Pursuant to the Green Finance Authority Establishment Act of 2018, effective August 22, 2018, as amended (D.C. Law 22-395; D.C. Official Code § 8-173.23), the District of Columbia (“District”) established the DC Green Finance Authority, commonly referred to as DC Green Bank (DCGB). The mission of DC Green Bank is to attract and accelerate private investment for clean energy and energy efficiency financing to help the District achieve our Clean Energy DC and greenhouse gas reduction goals.

Specifically, DC Green Bank aims to:

• Attract private capital by leveraging public investment.
• Use financial tools to increase capacity, accelerate lending, and recapitalize funds to support the Bank’s mission.
• Become a go-to resource for District residents, small business owners, and commercial developers interested in energy efficiency improvements, clean energy installations, and construction of green infrastructure; and
• Be a breakeven entity, where the revenues earned from financing activity cover its operating costs over the long term.

DC Green Bank invests in sustainable projects and programs such as clean energy, clean infrastructure, clean transportation, stormwater best management practices, energy efficiency, water efficiency, or green infrastructure projects and programs.

Scope

DC Green Bank, is seeking a commercial bank to provide business banking and cash management services, including checking and savings accounts, custody, escrow accounts, and trustee/treasury services. At full capacity, DC Green Bank will operate several finance programs, requiring several accounts and transfer/operating schedules. Per the Green Finance Authority Establishment Act of 2018 and the Clean Energy Omnibus Bill, DC Green Bank will be capitalized with $105 million of public purpose funding through 2025 with annual deposits between approximately $7 million and $25 million.

The selection of a banking partner will not only be based on the proposed fees, but also on assurances that the selected firm will provide a reasonable level of competent and responsive service to DC Green Bank in all of the areas described in the Requirements and Deliverables sections below. The proposer’s knowledge of and experience with account administration, establishment and investment of account funds, and flexible reporting options will be considered. The firm must be immediately available to assume service.  Preference will be given to institutions with branches in the District of Columbia, and local and minority owned banking institutions will receive additional consideration.

Terms

DCGB proposes that the term of the contract for Banking Services start on January 1, 2021 for an initial three (3) year period, with the option to renew for a consecutive three (3) year period at the discretion of DCGB.

Requirements

Proposal responses should demonstrate the safety and soundness of the financial institution, including rating information from one of the main rating agencies, Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch, or a recently published Call Report. The proposal should discuss and outline the bank’s service model, how they will support the DC Green Bank, and available product options. Although it will not be the only factor considered, the bank should discuss their corporate values, especially those related to socioeconomic equity, diversity and inclusion, sustainability, and the environment. In addition, the bank should demonstrate a track record of clean energy lending, including relevant team experience.

This request for proposals (RFP) contains background information on DCGB and specific information that must be included in the proposal submitted. The proposal must be submitted as a PDF by email, no later than 4:00 p.m., Friday, October 23, 2020 directly to:

DC Green Bank Attention:

Jean Houpert, Controller
Email: jhoupert@dcgreenbank.org

Phone: 202-301-8305

and

Donald Walker, Director of Operations
Email: dwalker@dcgreenbank.org

Phone: 202-301-8304

Banking Services Definition

The Banking Services Definition sets out the basic services required for the proposal. Financial institutions shall provide recommendations or suggestions for services that would be beneficial to DCGB but are not included in this request. The banking services required by DCGB include the following:

Account Management

• Online internal management of the account
• Online daily access to bank account balances and transactions
• Online capability to transfer funds between DCGB accounts.
• Online monthly statements
• Online ability to perform Check Inquiries and Stop Payments
• Overdraft and/or Line of Credit
• Electronic check deposit
• Safety Deposit Box
• Fraud activity monitoring

Deposits

• Cash/check deposits at the branch
• Electronic funds transfers (EFT) from various customers

Wire payments

• Monies deposits into our accounts from customers and partners
• Wire transfer from our accounts to customers and vendors

Payments

• EFTs to multiple vendors
• Direct deposit of payroll to employees with multiple accounts
• Payment and clearing of DCGB checks
• Notification of dishonored checks issued by us customers and partners.

Corporate Credit Cards

• Online internal management of the account
• Online access to individual account holder balances and transactions
• Cut-off/closing date is the last day of the month
• Electronic monthly statements for each cardholder
• One (1) consolidated payment per month that is automatically withdrawn from our checking account.

Proposals

Qualified institutions will be a local or regional financial institution covered by FDIC Insurance.

Required Financial Institution Information

To be considered, the following information must be included in your proposal to the DCGB:

Institution Expertise:

• Describe how your Relationship Manager will work with DCGB to ensure the smooth transition of moving to your Institution. DCGB shall not be held liable if the transfer is delayed beyond the implementation date due to circumstances beyond DCGB’s control. Explain how your Relationship Manager will manage DCG’s accounts and communicate any new services or changes to services. Provide the turnover rate of your Relationship Manager with their clients, with an estimate of how many years DCGB can expect to deal with that individual. The Relationship Manager needs to be available to meet in DCGB face-to-face or electronic meetings.

Institution Resources

• Provide the location of the branch where our account will be located, along with business hours. Describe if there is a separate business teller and the types of services they provide. DCGB is not currently using the teller service but as the environment changes there may be a need to visit the branch.

Mission Alignment

• Sustainability, Equity, and Diversity, Responsible Sourcing. Describe your company’s approach and methodology (including benchmarking and progress on goals) relating to sustainability, equity, diversity, and equal access. Please also describe the supplier diversity and responsible sourcing program that you use in the sourcing process for your company’s vendors, suppliers, and contractors.

Required Services

EFT Services

DCGB currently does not use pre-authorized payment plans for monies received from customers and payments made to vendors but could soon. The proposal needs to clearly indicate the lead time for submitting files, the ability to edit the file or an individual payment within the file once sent, the timing of payments into the payee’s account, and online transaction acknowledgement. Types of EFT files generated by DCGB.

Online Banking Facilities

The following online banking services will provide DCGB the ability to:

• Configure/manage security levels for individual users, as required by DCGB administrator(s).
• Create reports and download or export to an Excel file. DCGB staff will filter and choose required information (e.g. transaction dates/periods, types of transactions, amounts, etc.). Provide screen shots of how to access information, process a transaction, do queries, and run reports
• Upload EFT transaction files to the Institution. This service must include the ability to modify, cancel or process individual stop payments online for the uploaded transactions prior to settlement date.
• Perform the following tasks:
• View all individual checks that clear the bank
• Process a stop payment
• Process account transfers
• Download/print monthly bank statements
• View all returned items online
• Process bill payments

Reporting

• Online access and monthly reporting
• Detailed annual financial statement
• Data available to annual independent certified public accountant for annual 3rd party audit

Corporate Credit Card

DCGB currently intends to offer 4 cards to staff. The current card program holds a combined credit limit of $10,000. DCGB administrator(s) will manage the individual accounts internally online. The following activity are the minimum requirements:

• Internal management of all cards that is easy to use
• DCGB administrator(s) has access to set security, activate or cancel cards, and increase or decrease limits as needed
• Online access to individual account holder balances and transactions and the ability to view individual charges as they happen, which includes the time, city, vendor, and amount charged
• Notifications if there is a problem with a card
• Cut-off date for the cards is the last day of the month
• One date each month when a consolidated payment will be withdrawn from the general checking account
• Electronic individual detailed transaction report (monthly statement) for each cardholder, as well as a summary report of all cardholders on a monthly basis
• Institution assistance for any inquiries
• Fraud coverage (stolen or lost cards)
• Provide details on insurance coverage available

Bank Statements and Checks

For all accounts, bank statements will be issued electronically on a monthly basis, with the cut-off being the last day of the month. The Institution will notify DCGB of any dishonored checks upon receipt. Minimally, the statements must include the following for each transaction posted to the account:

• Transaction date
• Brief description of the transaction
• Each debit or credit amount
• Copies of cleared checks

Safety Deposit Box

DCGB requires a safety deposit box, to be accessed on a semi-monthly basis. Include the location, times that our staff can access the box, and costs associated with a minimum size of 9 X 12 X 2 inches.

Cash Management Services

• List the Investment products and services for Cash Management

Overdraft Protection

DCGB requires $500,000 overdraft protection.

Recommended Services

Describe other services that would be beneficial to the DCGB along with associated costs. Discuss your experience in providing such services.

Fee Information and Interest Rates

Provide a breakdown of all fees charged for the following services requested, along with when the fee is charged:

• Deposits – US Funds (in-person and scanned)
• Checks cleared
• Stop payments
• Chargebacks
• Inter-Account transfers
• Preauthorized debits
• Preauthorized credits
• Electronic Funds Transfers (EFTs)
• Bank drafts, certified checks, money orders and wire payments
• Safety Deposit Box
• Interest earned on accounts
• Credit card admin fees
• Other fees

For the purpose of estimating fees, the following example should be included:

• – Portfolio management (avg. balance $10-20 MM)
• – Operating Checking Account (avg. balance of $500M, 40 checks + 10 ACH per month)
• – Investment Account (avg. balance $10-20MM)

For each DCGB bank account, interest will be calculated and deposited at the end of each month. Provide the timing, methodology, and interest rates to be used to determine the interest calculation.

Conflicts of Interest

The proposals must identify any potential conflicts of interest known to the firm that may affect the provision of services to DCGB.

References

Please include three references for banking services for similar in size governmental or not-for-profit organizations

Proposal Process

October 8, 2020	RPF will be made available
October 23, 2020	All Proposals must be submitted to DCBG by 4:00 p.n.
November 2, 2020	Internal screening of proposals. DCGB will develop a short list of at least two Institutions whose references will then be contacted.
November 9, 2020	Selected short list Institutions will be requested to present their proposal.
November 16, 2020	Selection of the successful firm will be made and negotiation of terms of engagement undertaken. Other short-listed firms will be notified.
December 1, 2020	Banking Services commence

Selection Criteria

Criteria	Available Points
Mission Alignment Evaluates the organization’s stated alignment to the DC Green Bank mission.	25
Services Offered Banking services available Recommendations Location of branch	15
Technology Online accessibility to information Online transaction processing capabilities Online query and reporting capabilities	15
Customer Service Relationship Manager management of account and stability References	20
Corporate Credit Card Online accessibility Ease of use to internally manage accounts	10
Fees Information and Interest Rates	15
Total Available Points	100

Proposal Conditions

Contingencies

• This Request for Proposals (RFP) does not commit DCGB to award a contract. DCGB reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals or waive irregularities if DCGB determines it is in the best interest of DCGB to do so.

Acceptance or Rejection of Proposals

• Proposals shall remain open until October 23, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. DCGB realizes that conditions other than lowest cost are important and will award contract(s) based on the proposal(s) that best meet DCGB’s needs.

Modifications

• DCGB reserves the right to issue addenda or amendments to this RFP.

Proposal Submission

• To be considered, all proposals must be submitted in the manner set forth in this proposal. It is the Institution’s responsibility to ensure that its proposal arrives on or before the specified time.

Incurred costs

• This RFP does not commit DCGB to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal in response to this request. The Institution agrees that all costs incurred in developing its proposal are the Institution’s responsibility.

Negotiations

• DCGB may require the Institutions selected to participate in negotiations, and to submit cost or other revisions of their proposals as may result from negotiations.

Final Authority

• The final authority to award contracts as a result of this RFP rests solely with DCGB.

Contact Information

All inquiries should be directed to the following individuals:

Jean Nelson-Houpert, Controller –  Jhoupert@dcgreenbank.org  Phone: 202-301-8305

Donald Walker, III, Director of Operations – dwalker@dcgreenbank.org phone 202-301-8304

Applicable Requirements

The following documents are applicable to this procurement and are hereby incorporated by this reference:

Item No.	Title	Date	Location
1	The Energy Efficiency Financing Act of 2010, effective May 27, 2010, as amended (D.C. Law 18-183; D.C. Code, 2001 Ed. § 8-1778.01 et seq.) (the “PACE Act”)	Latest	https://code.dccouncil.us/dc/council/laws/18-183.html
2	Green Finance Authority Establishment Act of 2018	Latest	https://legiscan.com/DC/text/B22-0257/id/1808126/Washington_D_C_-2017-B22-0257-Enrolled.pdf
3	Clean Energy Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018	Latest	https://legiscan.com/DC/text/B22-0904/id/1833946/Washington_D_C_-2017-B22-0904-Enrolled.pdf
4	DC Green Bank Website		https://dcgreenbank.org/
5	DOEE DC Green Bank Website		https://doee.dc.gov/greenbank
6	DC Green Bank Info	11/29/18	https://doee.dc.gov/sites/def u;t/files/dc/sites/ddoe/service_content/attachments/GREEN-BANK-PUBLIC-ONE-PAGER.pdf
7	Financial Institutions Deposit and Investment Amendment Act of 1997	Latest	https://code.dccouncil.us/dc/council/laws/docs/12-56.pdf

Notwithstanding anything contained herein, any award pursuant to this RFP shall be subject to the provisions of (a) the federal Anti-Deficiency Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 1341-1351 and 1511-1519(2004), and D.C. Official Code §§ 1-206.03(e) and 47-105 (2012 Repl.); (b) the District of Columbia Anti-Deficiency Act, D.C. Official Code §§ 47-355.01 et seq. (2012 Repl. and 2014 Supp.) ((a) and (b) collectively, the “Anti-Deficiency Acts”); and (c) § 446 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, D.C. Official Code § 1-204.46 (2012 Repl.), as each may be amended from time to time and each to the extent applicable to this RFP.

Definitions

The terms below are defined as follows:

Green Bank – A green bank is a fiscally-sustainable, innovative policy tool that jurisdictions use to finance projects that create green jobs, expand solar power, lower energy costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Green banks are capitalized with public funds, which are then used to offer loans, leases, credit enhancements, and other financing services to close funding gaps for clean energy projects. The goal of a green bank is to accelerate the deployment of clean energy technology by leveraging private investment, removing upfront costs, and increasing the efficiency of public dollars.

PACE – Property Assessed Clean Energy financing.

DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) – A private contractor to the District that develops, coordinates, and administers programs for the purpose of promoting the sustainable use of energy in the District.

REDF – Renewable Energy Development Fund.

SETF – Sustainable Energy Trust Fund.

Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards – a regulatory mandate to increase production of energy from renewable sources.

Solar Energy – Energy generation systems in the District of Columbia that convert energy from the sun into thermal or electrical energy, including solar photovoltaic and solar thermal.

Solar Energy Programs – one or more of a wide variety of solar energy services, including financial rebates, technical assistance, product installations, consumer information or other services, items, or conditions. Programs often offer incentives, generally monetary, to encourage the participant to participate in the program. An incentive is intended to overcome one or more barriers that keep the participant from installing a solar energy system on their own.

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1. PURPOSE

The District of Columbia Green Finance Authority (d/b/a “DC Green Bank” or “DCGB”) invites private-sector information technology (IT) vendors to propose hardware, software, security, and development support services as the organization grows. This Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitsa resource to serve as the Bank’s primary outsourced IT solution.

2. DC GREEN BANK BACKGROUND

DC Green Bank is an independent instrumentality of the District of Columbia created to increase the use of private funds for sustainable projects and programs by offering and promoting the use of loans, loan guarantees, credit enhancements, bonds, or other financing mechanisms for sustainable projects and programs. Specifically, DC Green Bank aims to:

• Attract private capital by leveraging public investment;
• Use financial tools to increase capacity, accelerate lending, and recapitalize funds to support the Bank’s mission;
• Become a go-to resource for District residents, small business owners, and commercial developers interested in energy efficiency improvements, clean energy installations, and construction of green infrastructure; and
• Be a breakeven entity, where the revenues earned from financing activity cover its operating costs over the long term.

3. SCOPE

DC Green Bank invites private sector IT vendors to propose hardware, software, security, and development support services as the organization grows. The Bank solicits a resource to serve as the primary outsourced IT solution to support the infrastructure that has already been developed but continues to enhance the Bank’s innovative IT solutions. The qualified service provider will utilize a managed service provider approach to enable DC Green Bank to enhance IT effectiveness and quality of services, minimize its support cost, and maximize IT investment return. The outsourcing strategy secures a single service provider prepared to take the defined responsibilities for the continued building, management, reliability, and integration of DC Green Bank’s information systems. The prospective service provider must provide a cloud service provider as all employees are currently remote due to COVID-19. A key deliverable for this work is a high level, scalable IT infrastructure.
The District of Columbia Green Finance Authority (d/b/a “DC Green Bank” or “DCGB”) invites private-sector information technology (IT) vendors to propose hardware, software, security, and development support services as the organization grows. This Request for Proposal (RFP) solicits a resource to serve as the Bank’s primary outsourced IT solution.

Existing Technical Environment

DC Green Bank is currently 100% remote and operating on a cloud-based system. The following systems are currently in place:

• Microsoft Office 365; including a SharePoint site built for the organization’s Intranet, Microsoft Teams as the VOIP phone system and internal communication platform, traditional apps such as Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint;
•  4 Dell, Windows laptop computers and other hardware (monitors, docking stations, etc.);
• Integration with external applications (i.e. Gusto, Expensify, Adobe).

As DC Green Bank continues to grow to its target size of 10-15 employees, we will need to enhance our current systems and identify opportunity areas to solidify our IT needs.

4. SERVICEREQUIREMENTS

The IT management and support areas required include:

• Internet access and security, fixed locations and remote
• Email infrastructure and support
• Backup management, testing, and reporting
• Application managemento Vendor support and incident management liaison
• Infrastructure support to include mail, website, etc.
• Network and data security
• Security planning and security program development
• Disaster recovery and planning
• Remote client service
• 24/7 System monitoring and response
• Access to help-desk support during business hours, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm, M-F
• Occasional emergency access to 24-hour support
• Laptop and Mobile device supporto Life-cycle management of hardware units plan
• Server management and support including VMware infrastructure
• SAN – storage management and optimization
• Hosted SaaS Enterprise GIS options
• IT and technology project management, development and support – building programs tosupport the ongoing needs
• Work plan reporting – monthly status reporting with annual accomplishment reports
• Short and long-term infrastructure planning and recommendations
• Local and wide area network design, configuration, and support, upon identification ofphysical office
• Wireless network design, configuration, and support, upon identification of physical office
• Alternative services – vendor may propose alternative services to significantly improve ITeffectiveness, quality of services, minimizing costs, and maximum return on investment.

5. PROPOSAL CONTENTS

The following information must be included in the vendor’s proposal.
• Letter of Transmittal

This letter should not summarize the Proposal. The letter should include the following:

o Company name, address, and telephone number(s).
o Name,title,address,email address,and telephone number of vendor’s contacts. Contacts should be authorized to represent their firm in business transactions and specify where correspondence should be directed.
o Outline your firm’s understanding of the proposed services and positive commitment to provide the services outlined.
o A signed certificate of authority that the individual signing and the proposal on behalf of the vendor is legally authorized to bind the firm to the Proposal and cost schedule.
o A statement that indicates Proposal and cost schedule is valid and binding on the vendor for ninety (90) days following the Proposal submission date and will become part of the negotiated contract except as mutually modified by the parties.

• General Vendor Information
o Length of time in business providing proposed services
o Total number of clients
o Number of full-time personnel, specifying job duties
o Number of part-time personnel, specifying job duties
o Office location servicing DCGreenBank

• Mission Alignment; Sustainability, Equity, and Diversity, Responsible Sourcing
  Describe your company’s approach and methodology (including benchmarking and progress on goals) relating to sustainability, equity, diversity, and equal access. Please also describe the supplier diversity and responsible sourcing program that you use in the sourcing process for your company’s vendors, suppliers, and subcontractors.
• Positioning to complete services
  Provide a history of experience providing similar services, as well as a description on how your firm is positioned to provide required services. Please include information about your resources and financial health for the past three (3) years.
• Service Approach, Methodology
  Describe, in detail, your approach and methodology to provide the services required and ongoing support. In addition to describing your services, include a description of your internal security, privacy and anti-corruption practices and/or codes of conduct.
• References
  Provide three (3) references for clients that you have delivered similar services. Reference the actual services provided, client size, and length of services.

• Staff Resources
  Provide names, titles, and job summaries of key personnel who will provide IT services to DC Green Bank. Describe the roles and responsibilities that each team member will provide to this project.
• Terminated Contracts
  Provide any information where your firm voluntarily terminated a contract, or your contract counterparty terminated your firm’s contract, during the past five (5) years. Termination for default is defined as notice to stop performance due to the vendor’s nonperformance or poor performance, and the issue was either (a) not litigated, or (b) litigated, and such litigation determined the vendor to be in default if a default occurred, list complete name, address, and telephone number of the party.
• Other Services
  Provide a brief description of your firm’s other services, beyond this RFP scope, that DC Green Bank may pursue.
• Executive Summary
  Summarize your Proposal and your firm’s qualifications to complete the required services. Additionally, you may include why your firm is pursuing this work and how it is uniquely qualified to perform it, and other information that may assist DC Green Bank in determining your qualifications. The executive summary should not exceed two (2) pages.
• Cost of Services
  Proposals must contain a fee schedule that includes fixed-rate business hours support and hourly rates for additional services. Describe the rationale for pricing, specific pricing that you can provide, and potential additional charges.

6. PROPOSAL EVALUATION

DC Green Bank will evaluate proposals that meet the minimum qualifications and include all applicable Proposal contents in Section 5 against the following criteria.

• • Experience (5 points maximum)
  • Understanding of services requested (15 points maximum)
  • Personnel experience (10 points maximum)
  • Compatibility with end-users (5 points maximum)
  • Project approach (15 points maximum)
  • Feasibility of work plan (15 points maximum)
  • Alignment to DC Green Bank mission (20 points maximum)
  • Satisfaction of clients and end-users (5 points maximum)
  • Cost (5 points maximum)
  • Other considerations (5 points maximum)

7. OTHER PROPOSER CONSIDERATIONS

Proprietary information: Information submitted to DC Green Bank that the Proposer wishes to have treated as proprietary and confidential trade secret information should be identified and labeled as “Confidential” or “Proprietary” on each page at the time of disclosure.

8. SUBMISSION PROCESS

Electronic submission of responses (a “Proposal”) to this RFP is required. Submit proposals via email to the following email address: info@dcgreenbank.org. The subject line should be: “Proposal for IT Managed Services RFP”. Each Proposal must contain the fee outlined in Section 12 below. Proposals are due by 5:00 pm on September 28, 2020.
Proposers may resubmit a Proposal if circumstances change, or if the initial Proposal does not comprehensively address this RFP. Any commonly used formats (e.g., Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Adobe PDF) in commercial submissions are welcome.

9. TIMING OF EVALUATION

The RFP will close at 5:00 pm on September 28, 2020. All proposals will be evaluated, and finalists will be notified of the next steps by October 5, 2020, via email. Finalists will be invited to a presentation and discussion of essential details for the Proposal during the week of October 12 – 16, 2020, with final notification expected by October 19, 2020. We expected the selected firm to commence managed services by November 1, 2020. The terms of the contract are determined at the selection.

10. TECHNICAL RATING

0	Unacceptable	Fails to meet minimum requirements;e.g., no demonstrated capacity, major deficiencies which are not correctable offeror did not address the factor
1	Poor	Marginally meets minimum requirements; major deficiencies that may be correctable
2	Minimally Acceptable	Marginally meets minimum requirements; minor deficiencies may be correctable.
3	Acceptable	Meets requirements; no deficiencies
4	Good	Meets requirements and exceeds some requirements; no deficiencies
5	Excellent	Exceeds most, if not all requirements; no deficiencies

The technical rating is a weighting mechanism applied to each evaluation factor’s point value to determine each element’s score. The offeror’s total technical score will be determined by adding the offeror’s score in each evaluation factor. For example, if an evaluation factor has a point value range of zero (0) to forty (40) points, using the Technical Rating Scale above if the District evaluates the offeror’s response as “Good,” then the score for that evaluation factor is 4/5 of 40 or 32.

11. PREFERENCES FOR CERTIFIED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES

Under the provisions of the “Small and Certified Business Enterprise Development and Assistance Act of 2014”, D.C. Official Code § 2-218.01 et seq., as amended (“Act”, as used in this section), the DC Green Bank shall apply preferences in evaluating proposals from businesses that are certified by the Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) pursuant to Part D of the Act.

12. NEGOTIATION

DC Green Bank may enter into good faith negotiations with one or more of the selected Proposers at such time and in such order as the DC Green Bank may determine in its discretion. Such negotiations’ commencement does not signify a commitment to provide financial assistance or enter into a contract with a Proposer. Either the Proposer or DC Green Bank may terminate such negotiations at any time for any reason. DC Green Bank reserves the right to enter into negotiations with any other Proposer at any time. Such negotiations shall not be limited to the scope or terms of the Proposal but may include other matters or different terms as DC Green Bank may determine to be in the best interests of DC Green Bank.

13. AWARD

Upon mutual agreement regarding the terms and conditions of the financial assistance, DC Green Bank and the selected Proposer may enter into a contract that memorializes the agreed-upon terms and conditions subject to all necessary DC Green Bank approvals the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board.

14. ANTI-DEFICIENCY

Notwithstanding anything contained herein, any award pursuant to this RFP shall be subject to the provisions of (a) the federal Anti-Deficiency Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 1341-1351 and 1511-1519(2004), and D.C. Official Code §§ 1-206.03(e) and 47-105 (2012 Repl.); (b) the District of Columbia Anti-Deficiency Act, D.C. Official Code §§ 47-355.01 et seq. (2012 Repl. and 2014 Supp.) ((a) and (b) collectively, the “Anti-Deficiency Acts”); and (c) § 446 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, D.C. Official Code § 1-204.46 (2012 Repl.), as each may be amended from time to time and each to the extent applicable to this RFP.

15. FEES AND EXPENSES

Each Proposal submitted for consideration must be accompanied by a $500.00 processing fee submitted by mail or ACH, please contact info@dcgreenbank.org for specific instructions. As a condition of negotiation with any selected proposer, DC Green Bank may require that such Proposer agrees to pay costs incurred by DC Green Bank, including fees and disbursements of the DC Green Bank’s consultants, lawyers, and other professional advisors.

Please see Board Meeting Announcement:

D.C. Green Finance Authority Notice Of Special Meeting of the Board

Open Request for Proposals

 

DC Green Bank invites private sector capital providers, developers, contractors, and other clean and renewable energy industry participants to propose transactions involving collaboration with DCGB. Such transactions should be aimed at addressing financing market gaps and barriers and should ultimately support clean energy, clean transportation, clean water, stormwater management, energy efficiency, water efficiency, and/or green infrastructure projects in the District. This Request for Proposals (“RFP”) is specifically designed for larger projects or portfolios of projects, likely over $250,000.

DC Green Bank is an independent instrumentality of the District government created to increase the use of private funds for sustainable projects and programs by offering and promoting the use of loans, loan guarantees, credit enhancements, bonds, or other financing mechanisms for sustainable projects and programs. Specifically, the DC Green Bank aims to:

• Attract private capital by leveraging public investment;
• Use financial tools to increase capacity, accelerate lending, and recapitalize funds to support the Bank’s mission;
• Become a go-to resource for District residents, small business owners, and commercial developers interested in energy efficiency improvements, clean energy installations, and construction of green infrastructure; and
• Be a breakeven entity, where the revenues earned from financing activity cover its operating costs over the long term.

 

DC Green Bank invites private sector capital providers and other clean energy industry participants to propose transactions involving DC Green Bank that facilitate the financing of clean energy projects in the District, consistent with the DC Green Bank’s core objectives listed below.

DC Green Bank Core Objectives

• Provide environmental benefit to the residents of DC
• Provide a pathway to financial self-sustainability for the Green Bank
• Attract private capital, while generating income for the Green Bank
• In order to not compete with lenders, either address an underserved need in the market or partner with a lender
• Have sufficient speed to market that will provide immediate benefits to DC residents
• Contribute to the Green Bank’s overall diversity in markets and project sizes
• Serve the low-moderate income community including affordable housing projects
• Include support for the creation of new solar energy sources

 

Each submitted proposal must meet most, if not all, of the above core objectives. This RFP will remain open, and Proposals will be evaluated on a rolling basis, as received. Initial responses will be provided generally within 30 days. The purpose of an ongoing RFP process is to ensure that all potential proposers have an opportunity to propose transactions and financing arrangements, as market needs develop and change over time. Per the authorizing statute, the Green Bank may support “sustainable projects and programs,” defined as clean energy, clean infrastructure, clean transportation, stormwater best management practices, energy efficiency, water efficiency, or green infrastructure projects and programs. The term “sustainable projects and programs” shall not include biomass, biofuel, nuclear, or waste-to-energy projects and programs. The financial self-sustainability objective includes an analysis of the impact on short and long-term portfolio risk and must be obtained at a reasonable level of risk to the DCGB.

Proposers can expect the initial response following DCGB’s receipt of a Proposal generally within thirty days from the date of such receipt.