There will be a Non-Mandatory pre-proposal meeting at 1:00 pm on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, in  1700 Commerce Rd, Richmond, VA 23224 Phone Conference Available for those who cannot attend in person Phone Number: 804-316-9457 Phone conference ID: 377 456 380#.

The person having overall responsibility for the project management and coordination of disciplines must be an Architect or Professional Engineer licensed by the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation in accordance with requirements of the Code of Virginia.  All personnel performing architectural or professional engineering services under this Contract must be licensed to perform such services as required by the Code of Virginia.

Each deliverable shall be delivered in a timely manner and in accordance with the contract schedule to the appropriate City representative.

The City requires a qualified provider for level 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers (as defined by the United States Department of Transportation), installation, minimum three (3) year warranty (parts and service), software with fault monitoring and networking, accessories, and ongoing maintenance. While initially the primary purpose of the installed EVSE infrastructure will be for the City’s fleet charging needs, there may be a future need for publicly accessible chargers that can accept payments. A turnkey payment and billing system is needed for internal department chargebacks and, optionally, for recouping energy costs from public EV driver payments. Unless indicated as an optional requirement, the Contractor must meet all listed requirements in the Requirements Matrix incorporated into the Request for Proposals as Attachment J “EVSE Technical Specifications” to this Statement of Needs.

The Contractor shall:

1. Have a minimum of (3) years of experience with providing EVSE and associated services.
2. Have experience providing EVSE and related services to a minimum of three (3) entities of comparable size.

The Contractor shall notify the City in writing of all planned hardware and software upgrades and carry out these upgrades only after receiving written approval from the City. All upgrades must be scheduled at agreed-upon times, including non-peak hours if they render any unit(s) inoperable. Any necessary software upgrades during the term of the Contract must be provided to the City at no additional cost.

1.3.4.1. EXTENDED SERVICE CONTRACT (WARRANTY).

The Contractor shall offer an extended warranty, to begin following the manufacturer’s warranty, lasting for a minimum period of one year, and include:

1. 1. All equipment, materials, parts, consumables, tools, and labor.
   2. All manufacturer and contractor recommended upgrades.
   3. Complete repairs or replacements, and site visits as necessary.

1.3.4.2. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE.

The Contractor shall provide a preventative maintenance plan which the City may elect to purchase. The preventative maintenance plan must include:

1. Provide maintenance to all EVSE on a bi-annual basis or per the original manufacturer recommendations.
2. Provide the City with a comprehensive preventive maintenance schedule for each charger upon delivery.
3. Ensure that personnel and subcontractor personnel providing preventive maintenance services maintain any required industry licenses and/or certifications (at a minimum, licensed Electrician)

1.3.4.3. BREAK/FIX.

The City will attempt initial troubleshooting and diagnosis when problems are identified. If further troubleshooting, diagnosis, or repair is required, the City will notify the Contractor.

1. The Contractor shall provide a maintenance services plan to include detailed procedures for reporting and resolving maintenance problems, response times for service requests, and the availability of support.
2. The Contractor shall be responsible for warehousing frequently needed spare parts, such as cables, charger heads, pedestals, and pedestal footers.

1.3.4.4. WORK ORDER MANAGEMENT.

The City requires the Contractor to provide a work order management system to track and manage responses to issues beyond City staff's initial troubleshooting and diagnosis efforts. Upon issue notification, the Contractor must assign and use a “ticket number” for all related communications. Ideally, this ticket number should be visible on a system dashboard, allowing users to access status and repair history.

1.3.4.5. TRACKING DASHBOARDS.

The City requires the Contractor to provide comprehensive software capabilities that include real-time monitoring of charger status and detailed statistics on electrical capacity. The software must feature a user-friendly dashboard view to facilitate seamless tracking and management of charging station performance and energy usage. This capability is essential to ensure efficient operation, maintenance, and optimization of the EV charging infrastructure.

1.3.4.6. WORK PERFORMANCE SUPERVISION.

The City reserves the right to supervise work performed by the selected Contractor for any on-site services from installation through routine maintenance, break/fix, and emergency service. This supervision shall be essential in secured environments, but also may be required for oversight and training purposes.

The City views training as a critical element of the Project. On-site and online training of City staff on EVSE hardware, remote management, and dashboard reporting will be required for each City Department upon installation of their initial order, as well as when upgrades requiring additional training are implemented. Additional training shall take place when requested by the City during the term of the Contract. The Contractor shall provide training aids/user guides for each course, which the City can replicate and distribute to City staff as necessary.

The City intends to purchase the Hardware and Services offerings on an as needed basis during the term of the Contract. Upon identifying a need to purchase the services during the term of the Contract, the City will identify the hardware and services required and unique specifications to the request and the Contractor shall provide a quote in accordance with the pricing and terms and conditions of the Contract. The Contractor shall work with the using entity to ensure that it fully covers their needs in accordance with the services and pricing detailed in the Contract.

Compatibility and standardization are critical in City technology procurements to optimize interoperability, enhance overall performance, and reduce costs associated with maintenance, inventory, training, and administration. At this time there is no requirement for direct integration with City systems or with the City’s network. Should the City’s needs require integration in the future, the City reserves the right to document that process in the future through a contract modification in accordance with section 8.5 (“Modification”) of the General Terms and Conditions of the Contract.

The City prioritizes Customer Service, aiming to deliver quality, courteous, responsive, accessible, and seamless service. The Contractor must provide 24/7 call-center support, with a phone number clearly visible on all chargers. Services should be delivered with patience and understanding, prioritizing customer needs over convenience. The Contractor must adhere to these guidelines:

1. Accessible, courteous, responsive, and seamless service is the highest priority.
2. Accessible service ensures easy access for citizens and City personnel.
3. Seamless service guarantees consistent quality, regardless of the responsible party.
4. Responsible service requires knowledgeable employees who provide accurate information and are well-trained.
5. Customer Service goals must be measurable and regularly evaluated.
6. Continuous improvement is essential to enhance accessibility, responsiveness, and seamlessness in City services.
7.  Must respond to requests to fix broken chargers within 24 hours and take meaningful action to repair equipment noted in such requests within 48 hours.

The City is dedicated to safeguarding its information resources from both accidental and intentional threats. To this end, Information Security features must be included in all software and hardware purchases, such as access permissions, encryption for sensitive data, and secure data transmission (e.g., FTP, RDP, telnet), as well as common authentication methods (Active Directory). Provided in the table below are the City’s current functional security requirements. While the initial phase of this RFP does not require integration with City systems and is not evaluated for contract award, the Contractor must address all functional security requirements to accommodate potential future system configurations and integrations. These requirements may be made mandatory pursuant to a contract modification executed pursuant to section 8.5 (“Modification”) of the General Terms and Conditions of the Contract.

The proposal must include all of the information set forth in this section and be organized as set forth in this section. Offeror shall provide their proposal in a pdf document format readable by the Adobe Reader program that can be searched.

This tab should include the completed and signed Signature Sheet, the Consent to Accept Electronic Signatures and Use Electronic Forms, Addenda Acknowledgement, State Corporation Commission Form, and Office of Minority Business Development Forms included with this Request for Proposals.

This tab should provide a brief summary of the proposal’s contents, emphasizing any unique aspects or strengths of the proposal. The Executive Summary should not exceed three (3) pages.

This tab should include a detailed narrative of the offeror’s proposal for supplying EVSE hardware and services as outlined in the RFP.

Please provide at a minimum, the following in addition to other value adds that your firm provides.

1. Offerors must complete Attachment J “EVSE Technical Specifications” to this Statement of Needs and submit the same within this Tab 3 of the Offeror’s proposal. Offerors must write “YES” for each requirement that are met by their proposal.
2. How your firm will satisfy the technical requirements as listed on Attachment J “EVSE Technical Specifications”
3. Preventative maintenance plans as outlined in section 1.6 of Statement of Needs
4. Screenshot or sample of dashboard tracking software
5. Optional additional warranties as outlined in section 1.6.1 of Statement of Needs
6. Work performance supervision and order management
7. Training plans as noted in section 1.7 of Statement of Needs

The offeror shall provide a comprehensive project schedule that outlines the timelines and tasks associated with the installation of EV charging infrastructure, on-site training, and system readiness. The schedule will cover all phases from initial implementation through ongoing monitoring and support.

Key components of the project schedule must include:

1. Installation: Detailed timelines for the installation of EV charging hardware, including milestones for site preparation, equipment setup, and commissioning.
2. On-Site Training: Scheduled sessions for training City staff on the operation and maintenance of the charging equipment, including any necessary follow-up training.
3. System Readiness: Timelines for ensuring that the system is fully operational and meets all performance requirements before going live.
4. Ongoing Monitoring: Plans for continuous monitoring and support, including regular maintenance and performance reviews to ensure the system remains operational and efficient.

In addition, the offeror shall format their response to this section using the following guidelines:

1. Begin with a concise summary demonstrating an understanding of the requested services.
2. Describe how the services will be executed if the contract is awarded.
3. The offeror must explain how the scope of work will be met and the accessibility that will be provided to the City for administration and purchase orders.
4. The offeror shall highlight their ability to adhere to project timelines, respond promptly to tasks, manage multiple assignments, and meet accelerated schedules.
5. The offeror shall include any unique value propositions and describe the role of technology in the approach, emphasizing how the latest advancements are leveraged to benefit users.
6. The offeror shall detail the procedures for contacting customer support and the expected response time for technicians’ arrival on-site.

This tab should include information that clearly demonstrates the offeror’s proven track record. The offeror should provide a brief overview of their history in the EVSE industry and list any completed and ongoing projects using the guidelines below.

1. Timeline
2. Overall size and scope.
3. Cost; actual or estimated.
4. Unique considerations as applicable.
5. Self-evaluations of each project; what went well and what needed improvement.

Describe previous and current contracts including clients’ names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and period(s) of performance of contract. Offerors should highlight evidence of achievements with previous contracts.

This tab should include the resumes of the offeror’s specific employees that may be assigned to provide the services solicited by this RFP. For each person identified by the offeror, this tab should include the following information in a resume format:

1. Name and Title
2. Office Location
3. Project Responsibilities and Roles
4. Educational Background/ Professional Certifications
5. Years of relevant experience

This tab should specify any services the offeror plans to subcontract and include the following details.      

1. Name of Subcontractor
2. Office Location
3. Proposed Subcontractor Responsibilities
4. Subcontractor key personnel, experience, and previous experience as a Subcontractor
5. Reason for subcontracting 

The City of Richmond recognizes its responsibility to minimize negative impacts on human health and the environment while supporting a diverse, equitable and vibrant community and economy in accordance with the RVAgreen goals of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and community resilience to climate impacts.  The City also understands that the products and services it buys have inherent social, human health, environmental and economic impacts and the City is committed to sustainability and environmental justice. This is noted in the City of Richmond’s RVAgreen Climate Equity Action Plan 2030 attached to this solicitation.

The City seeks proposals from offerors with a commitment to environmental justice and sustainability. The offeror shall provide documentation, data, or other relevant information that demonstrates the offeror’s commitment to environmental justice and sustainability. Offeror should detail the use of sustainable materials and technologies in the stations, emphasize energy efficiency and renewable energy integration, and describe the approach to managing the entire lifecycle of the stations, from installation to decommissioning, to uphold sustainability principles throughout.

This tab should include the complete names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of at least three other government agencies for whom the offeror has provided the services solicited by this RFP within the past five (5) years. To the extent possible, the Offeror is encouraged to include references that are local governments in Virginia. This tab should also include an affirmative statement that the Offeror grants its consent for the City to contact the Offeror’s references for the purpose of evaluating the Offeror and acknowledges that any information obtained from the Offeror’s references will not be disclosed to the Offeror.

The offeror may choose to outline any additional products or services that they offer that are not specified in this RFP but that are directly related to the EVSE hardware and services solicited in the RFP. The City is interested in hearing from the Offeror regarding other products or services directly related to EVSE hardware and services that Offeror believes will enhance and add value to the City’s EVSE hardware and services system. Offerors choosing to submit information under this Tab 9 are requested to provide detailed descriptions that highlight the potential improvements each additional product or service offers on the Offeror’s proposed EVSE hardware and services. An Offeror’s response to this Tab 9 is not mandatory and will not affect the evaluation and scoring of proposals.  The City, in its sole discretion, may choose to include in the awarded Contract one, some, none, or all of the products and services outlined in the Offeror’s proposal Tab 9.

The City requests that the Offeror provide a detailed and transparent pricing structure for the installation, maintenance, service, monitoring, software, and customer support of City Owned EV charging infrastructure. The pricing should primarily focus on the City’s EV fleet, with the option to accommodate future public charging needs, ensuring flexibility and scalability as requirements evolve.

Offerors must submit their pricing on attachment K and include in their proposal. Note that the only pricing that will be scored for points are the items listed under "Scored Pricing". Should one of the items not be applicable to the proposal, please enter a "0".

Offerors are encouraged to provide pricing for supplemental items under the "Un-Scored Pricing" however those items will not be factored into the score.

Additionally, his section is where offerors should develop their own cost list in order to describe and expand or add to the items listed in attachment K.

The pricing for EV Chargers shall include comprehensive coverage for permanent ownership of the hardware and equipment, as well as the  installation, preventative maintenance, as-needed service, and emergency services, structured as follows:

1. 1. Hardware and Equipment: Provide detailed pricing for EV chargers, including specifications and quantities as outlined in the requirements. Include the unit cost for each charger model, along with any necessary accessories or additional components.
   2. Installation Services: Outline the cost of installation per charger unit, considering site preparation, electrical work, and any required permits. Include charges for labor, equipment, and materials needed to bring the installation to operational status.
   3. Preventative Maintenance: Detail the pricing for scheduled maintenance services to ensure the optimal performance and longevity of the EV chargers. Specify the frequency of maintenance visits and the scope of services provided during each visit.
   4. As-Needed Service: Provide pricing for on-demand service calls or repairs not covered under preventative maintenance.
   5. Emergency Services: Specify the pricing structure for emergency response services, including after-hours or weekend support.
   6. Additional Considerations: Include any optional services or add-ons available for the EV chargers, such as extended warranties or advanced diagnostic capabilities.
   7. Software, Training, and Support: Provide detailed pricing for the software, training, and additional support offered in Tab 11.

This straight-line pricing proposal ensures transparency and clarity in cost structure, supporting effective budget planning and operational readiness for the deployment and maintenance of EV chargers across designated City locations. In addition, the Offeror shall detail any costs associated with Extended Service Contracts, preventive maintenance, and break/fix labor to be included in the proposal.

The cost of all training must be included in the proposal pricing.

Listed in the pricing table of the solicitation’s bid tables are estimated quantities of chargers the City would like to install in the coming two (2) years. Understand that these are estimates only and may increase or decrease based on available funding, community engagement, or other factors. The only pricing to be scored is the cost of comprehensive Level 2 Chargers as noted above. If a cell is left blank, it is assumed that service is not needed or is included at no charge. Offerors are encouraged to provide the costs for other related services as noted on the pricing table.

The offeror shall detail any EV Charging Subscription Services, that encompass comprehensive support for software, hardware, training, customer support, work order management, and billing systems, structured as follows:

1. 1. Software Subscription: Provide details about the software package included in the subscription, covering functionalities such as charging station management, user interface, fault monitoring, and data analytics/energy tracking. Specify the fee structure based on the number of charging stations or users, if applicable.
   2. Software and Hardware Training: Describe the training program offered to City staff for both software and hardware aspects, ensuring proficiency in operating and maintaining the EV charging infrastructure. Specify the content, duration, and delivery method of the training sessions, whether onsite, virtual, or through training materials.
   3. 24/7 Customer Support: Detail the availability and scope of round-the-clock customer support services, including troubleshooting, technical assistance, and emergency response. Specify communication channels and response times for resolving inquiries or issues related to EV charging operations.
   4. Work Order Management System: Provide access to a robust work order management system integrated with the software platform, facilitating efficient scheduling and tracking of maintenance tasks and service requests. Outline features such as automated alerts, status updates, and reporting capabilities.
   5. Billing System: Include a billing system within the subscription service to manage charging transactions, invoicing, and payment processing. Specify capabilities for integrating with existing financial systems or managing internal chargebacks among City departments.
   6. Additional Considerations: Address any optional services or customization options available under the subscription, such as enhanced reporting features or specialized training modules. Provide transparency on subscription terms, including renewal options and termination clauses.

This EV Charging Subscription Services proposal shall ensure comprehensive support for deploying and managing EV charging infrastructure across City facilities, promoting efficiency, reliability, and user satisfaction through integrated software, hardware, training, and ongoing support mechanisms.

The Offeror shall provide detailed information on the costs associated with hardware upgrades for EV Charging stations, including a transparent breakdown of all potential charges and fees in Tab 10 “COST AND PRICING”.

The offeror must detail the security capabilities of all proposed technology, including procedures for handling electronic and hard copy data, as well as employee security. Since the software/hardware will process credit cards, the offeror must provide PCI and PA-DSS compliance letters.

The offeror shall include detailed technical descriptions of the proposed charging station(s), ensuring compliance with specifications listed in the Requirements Matrix, Attachment J “EVSE Technical Specifications” to this Statement of Needs. This includes energy delivery speed, average time required to charge an electric car battery, expected lifespan of all components, the system’s payment and usage model, as well as comprehensive details on the hardware and software used for networking and data capture.

The City has invested in limited, non-centralized EVSE and has compiled some data. The offeror shall provide documentation that can demonstrate continuity and retention of collected analytical data and the ability to integrate applications and data with other EVSE vendors and organizations. This may be achieved through database access, API usage, compliant web-based applications, and cross-platform compatibility.