall only pay the hourly rate(s) set

forth in this bid.

Provide hourly billing rates for each Bidder’s staff. The Bidder, in calculating the bid price, has taken into

consideration the possible escalation of wages, material and other costs during the term of the work.

Personnel Responsibility Proposed Hourly Rate ($)

[Position Title #1]

[Position Title #2]

F. Bidder’s Company Information, Subcontractor Information & Retail Metrics Overview

Chart Account team structure and organizational chart

Company Information

o Agency Name & contact information

o Contact information of the office the work will be performed out of

o Number of employees at the office the work will be performed out of

o Number of the agencies employees (total)

o Number of years in business

o Number of years working in retail marketing

o Number of years working in the energy industry

Financial Data

o Form of Ownership

o Business model. Please simply explain your business model.

o Is the company Dunn and Bradstreet rated? Yes or No

o If yes, what is the rating?

o If your company is not D&B rated, is there any other commercial rating that applies to your business?

Please specify.

o Has your company ever filed bankruptcy? If so, please explain

o Net worth of the company

o Identify the percentage of business would this program represent in the company’s annual revenue

o Three references from banking institutions

o Has the company ever been involved as a party in any litigation, arbitration or mediation? If so, please

explain. Failure by a Bidder to disclose any such claims and/or litigation may result in a determination

that the Firm is ineligible to bid on, contract for, or perform work in connection with future CSE

projects.

List Top 10 US clients and Top 10 California-based clients.

List the categories or product lines that cannot be accepted at this time due to conflict of interest.

List all subcontractors and identify if WMDVBE. Per CPUC General Order 156, Bidders must supply

information on their WMDVBE status and subcontracting plans. CSE will consider this information in evaluating

bids. CSE encourages Bidders certified WMDVBE by the Supplier Clearinghouse

(http://www.suppliernetwork.net/) and/or Small Business by the Office of Small Business and DVBE Services

(OSDS) (http://www.dgs.ca.gov/pd/Programs/OSDS.aspx) to submit responses to this RFP. Non-WMDVBE and

http://www.suppliernetwork.net/

http://www.dgs.ca.gov/pd/Programs/OSDS.aspx


non-small business Bidders are strongly encouraged to include WMDVBE and small business firms on their

proposal teams. Proposals that include WMDVBE and small business firms may receive up to five points in

proposal scoring.

Metrics – Please fill out the following chart:

Retail Tactic Metric Description 2014 Nationally

2014 CA only

2015 Nationally

(Forecasted)

2015 CA only

(Forecasted)

Merchandising # of Store Visits

Assisted Sales, Product Demonstrations & Consumer Engagements

# of Store Visits

# of Consumer Engaged

In-Field Training # of Informal Trainings

# of Formal Trainings

# of Reps Trained

Mystery Shopper & Compliance # of Mystery Shopper Visits

Event Marketing, Mobile Marketing & Street Intercept etc.…

# of Events Executed

# Consumer Engaged

In-Store Promotions # of Promotions Executed

TOTAL

3. EVALUATION CRITERIA

See Retail Marketing Agency RFP Proposal Scoring Table in the Addendum.

4. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL

Bidders must provide their proposals as requested in this RFP.

A. Questions

Please direct all communications via Word document to Crystal Bertolini at [email protected].

Answers to these questions will be shared by CSE to all potential Bidders and will be posted on CSE’s website. CSE

will not respond to individual Bidders’ questions.

Please submit questions as follows in a word document (not a PDF):

Title:

Retail RFP Questions

Agency Name

Sample questions:

1. When is the proposal due?

2. Why are you only targeting CA?

mailto:[email protected]


B. Electronic Submission of Proposals

Bidders must submit an electronic copy in MS Word or PDF format entitled “SW ME&O RETAIL MARKETING

AGENCY PROPOSAL” to according to the below submission guidelines:

Due Date: Monday, November 2, 2015

Time Due: 12:00 P.M. (Pacific Daylight Time)

Attention: Mitch Moore ([email protected])

Copy: Crystal Bertolini ([email protected])

Bids received after 12:00 p.m. on November 2, 2015 will not be considered. Do not submit physical items, such as

marketing collateral or flash drives containing application materials, unless requested by CSE in writing.

C. Verification of Receipt of Proposal Bidder is solely responsible to ensure that its proposal is received via email by the deadline for submission as

specified in this RFP. CSE will respond to each submission with a receipt of submission no later than November 4th.

D. Errors or Omissions

Any Bidder that discovers an error or omission in its proposal may withdraw that package and resubmit one,

provided that it does so before the deadline for submission. However, CSE

E. RFP Withdrawal CSE makes no guarantee that a contract award shall result from this RFP. CSE reserves the right at any time, in its

sole discretion, to abandon this RFP process, change any dates specified in this RFP, change the basis for evaluation

of bids, terminate further participation in this process by any Contractor, accept any bid or enter into any definitive

agreement, evaluate or reevaluate the qualifications of any bidding Contractor or the terms and conditions of any

bid, change any form, document, term or condition used in this RFP, or reject any or all bids, all without notice and

without assigning any reasons and without liability of CSE or any of its subsidiaries, affiliates or representatives to

any bidding Contractor. CSE shall have no obligation to consider any bid.

F. Proposal Preparation Costs

Bidders will not be reimbursed for any expenses related to this RFP under any circumstances, regardless of whether

the bidding process proceeds to a successful conclusion or is abandoned. CSE shall not be deemed to have accepted

any bid, and shall not be bound by any term thereof, unless and until an authorized representative of CSE executes

a definitive agreement with the winning Bidder. This RFP does not commit CSE to reimburse respondents for any

costs incurred in preparing and submitting a proposal including, but not limited to, costs associated with the

Bidder's travel expenses to attend any pre-proposal conferences, oral presentations, long distance charges,

negotiation sessions or making necessary studies and designs or samples in preparation of a response. In addition,

no Bidder awarded a contract as a result of this RFP may charge these costs back to CSE at any time.

G. Terms and Conditions

By submitting a proposal pursuant to this RFP, the Contractor acknowledges and agrees that it has received the

RFP; it is fully bound by the terms and conditions of the RFP in submitting its bid in response to the RFP; it sought

independent legal and financial advice of its own choosing with respect to the RFP and its proposal if desired; it




obtained all necessary authorizations, approvals and waivers, if any, required by it as a condition of submitting its

proposal, and, if its proposal is selected, such proposal shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this RFP.

Contractor, by submission of their proposal warrants that Contractor is submitting its proposal subject to all

applicable laws, is not engaging and will not engage in communications with any other Bidder in the RFP concerning

the price terms contained in its proposal, and has not engaged in collusion or other unlawful or unfair business

practices in connection with this RFP. Contractor’s proposal is binding, subject only to CSE’s acceptance in CSE's

sole discretion with CSE’s satisfaction or waiver of any conditions precedent or subsequent, to the agreement that

may be entered into with CSE. Any breach by Contractor of the foregoing covenants, representations and

warranties is, in addition to any other remedies that may be available to CSE under applicable law, grounds for

immediate disqualification of such bidding Contractor, and, depending on the nature of the breach, may also be

grounds for terminating the RFP in its entirety.

H. Indemnification

To the fullest extent allowable by law, Bidder will defend, indemnify and hold harmless CSE, its Board of Directors,

members, officers, agents, employees and directors (hereinafter “Indemnified Parties”) from and against any claim,

demand, loss or liability (hereinafter “Claim”) or any nature or cause whatsoever, and whether actual or alleged,

arising from or in any way connected with the performance of this RFP, including, but not limited to, any Claim for

personal injury, death, property damage, loss of profits, infringement upon intellectual property rights, failure to

comply with all of the requirements contained in this RFP and disclosure of confidential information which might be

obtained by Bidder during performance of this Agreement, except where such Claim is caused by the sole

negligence or willful misconduct of the Indemnified Parties.

If any action or proceeding, whether judicial, administrative, arbitration or otherwise, shall be commenced on

account of any Claim covered by this RFP, and such action or proceeding names any of the Indemnified Parties as a

party thereto, the Bidder shall, at its sole cost and expense, defend the Indemnified Parties in such action or

proceeding.

In the event that there shall be any judgment, award, ruling, settlement, or other relief arising out of any such

action or proceeding to which any of the Indemnified Parties are bound by, Bidder shall pay, satisfy or otherwise

discharge any such judgment, award, ruling, settlement or relief and shall indemnify and hold harmless the

Indemnified Parties from any and all liability or responsibility arising out of any such judgment, award, ruling,

settlement or relief.

I. Proposal Review - Clarifications

CSE may but shall not be obligated to perform clarification interviews or request clarifications in writing. A

clarification interview may be performed via telephone and will focus on clarifying the information set forth in the

proposals, rather than offering Bidders the opportunity to revise its proposal. Bidders will not be compensated for

the time spent or the costs incurred for the interview(s) or for responding to a written request for clarification.

J. Permits, Licenses or Certifications

If any permits, licenses, and/or certifications are required by any legal or governing body for the performance of

the contract, said permit, license and/or certificate shall be secured and paid for by the Bidder. If required for the

performance of contract work, a current copy of said permit, license, and/or certificate must be submitted at the

time this contract is executed. Permit, license and/or certificate numbers shall be recorded on all invoices


presented to CSE for payment. Bidder shall give all required notices and comply with all laws, ordinances, rules and

regulations bearing on the conduct of the work as specified.

K. CSE Rights

CSE reserves the right to investigate the references and past performance of any Bidders regarding compliance with specifications, completion or delivery on schedule, and lawful payment of suppliers, sub-contractors and workers prior to any contract award. CSE also reserves the following rights:

Reject any or all of the proposals.

Issue subsequent RFPs.

Cancel the entire RFP.

Amend any part of the RFP process by addenda.

Appoint evaluation committees to review qualifications or proposals.

Seek the assistance of outside technical experts in qualification or proposal evaluation.

Require Bidders to clarify submittals and to submit additional information.

Meet with and interview Bidders or subcontractors.

Approve or disapprove the use of particular contractors or subcontractors.

Establish a short list of firms eligible for discussions.

Waive informalities and irregularities in the RFP.

The Company is under no obligation to respondents to provide specific details regarding the award decision.

Inquire of CSE personnel and consultants regarding Bidder’s past performance.

5. CONTRACT EXECUTION

It is CSE’s intent to execute an agreement with the successful Bidder to cover all approved activities through the

term outlined in the SW ME&O CPUC final decision. Bidder’s proposal shall be valid for ninety (90) days after

receipt. CSE’s failure to execute a contract within 90 days after receipt of Bidder's proposal may result in

cancellation or extension of this RFP at CSE’s sole discretion.

6. ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS FOR REFERENCE

To better understand the current approach to the SW ME&O campaign, it is recommended that Bidders read the

following documents. The following documents can be downloaded at https://energycenter.org/2015-Retail-RFP:

o Standard CSE Contract Energy Upgrade California: This document includes the “trickle down” terms that all

vendors of CSE working on Energy Upgrade California will need to follow.

o PG&E Non-disclosure agreement: This document will need to be agreed to by any vendor.

o Brand Assessment Report: A detailed report on how the Energy Upgrade California brand is perceived

among California residents.

o 2013-14 Energy Upgrade California Marketing Plan: Provides information on the strategy, purpose and

intended marketing, education and outreach efforts for Energy Upgrade California.

o 2011-12 General Households Population Study in California: A recent study that provides information on

California’s population and updated information on the five segment groups used for Energy Upgrade

California.

o 2009 Opinion Dynamics Corporation (ODC) Segmentation Report: A detailed report outlining the

characteristics of the five-segmented groups targeted for Energy Upgrade California.

o Energy Upgrade California Brand Guidelines: Basic description of the Energy Upgrade California brand.

o Ethnographic Research Findings: Provides past research on Californian’s attitudes toward energy efficiency

messages.

https://energycenter.org/2015-Retail-RFP


o Integrated Communications Plan – Phase IV (ICP IV)

o CCSE Literature Review of Past Research: Provides a summary of the most notable information from a

variety of California based research on integrated demand side management, energy efficiency and

consumer behavior.

o List of Retailers (Addendum)

7. CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSALS

Proposals in response to this RFP should be submitted on their own merit and not in combination with any other

current or future consideration from CSE. Proposals must adhere to the guidelines and requirements set forth

herein including, but not limited to, the format requested by CSE. In order to be considered, all sections of the RFP

must be completed. CSE may request selected Bidders to provide oral presentations. CSE reserves the right to

accept or reject any or all proposals for any reason, and is under no obligation to disclose the reason for rejection.

Furthermore, CSE is under no obligation to procure or contract for the product or services discussed in this RFP.

A. Logo Use/Publicity

Contractors shall not, without CSE’s prior written consent, engage in advertising, promotion or publicity related to

this RFP and possible agreement, or make public use of Energy Upgrade California or any CSE, CPUC, ENERGY

COMMISSION or IOU identification in any circumstances related to this RFP or otherwise. “Identification” means

any corporate name, trade name, trademark, service mark, insignia, symbol, logo or any other product, service or

organization designation, or any specification or drawing owned by CSE or its affiliates or any representation

thereof. CSE shall approve or disapprove in writing any publicity, marketing, or public disclosure regarding this

project before release by the successful Bidder.

B. Women/Minority/Disabled-Veteran-Owned Business and Small Business

This contract is subject to California Public Utilities Commission General Order 156 and PG&E’s supplier diversity

sourcing policy. General Order 156 is a policy to promote the award of contracts in a manner that develops and

strengthens qualified women, minority and disabled veteran business enterprises (WMDVBE). Per compliance with

these policies, CSE has fully integrated WMDVBEs into its pool of Bidders for this and other SW ME&O solicitations

and strongly encourages all Bidders to do the same in fulfilling the work requirements of any Scope of Work.

Small businesses and businesses certified as a WMDVBE are strongly encouraged to submit responses to this RFP.

WMDVBEs must be verified pursuant to the procedures prescribed in Section 2 of CPUC General Order 156. More

information about certification and General Order 156 is available here:

http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/puc/supplierdiversity/.

Small business is defined for purpose of this contract per Section 3 of the Small Business Act and relevant

regulations promulgated pursuant thereto. Non-WMDVBE and non-small business Bidders are strongly encouraged

to develop creative initiatives to help foster new business relationships with WMDVBEs and small businesses within

the primary industries affected by this RFP. Bidders must complete the attachment “List of Subcontractors and

Disbursement Record” and submit it with their proposals. Up to five points may be awarded for the substantial

inclusion of WMDVBE and certified small businesses. Points will be given to qualified Bidders only if the Bidder with

the highest score does not include on the proposal team firms certified as a WMDVBE or small business.

http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/puc/supplierdiversity/


C. Confidentiality

CSE cannot guarantee the contents of proposals will be kept confidential. Information provided in the proposal

package will be made available to the CPUC and may be made available to the public upon request. Contractors

should not submit any information containing their or any third party’s trade secrets or other proprietary or

confidential information (as defined in California’s Uniform Trade Secrets Act or otherwise) (“Trade Secrets”). CSE

may enter into mutual nondisclosure agreements more extensive than this Confidentiality Notice with Contractors

selected for further participation in transactions which are the subject matter of this RFP, but is not agreeing to

such an arrangement at this time and will infer that, other than price quotes, information which is submitted is not

a Trade Secret of the Contractor or any third party. CSE will make reasonable efforts to protect any information

clearly indicated as confidential by Bidders. This award is ratepayer-funded and any information submitted or

generated may be subject to public disclosure requirements. Confidential information shared with the Contractor

will be subject to the Contractor entering into Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs).


8. ADDENDUM

Energy Upgrade California - Approved Store List as of 9.24.15 Retailer Address City State Zip

Cole Hardware 5533 College Ave Oakland CA 94618

Cole Hardware 70 4th St San Francisco CA 94103

Cole Hardware 956 Cole St San Francisco CA 94117

Cole Hardware 2254 Polk St San Francisco CA 94109

Cole Hardware 3312 Mission St San Francisco CA 94110

Curacao 5980 Pacific Blvd Huntington Park CA 90255

Curacao 1605 W Olympic Blvd Los Angeles CA 90015

Curacao 3160 E Imperial Hwy Bldg B-7 Lynwood CA 90262

Curacao 8401 Van Nuys Blvd Ste 63 Panorama City CA 91402

Curacao 8618 S Garfield Ave South Gate CA 90280

Dixieline 561 N Tulip St Escondido CA 92025

Dixieline 3607 Avocado Blvd La Mesa CA 91941

Dixieline 3450 Highland Ave National City CA 91950

Dixieline 3250 Sports Arena Blvd San Diego CA 92110

Dixieline 663 Lomas Santa Fe Dr Solana Beach CA 92075

Fry's Electronics 2311 N Hollywood Way Burbank CA 91505

Fry's Electronics 1695 Willow Pass Rd Concord CA 94520

Fry's Electronics 43800 Osgood Rd Fremont CA 94539

Fry's Electronics 13401 Crossroads Pkwy N City of Industry CA 91746

Fry's Electronics 9825 Stonecrest Blvd San Diego CA 92123

Fry's Electronics 150 Bent Ave San Marcos CA 92069

Home Depot 1200 Flower St Burbank CA 91502

Home Depot 14549 Ramona Ave Chino CA 91710

Home Depot 1320 Eastlake Pkwy Chula Vista CA 91915

Home Depot 18131 Gale Ave City Of Industry CA 91748

Home Depot 2 Colma Blvd Colma CA 94014

Home Depot 1355 E Ontario Ave Corona CA 92881

Home Depot 1001 El Camino Real Encinitas CA 92024

Home Depot 1550 W Valley Pkwy Escondido CA 92029

Home Depot 16005 Sierra Lakes Pkwy Fontana CA 92336

Home Depot 3272 W Shaw Ave Fresno CA 93711

Fry's Electronics 550 E Brokaw Rd San Jose CA 95112

Home Depot 5040 San Fernando Rd Glendale CA 91204

Home Depot 740 182nd St Gardena CA 90248

Home Depot 5600 Sunset Blvd Hollywood CA 90028

Home Depot 2055 N Figueroa St Los Angeles CA 90065

Home Depot 1830 W Slauson Ave Los Angeles CA 90047

Home Depot 1675 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles CA 90017

Home Depot 3838 W Vista Way Oceanside CA 92056

Home Depot 7870 E Van Nuys Blvd Panorama City CA 91402


Home Depot 6400 Alondra Blvd Paramount CA 90723

Home Depot 6000 Johnson Dr Pleasanton CA 94588

Home Depot 12175 Tech Center Dr Poway CA 92064

Home Depot 12185 Carmel Mountain Rd San Diego CA 92128

Home Depot 4255 Genesee San Diego CA 92117

Home Depot 5920 Fairmount Ave San Diego CA 92120

Home Depot 255 Town Center Pkwy Santee CA 92071

Home Depot 14603 Ocean Gate Ave Hawthorne CA 90250

Home Depot 1401 E 19th St Upland CA 91784

Home Depot 725 Plaza Ct Chula Vista CA 91910

Home Depot 845 W Shaw Ave Clovis CA 93612

Home Depot 2090 Meridian Park Blvd Concord CA 94520

Home Depot 490 McKinley St Corona CA 92879

Home Depot 298 Fletcher Pkwy El Cajon CA 92020

Home Depot 16783 Santa Ana Ave Fontana CA 92337

Home Depot 4864 E Kings Cyn Fresno CA 93727

Home Depot 5755 Mission Ave Oceanside CA 92057

Home Depot 11884 Foothill Blvd Rancho Cucamonga CA 91730

Home Depot 24451 Crenshaw Blvd Torrance CA 90505

Home Depot 3555 Sports Arena Blvd San Diego CA 92110

Home Depot 550 San Marcos Blvd San Marcos CA 92069

Home Depot 250 S Mountain Ave Upland CA 91786

Home Depot 7530 Broadway Lemon Grove CA 91945

Lowe's 13251 Peyton Dr Chino Hills CA 91709

Lowe's 4777 Chino Hills Pkwy Chino Hills CA 91709

Lowe's 2225 Otay Lakes Rd Chula Vista CA 91915

Home Depot 1151 W Lugonia Ave Redlands CA 92374

Lowe's 16851 Sierra Lakes Pkwy Fontana CA 92336

Lowe's 7651 N Blackstone Ave Fresno CA 93720

Lowe's 2800 120th St Hawthorne CA 90250

Lowe's 1725 W Redlands Blvd Redlands CA 92373

Lowe's 1348 N Azusa Ave Covina CA 91722

Lowe's 875 Shaw Ave Clovis CA 93612

Lowe's 2700 Skypark Dr Torrance CA 90505

Lowe's 11399 Foothill Blvd Rancho Cucamonga CA 91730

Lowe's 1285 Magnolia Ave Corona CA 92879

Orchard Supply Hardware 1536 E Champlain Dr Fresno CA 93720

Orchard Supply Hardware 147 Shaw Ave Clovis CA 93612

Orchard Supply Hardware 3100 Foothill Blvd La Crescenta CA 91214

Orchard Supply Hardware 3425 E Colorado Blvd Pasadena CA 91107


Sears Stores 2561 El Camino Real Carlsbad CA 92008

Sears Stores 2650 E Olympic Blvd Los Angeles CA 90023

Orchard Supply Hardware 5445 N Blackstone Ave Fresno CA 93710

Sears Stores 8250 Day Creek Blvd Rancho Cucamonga CA 91739

Sears Stores 4575 La Jolla Village Dr San Diego CA 92122

Sears Stores 40710 Winchester Rd Temecula CA 92591

Sears Stores 3801 E Foothill Blvd Pasadena CA 91107

Walmart 1185 Herndon Ave Clovis CA 93611

Walmart 1919 Davis St San Leandro CA 94577

Bill's Ace Hardware 4451 Clayton Rd Concord CA 94521

Home Depot 11939 San Pablo Ave El Cerrito CA 94530

Home Depot 1625 Sycamore Ave Hercules CA 94547

Home Depot 1175 Admiral Callaghan Ln Vallejo CA 94591

Staples 2748 Pacific Coast Hwy Torrance CA 90505

Sears Stores 575 Fletcher Pkwy El Cajon CA 92020

Sears Stores 565 Broadway & 8th Chula Vista CA 91910

Lowe's 2318 Northside Dr San Diego CA 92108

Home Depot 4000 Alameda Ave Oakland CA 94601

Home Depot 3838 Hollis Ave Emeryville CA 94608

Home Depot 1001 N El Camino Real Encinitas CA 92024

Home Depot 1933 Davis St San Leandro CA 94577

Lowe's 401 Columbus Pkwy Vallejo CA 94591

Home Depot 320 Wake Ave El Centro CA 92243

Sears Stores 1001 Sunvalley Blvd Concord CA 94520

Sears Stores 1178 El Camino Real San Bruno CA 94066

Home Depot 4864 E Kings Canyon Rd Fresno CA 93727

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