Request for Proposals: Professional Services Support for Clean Energy Internship Program

Scopes 6 and 7 have reached their capacity, and we are no longer accepting applications for them. Scope 1 is contracting to prepare for recruitment for the summer 2024 internship session. Applications for all other scopes are still being accepted on a rolling basis.

Yes, we specialize in fostering partnerships. We assess how we can enhance project plans by connecting applicants and are open to exploring potential collaborations among organizations for future projects.

Not at the moment – Scopes 6 and 7 are currently under review, and once scoped, we will have a better understanding of the remaining budget.

When evaluating community colleges (CCs) and vocational schools, we look for applicants that pay close attention to the employer landscape. Our focus is on securing employers interested in hiring community college students. It is crucial to consider the employer perspective, understanding their needs and expectations. To be aware of the challenges within vocational and technical schools, it is important to draw insights from our Needs Assessment and stay informed about the educational landscape. Additionally, reviewing our press releases of previously awarded grants provides an opportunity to identify potential partner organizations. This comprehensive approach ensures a thorough understanding of the ecosystem, facilitating effective collaboration between educational institutions and employers.

Currently, we have established partnerships with numerous employers through our internship program. Our primary objective is to expand our outreach to a broader spectrum of employers, with a specific emphasis on reaching those in various regions, including gateway cities. It is essential to ensure that these employers are open to hosting students with nontraditional backgrounds and diverse experiences. This approach aims to diversify our network of participating employers and create opportunities for students from a range of backgrounds.

Yes, applicants can apply for more than one scope, as described in the Professional Services Support for Clean Energy Internship Program RFP. The application responses must reflect the proposed program scope(s).

Our recommendation is to submit separate proposals for each scope, as this facilitates a more straightforward scoring process. Feel free to include additional information in your proposals about potential broader connections between scopes. As we move into the contracting phase, we will work to optimize partnerships across different scopes.

The preferred date is December 20th, 2023.  The final deadline for all other scopes is March 1, 2024.

• Scope 1: Training Providers for Support Internship Program Success (SIPS) Initiative
• Scope 2: Regional Employer Engagement to Increase Statewide Utilization of MassCEC Internship Programs
• Scope 3: Training Provider Engagement and Support for Trades-Based Student Programs
• Scope 4: Student Awareness in Community Colleges
• Scope 5: Clean Energy Symposium
• Scope 6: Massachusetts Climate Service Corps Planning and Program Design
• Scope 7: Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate Resilience Workforce Development Plan

Yes, applicants may apply for additional funds from MassCEC, as long as the proposed project is separate and distinct from the projects funded via prior support.

The clean energy career awareness videos will be used in a new curriculum for implementation in high schools across the state.

No. The support for clean energy career awareness videos entails finding employers and workplaces for a video production company to then film and interview staff; it does not involve the creation of the videos themselves. 

We ask applicants to structure their proposals with various deliverables and a timeline. This approach allows us to distribute funding systematically throughout the process. The final schedule for payment will be agreed to in the grantee/contractor’s contract.

MassCEC operates an online Workforce Portal where students can establish profiles and upload resumes and transcripts. Simultaneously, employers upload job descriptions for internship positions they aim to fill. Interns can browse job openings and descriptions, and employers have the ability to review available students. The interview and hiring process is managed independently by employers. Upon selecting an intern, we verify the intern’s eligibility, and the company provides MassCEC with an offer letter to confirm funding. Following the conclusion of the internship session, MassCEC reimburses the employer for the intern's work.

For more information, please visit: https://www.masscec.com/program/clean-energy-internship-program-employers

MassCEC defines clean energy as: “advanced and applied technologies that significantly reduce or eliminate the use of energy from non-renewable sources, including, but not limited to:  energy efficiency; demand response; energy conservation and those technologies powered in whole or in part by the sun, wind, water, geothermal energy, including networked geothermal and deep geothermal energy, hydrogen produced by non-fossil fuel sources and methods, alcohol, fuel cells, fusion energy or any other renewable, non-depletable or recyclable fuel.”

Before confirming an employer as eligible to participate, we require that a company be involved in the clean energy sector and that their interns work solely on clean energy initiatives during their internships. Employers involved in non-renewable energy sectors can participate in the internship program provided that they have an ongoing and sustainable clean energy initiative or business strategy that they are currently pursuing.

The funding for scope 2-5 is not predetermined and would be based on the other work contracted through this RFP.

Applicants are required to provide timelines for their scopes of work based on the information in the RFP; final deadlines and deliverables will be determined during the contracting phase.

Additional scope-specific information:

• Scope 1 is specific to recruitment for the summer 2024 internship program session.  The enrollment for this program starts in early February and students would need to be placed by June.
• Scopes 2-4 are intended to support stronger outcomes for the currently open programs and the upcoming summer internship session. Applicants should prioritize this timeline in their proposed scope, but depending on resources, MassCEC may elect to contract with successful applicants for a longer duration of up to two years.
• Scope 5: The Clean Energy Symposium has traditionally been an end of summer event, but applicants may propose alternate timelines.
• Scopes 6 & 7 will both have substantial reporting requirements through June of 2024, but key parts of the implementation planning will go beyond that time to extend into FY25.

Recruitment must focus on Massachusetts Community Colleges.

Funding is tied to placing community college students. Ideally, it would be in the summer. However, if the contractor is chosen before the spring session is closed, they may use spots in the spring program. We may be flexible with allowing the fall session to be a part of this cycle, but providers would be expected to place students in the 2024 calendar year.

Venue and catering should not be included in the budget for Scope 5.