Deadline: 30-Nov-22
The USAID Energy Secure Philippines (ESP) Activity through its Energy Evolution Challenge grant facility seeks applications to fund, in the form of grants, qualified organizations/companies to support an energy service company (ESCO) who has a partner local government unit (LGU) to design and implement an energy efficiency and conservation (EEC) project that can become a practical guide for scaling up and replicating EEC initiatives in LGUs.
The USAID Energy Secure Philippines (ESP) Activity is looking for an ESCO Partner that can develop, launch and sustain Innovative EEC in Local Government Units. USAID ESP has on-going partnerships with USAID’s Cities Development Initiatives partners namely the cities of Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Tagbilaran, General Santos, Legaspi, Puerto Princesa, and Zamboanga which can be proposed as sites . However, other LGUs that have viable prospects or have exemplary initiatives for EEC scaling up and replication can also be considered for the grant.
Objectives
Energy efficiency and conservation (EEC) is an important facet of the energy industry but lags behind in terms of mainstreaming, and this is evident in many fronts – from technology and systems application to financing. This grant is targeting organizations, as defined for this request, which may help surmount this challenge and to achieve the following objectives:
- Design, implement, and document an innovative EEC model that harmonizes policy, technology, financing, procurement, and capacity building in LGUs.
- Study, compare, and present different options for EEC technology applications and prepare a menu of solutions applicable to LGUs.
- Recommend policies and/or policy enhancements that can improve the adoption of EEC in LGUs.
- Develop and deploy communication and marketing strategies and materials that promote EEC adoption in LGUs.
Funding Information
- In accordance with ADS 302 and ADS 303, the total value of any individual grant to a U.S. organization, if any, must not exceed $100,000. This limitation does not apply to grant awards to non-U.S. organizations.
- Duration of award: Twenty-four (24) months with potential for extension but not exceeding the Activity life-ofproject ending on October 2025.
Expected Results
- Anticipated results for this grant will include, but are not limited to:
- A long term and comprehensive EEC Transition plan that takes into account policy, technology, systems, financing, and business models, developed in close cooperation with the partner LGU.
- A data driven energy consumption monitoring plan that establishes a baseline and sets a target by the end of the grant period.
- A business plan that includes financing and transactional arrangements that are geared for long- term ESCO-LGU partnership.
- Implementation and deployment of technology, systems, promotion, capacity building, financing, and other related support that will establish, demonstrate, and promote EEC innovations.
- Documentation of the processes and experiences in implementing the EEC Innovations.
- An EEC technology, systems, and financing options matrix designed for LGUs.
- A policy paper that includes an analysis of facilitating or hindering policies and recommendations to enhance or improve the said policies.
- Communications plan and actual conduct of at least 2 events or activities that promote EEC.
- An Environmental Management Plan that presents the potential positive and negative impacts of as well as a Climate Risk Management Plan that takes into account the impact of climate change on the EEC Innovation and the measures to leverage or mitigate such impacts.
- A comprehensive final Terminal Report
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must meet the following minimum eligibility requirements to qualify for funding under this RFA:
- This grant prioritizes Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) in need of support and who registered or are about to register with the Department of Energy. Applicant ESCOs are required to partner with at least one LGU. Energy innovators, technology providers, enterprises, civil society organizations, community-based organizations, businesses, commercial establishments, academic institutions, and research institutions can also apply as long as they have a formal and active partnership with an ESCO. Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Demonstrated experience working in the energy industry in the Philippines, with preference to organizations with established track record in research, organizational development, data analytics, and knowledge management.
- Applications meet minimum evaluation criteria for
- Soundness of technical approach
- Understanding of local context, and
- Qualifications of proposed personnel
- Demonstrated financial capacity to manage large USG grants or sub-grants portfolio.
- Cost realism of the budget
- Past performance
- This grant prioritizes Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) in need of support and who registered or are about to register with the Department of Energy. Applicant ESCOs are required to partner with at least one LGU. Energy innovators, technology providers, enterprises, civil society organizations, community-based organizations, businesses, commercial establishments, academic institutions, and research institutions can also apply as long as they have a formal and active partnership with an ESCO. Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- All Energy Secure Philippines grant support may not be extended to the following:
- Organizations that are not legally registered
- Any entity that has been found to have misused USAID funds in the past (unless specifically approved by USAID contracting officer)
- Any entity that will have conflict of interest by participating in the call for grants
- Political parties, groupings, or institutions or their subsidiaries and affiliates
- Any entity whose name appears on the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Non-procurement Programs
- Any entity with a member that appears on the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) and Blocked Persons list
- Any entity with members directly or indirectly involved in money laundering, acts of terrorism, gambling, prostitution and child trafficking, drugs.
- Any entity with members directly or indirectly involved in All Energy Secure Philippines grant funds cannot be utilized for the following activities;
Ineligible
- All Energy Secure Philippines grant funds cannot be utilized for the following activities;
- Purchases of restricted goods, such as agricultural commodities, motor vehicles, pharmaceuticals, contraceptive products, pesticides, used equipment and fertilizers without the previous approval by the USAID Contracting Officer through RTI.
- Prohibited goods under USAID regulations, including but not limited to police or law enforcement equipment, abortion equipment and services, weather modification equipment, luxury goods, and gambling equipment.
- Purchases of goods or services restricted or prohibited under the prevailing USAID source/origin/ nationality and other regulations; or from countries or suppliers as may be identified by USAID’s consolidated list of debarred, suspended, or ineligible subcontractors
- Construction, infrastructure, renovation, and rehabilitation projects. Definition of “Construction” for purposes of this manual means: construction, alteration, or repair (including dredging and excavation) of buildings, structures, or other real property and includes, without limitation, improvements, renovation, alteration and refurbishment. The term includes, without limitation, roads, power plants, buildings, bridges, water treatment facilities, and vertical structures laundering, acts of terrorism, gambling, prostitution and child trafficking, drugs.
For more information, visit https://www.rti.org/sites/default/files/usaid_esp_guc_rfa-2022-03_energy_efficiency_and_conservation_with_escos_and_lgus_reissued.pdf