Request for Proposal (RFP) for an

Meter Data Management SystemMDM-2020-01

Deadline for Submission: October 15, 2020

RFP Dated: September 9, 2020

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1. LEGAL NOTICE..................................................................................................................1-12. INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS.........................................................................................2-2

2.1 Tax Exempt Status.....................................................................................................2-22.2 Proposal Requirements..............................................................................................2-22.3 Performance Bond.....................................................................................................2-32.4 Proposal Submittals...................................................................................................2-3

2.4.1 Submittal Deadline.........................................................................................2-32.4.2 Format............................................................................................................2-32.4.3 Responses to RFP Requirements..................................................................2-32.4.4 Form of Proposal............................................................................................2-4

2.5 Proposal Options and Alternatives.............................................................................2-62.6 Reimbursements........................................................................................................2-62.7 Questions About RFP................................................................................................2-62.8 Contact with Employee(s)..........................................................................................2-72.9 Project Scope.............................................................................................................2-72.10 Schedule of Important Dates......................................................................................2-82.11 Proposal Evaluation and Contract Award..................................................................2-82.12 Right to Accept or Reject Proposals..........................................................................2-92.13 Vendors Acknowledgement of Process...................................................................2-102.14 Withdrawal of Proposals..........................................................................................2-102.15 Execution of Contract...............................................................................................2-10

3. NAED INFORMATION AND OBJECTIVES......................................................................3-123.1 RFP Intent................................................................................................................3-123.2 MDM and AMI Features and Planned Benefits........................................................3-123.3 About NAED.............................................................................................................3-13

3.3.1 Current Meter Reading and Assets..............................................................3-153.3.2 Meters..........................................................................................................3-16

4. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL OVERVIEW.......................................................................4-174.1 Mandatory Requirements.........................................................................................4-17

5. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS AND SOLICITATION OF INFORMATION REGARDING PROPOSED MDM SOLUTION.........................................................................................5-195.1 Core MDM Functions...............................................................................................5-19

5.1.1 Daily Operations and Reporting...................................................................5-195.1.2 Data Collection.............................................................................................5-205.1.3 Validation, Estimation, Editing (VEE)...........................................................5-215.1.4 Meter Events................................................................................................5-215.1.5 Billing Capabilities........................................................................................5-22

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5.2 Architecture and Integration.....................................................................................5-225.2.1 System Architecture.....................................................................................5-225.2.2 Integration....................................................................................................5-24

5.3 Analytics and Smart Grid Capabilities......................................................................5-256. SERVICES AND SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS...............................................................6-27

6.1 System Support, Product Releases and Roadmap.................................................6-276.2 Product Documentation and Training......................................................................6-286.3 System Acceptance.................................................................................................6-286.4 Project Management................................................................................................6-29

7. COMMERCIAL PROPOSAL.............................................................................................7-317.1 Pricing......................................................................................................................7-317.2 Subcontractor Relationships....................................................................................7-327.3 Partnership and Alliance Relationships...................................................................7-327.4 Expertise, Experience, Corporate Attributes............................................................7-32

APPENDIX A – Cost Spreadsheet...........................................................................................7-33APPENDIX B – General Contract Terms and Insurance Requirements..................................7-33APPENDIX C – Proposal Forms..............................................................................................7-33

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1. LEGAL NOTICE

Pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 164, Section 56D, the North Attleborough Electric Department (“NAED”) is soliciting proposals to procure A Meter Data Management (MDM) Solution. The procurement includes professional services for the software installation, integration, testing and troubleshooting, hosting services and training as set forth in the Request for Proposals (“RFP”).

A Teleconference will be held on September 15, 2020 at 2:00 PM ET to answer any initial questions. All responding vendors are encouraged to participate. Teleconference instructions will be provided to all vendors who have emailed their intent to respond to MDMResponse@naelectric.com.

Sealed proposals, marked “Proposal for A Meter Data Management Solution”, shall be submitted to the North Attleborough Electric Department, 275 Landry Avenue, North Attleborough, MA 02760, ATTN: Mr. Chris Mitchell, no later than 3:00 pm (local time) on October 15, 2020, at which time all proposals will be publicly opened and read via teleconference with the results posted on NAED’s website at NAELECTRIC.COM An electronic copy of the proposal also shall be submitted in the required format and emailed to NAED at MDMResponse@NAELECTRIC.COM with the subject line “Proposal for A Meter Data Management Solution”.

A copy of the RFP which includes submission instructions, specifications, and standard contract terms may be obtained by contacting MDMResponse@NAELECTRIC.COM.

NAED reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, waive informalities or irregularities, modify specifications, negotiate price and contact terms, and award the contract, in whole or in part, as it deems to be in its best interest.

_____________________________________

Peter Schiffman, General Manager North Attleborough Electric Department

ADV: Attleboro Sun Chronicle NAELECTRIC.COM

RFP Package & Specifications

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2. INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 164, § 56D, NAED is soliciting proposals for a complete Meter Data Management (“MDM”) solution as described in this Request for Proposals (“RFP”). All proposals must be submitted in hardcopy and electronic format and shall be received by 3:00 PM on Thursday, October 15, 2020 (reference Section 2.10). NAED reserves the right to extend the deadline if NAED determines that it is in the public interest to do so. NAED will post any changes to the deadline on its website and will notify all registered vendors via email if a deadline is extended. A hardcopy of the proposal containing original signatures shall be delivered to North Attleborough Electric Department, 275 Landry Avenue, North Attleborough, MA 02760, ATTN: Mr. Chris Mitchell and marked “Proposal for a Meter Data Management Solution.” Electronic copies in the proper format shall be emailed to MDMResponse@NAELECTRIC.COM with the phrase, “ Proposal for an Automated Metering Infrastructure Solution” in the subject line. Late proposals will not be accepted. Proposals shall be considered firm offers valid for a period of three hundred and sixty-five (365) calendar days from the submission deadline. Proposals may not be corrected, modified, or withdrawn by the vendor during the three hundred and sixty-five (365) day time period.

2.1 Tax Exempt Status

NAED is a municipal light plant operating pursuant to M.G.L. c. 164. As a department of the Town of North Attleborough, NAED is exempt from Sales and Use taxes.

2.2 Proposal Requirements

Vendors shall submit an original hardcopy and an electronic version of the complete proposal in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf format). The proposal shall include the vendor's name, business address, contact person, telephone number and email address. The pricing matrix shall be submitted as a separate file using the Excel spreadsheet in Appendix A. with the following:

Proposals shall address in sufficient detail the proposed AMI solution and shall include all required technical and commercial/pricing information solicited by NAED and completed and signed forms and certifications in the Appendices

Proposal price shall be firm and include the purchase of Meter Data Management Solution, hosting services and integration services. Price shall be provided in a file separate from the technical response.

For the Meter Data Management, all components and equipment provided are to be the vendor’s latest versions.

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2.3 Performance Bond

Prior to starting any work, the vendor will be required to provide a Performance Bond in the amount of 100% of the contract price, issued by a Surety Company qualified to do business under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and satisfactory to NAED. The form of the bonds shall be subject to the approval of NAED.

2.4 Proposal Submittals

The following instructions describe the form in which proposals must be submitted.

2.4.1 Submittal Deadline

Proposals will be accepted by NAED until the submittal deadline specified in Table 1, Section 2.10 or as otherwise may be extended by NAED as provided herein.

Proposals received after the submittal deadline will not be opened and will be considered void and unacceptable. Hardcopies will be returned unopened and electronic copies will be deleted. NAED is not responsible for lateness of the proposal delivery. The date and time of the hardcopy received by NAED shall be the official record of receipt and not the date and time the proposal is sent. Vendors may deliver hardcopies by hand or by any available means. If delivery will be made in person, please contact MDMResponse@NAELECTRIC.COM ahead of time for instructions.

2.4.2 Format

The electronic versions of the proposal shall be presented in Adobe Acrobat document format (PDF). The pricing matrix shall be in separate files in .pdf version and also in a separate Excel file. NAED, in its discretion, reserves the right to require resubmittal or disregard proposals not reasonably compliant with the prescribed format.

2.4.3 Responses to RFP Requirements

The Vendor shall provide answers to NAED’s inquiries and/or describe its solution’s capabilities in sufficient detail. Responses should be provided directly in the RFP immediately below each subsection where information is requested. A Word version of the RFP is being provided to support this request. If it is necessary to provide an answer in a separate document, the Vendor shall clearly identify immediately after the subsection requirement exactly where the information is located and label the attachment with the subsection reference and question.

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2.4.4 Form of Proposal

The Proposal shall include the following parts:

Cover Letter including Contact Information

Part I: Executive Summary

Part II: Management Proposal with References

Part III: Technical Proposal, Sections 4 through 7

Part IV: Commercial Proposal

Part V: Appendices

All proposal forms (Appendix C) shall be signed by a duly authorized individual.

2.4.4.1 Cover Letter and Contact Information

The cover letter shall indicate the legal name and address of the vendor and include a contact person for responding to technical questions and requests for clarification. Please include the name of the contact, title, mailing address, email address and telephone number where the contact person can be reached. The contact person must possess sufficient technical and/or operating knowledge of the item(s) contained in the proposal. The cover letter as well as all forms must be signed by a duly authorized officer of the Vendor with full capacity to bind the Vendor. Contractual responsibility for the proposal shall rest solely with the Vendor.

2.4.4.2 Part I: Executive Summary

Vendors shall concisely summarize, in no more than three (3) pages, the solution proposed, including a high-level block diagram illustrating the major components of the proposed system. Pricing shall NOT be included in this section.

2.4.4.3 Part II: Management Proposal

Briefly introduce your firm, providing a summary of the administration, organization and staffing of your firm, including office locations. Provide an organizational chart indicating the positions and names of the core management team and identify those individuals from all companies who will have responsibility for the MDM solution proposed. Provide resumes for key personnel that will be assigned to this project.

Provide a minimum of three (3) references for projects like NAED. Thoroughly describe the vendor’s experience in the last five years providing MDM systems, and integration services to

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utilities similar in size and with similar scope to this RFP. Also, include a complete listing of all current/active projects and an estimated completion date for each.

2.4.4.4 Part III: Technical Proposal

The vendor shall provide point-by-point responses to all requirements found in RFP Sections 4 through 7. In response to Section 4.1, the vendor shall state compliance to the Mandatory Requirements. At a minimum, the technical description shall cover each software subsystem and shall contain detailed descriptions and diagrams of the solution the vendor proposes to utilize.

A response must follow each technical requirement. The RFP in MS Word format is provided to facilitate the desired question and answer format.

2.4.4.5 Part IV: Commercial Proposal

Vendors shall provide a completed pricing table as found in Appendix A. Pricing tables in an Excel format have been provided.

If a maintenance contract is proposed, the price of this maintenance contract shall be included in the Commercial Proposal and MDM Pricing Table.

The MDM Pricing Tables must be filled out completely. The MDM Pricing Table defines further instructions on how to complete the table. Use of the Pricing Tables is mandatory. Vendors that do not provide a Commercial Proposal that complies with the requirements may be rejected.

Vendors shall provide a sample contract(s) for the software and the scope of work that conforms to the RFP requirements. It is desirable that vendors propose a master agreement that includes and incorporates as attachments terms and conditions and specifications for design, integration, and implementation services, warranties, software licensing and hosting services, and maintenance and support. Vendors explicitly shall identify any contractual provision which does not conform to the RFP requirements. Vendors shall mark any proposed change to the mandatory requirements of the RFP and provide a reasonably detailed explanation for any proposed changes on the proposal form. Any conflicting or additional terms provided in the proposal that have not been identified shall be ineffective and shall not be deemed to be accepted by NAED without its express consent.

Failure to take exception or suggest alternative language to any term, provision, or requirement shall be understood by NAED as acceptance of that clause. A later attempt by Vendors to take exception may be deemed as negotiation in bad faith. Alternative proposal options, however, may be provided as set forth in Section 2.5 as long as they are clearly identified and marked.

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2.4.4.6 Part V: Appendices

Vendors shall include their appendices and any other supporting or reference materials in this part of the proposal, with cross references to the appropriate proposal subsections that the information herein supports. All proposal forms shall be executed by a duly authorized individual of the Vendor. The proposal forms and certifications shall be submitted with the proposal.

2.5 Proposal Options and Alternatives

This RFP is the basis for the initial screening of proposals by NAED. Vendors may propose alternative solutions to an RFP requirement. If such alternatives are proposed, it is the vendor’s obligation to clearly identify and explain in detail the proposed alternatives. Vendors must also explain how the proposed alternative will be a suitable working solution to the original RFP requirement.

If a superior product(s) becomes commercially available after the award of the contract, the Vendor may submit such substitute product(s) for NAED’s approval. Such proposed substitutions may be approved if, in the opinion of NAED, the substitute is equal to or better than the specified products, and the substitution will not delay or necessitate revisions in related work.

2.6 Reimbursements

Nothing contained herein shall create an implied contract and NAED shall not be liable for proposal preparation expenses or other costs associated with submitting proposals in response to this RFP. NAED will not reimburse responding Vendors for these expenses, nor pay any subsequent costs associated with the provision of any additional information or presentation, or to procure any contract for these services. NAED, within its sole discretion, may deviate from or abandon the RFP process at any time without liability for proposal preparation costs or damages of any kind.

2.7 Questions About RFP

A teleconference is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, 2020 (reference Section 2.10). Details of this call will be provided to all vendors by September 14, 2020.

To ensure a fair and objective RFP process and evaluation, all questions and inquiries related to this RFP, shall be addressed in writing via email to the contact listed below. The deadline for written questions and inquiries is included in Table 1, Section 2.10. NAED will have no

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obligation to answer any inquiry unless it is received prior to the date. All vendors will receive answers to all questions and the inquirer will not be identified in the process. All questions must be submitted in the form of a Word document. No telephone or oral questions or inquiries about the RFP process or its content will be considered. Questions must include the requestor’s name, address, telephone and facsimile numbers, and the Vendor he/she represents.

Requests for clarification or interpretation must specifically reference the relevant RFP section and requirement number, unless such request is of general application (in which case the request for clarification shall so note). NAED will send responses to all vendors as referenced Section 2.10.

Prospective vendors shall notify NAED by email to MDMResponse@NAELECTRIC.COM, if they find any discrepancies or omissions in the specifications, or if in doubt as to their meaning. If an explanation is necessary, a reply will be made by an addendum issued to all firms who have received the specifications. NAED will not give verbal answers to any inquiries regarding the meanings of the specifications.

All requests, questions, or other communications about this RFP shall be made in writing and emailed to the RFP Designated Contact: MDMResponse@NAELECTRIC.COM

2.8 Contact with Employee(s)

Other than communications with the RFP Designated Contact, direct contact with NAED employees or consultants on issues related to this RFP, is expressly prohibited without prior consent. Vendors who directly contact NAED employees about this RFP risk elimination of their proposal from consideration.

2.9 Project Scope

The project’s objective and required elements are outlined in Section 3, A Meter Data Management Solution. Vendors shall fully address the requirements of this RFP related to the performance of all required work, including testing, delivery, and technical support during and after installation of the MDM system.

Vendors are also encouraged to include any additional items that your firm deems necessary and consistent with the intent of the project.

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2.10 Schedule of Important Dates

NAED desires the completion of all work related to this project by December 31, 2021. Proposals shall include a detailed Project Schedule in Microsoft Project or similar format (see Section 7 for instructions).

The schedule for this RFP and MDM Project is as follows.

Table 1. Procurement Schedule

Time (EST)

Deadline Process Step

9/9/2020 RFP issued to Vendors2:00 p.m. 9/15/2020 Teleconference for Vendors

9/24/2020 Final RFP questions due from Vendors

4:00 p.m. 10/1/2020 Responses to all RFP questions3:00 p.m. 10/15/2020 Submittal deadline for proposal

December, 2020 Notify short list Vendors

January, 2021Vendor presentations, customer reference check, visit to Vendor locations, notify finalist

February, 2021 Contract negotiations beginApril, 2021 Project begins

December, 2021 MDM Project completeFebruary, 2022 Final meter shipment received

Note: All RFP process milestones, leading up to and including a contract, as well as deployment timeframes, are subject to change.

2.11 Proposal Evaluation and Contract Award

NAED’s selection process consists of two phases. The first phase will be to evaluate all compliant proposals, as determined by NAED, for the purpose of selecting a short list of Vendors. Phase One will include presentations or meetings for product demonstration and proposal clarifications from the short-listed vendors. In NAED’s discretion, NAED may choose to forego presentations and may award a contract based solely on information supplied in the Vendor’s proposal response. The focus of Phase Two will be to conduct further due diligence (e.g. site visits with Vendor’s customer references, solution/product demonstrations) with the short-listed vendors, if necessary.

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Any presentations or demonstrations shall be conducted (at Vendor’s sole expense) at NAED offices or such other location designated by NAED on a date and time acceptable to the NAED AMI Evaluation Team. However, NAED may, in its sole discretion, allow Vendors to conduct presentations virtually. The decision of NAED shall be final.

Proposals will be evaluated by NAED, which may include outside consultants and counsel, on the basis of price and non-price factors such as the ability to meet NAED’s specifications and requirements, quality and quantity of changes proposed to proposed terms, demonstrated qualifications and experience and resources to fulfill the obligations under the contract documents, and any other considerations as determined by NAED to be in its best interests. NAED shall not be obligated to award the contract to the vendor with the lowest or best price. NAED reserves the right to request any additional information, accept any proposal in total or in part, waive any informality, irregularity, or deviation, revise specifications, negotiate pricing and contract terms and to reject any or all proposals if deemed in the best interest of NAED to do so.

NAED will evaluate proposals using an internal scoring method that weighs various requirements to give the NAED MDM Evaluation Team insight into the strengths of each proposal relative to NAED’s needs. The overall criteria to be used in the selection process will include but is not necessarily limited to:

MDM Technical Attributes

Vendor Qualifications, Experience and References

Life Cycle Cost (15-year), including Maintenance

Project Management and Schedule

Vendor Support Services and Roadmap

This project represents a significant investment and undertaking for NAED, therefore, warranties and maintenance associated with both products and services will be a key part of the decision-making process.

2.12 Right to Accept or Reject Proposals

NAED reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals for any reason at any time. All proposals become the property of NAED. Causes for rejection of a proposal may include but shall not be limited to the following:

Failure to deliver proposal before the submittal deadline;

Failure to use the proposal forms furnished;

Failure to properly complete the proposal and respond to every requirement;

Failure to provide a complete proposal;

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Evidence of nonfeasance, misfeasance or malfeasance by Vendors;

Vendor’s current or previous inability to satisfactorily perform work or service under a contract with NAED;

Any alteration of the language contained within the RFP or its forms; and/or

Vendor’s failure to limit contact regarding this RFP as defined in this Section.

2.13 Vendors Acknowledgement of Process

By submitting a proposal, the Vendor certifies that it has read and understands this RFP and has full knowledge of the scope, quantity, and quality of the products and services to be furnished, is qualified and able to provide the products and services under the terms and conditions noted, has adhered to the provisions described herein, and has otherwise complied with and understands the consequences of failing to comply with the Vendor’s responsibilities set forth in this section.

If selected as the vendor, errors or omissions in the vendor’s response to this RFP are the vendor’s responsibility to provide at the vendor’s own risk.

The vendor shall furnish any additional information as may be required. NAED reserves the right to investigate the qualifications of vendors as deemed appropriate.

2.14 Withdrawal of Proposals

A vendor may withdraw its response to the RFP and price proposal by written declaration, provided that the declaration is received by NAED prior to the submittal deadline. Following withdrawal of its proposal, a Vendor may submit a new proposal, provided that such new proposal is also received by NAED prior to the submittal deadline.

2.15 Execution of Contract

Vendors shall provide a proposed contract(s) with their proposal for all services and equipment to be provided. The proposed contract(s) shall conform to the specifications, requirements, and proposed terms and conditions, or as provided in this RFP, clearly indicate any deviations and the reasons therefor. As noted in Section 2.4.4.5, it is desirable that NAED enter into a fully integrated agreement that includes and incorporates terms and conditions and specifications for design, integration and implementation services, equipment purchases and warranties, software licensing and hosting services, and maintenance and support. The agreement shall include a detailed scope of work. NAED may choose to negotiate with the short-listed Vendor(s) whose solution provides the greatest value to NAED. NAED has the right to negotiate pricing and terms, to modify or amend with the consent of the vendor any offer prior to acceptance, to waive

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any informality and/or effect any agreement otherwise, all as NAED may deem to be in its best interest.

By responding to this RFP, the Vendor further agrees to negotiate in good faith all additional terms and conditions of the Vendor’s performance under the contract. Following successful negotiations, the parties shall execute a written agreement. No Agreement shall be binding on NAED until NAED obtains internal and management approvals including approval by the NAED Board of Commissioners.

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3. NAED INFORMATION AND OBJECTIVES

The North Attleboro Electric Department (NAED) is looking for Meter Data Management solution to store and manage data for approximately 800 commercial and 12,800 residential customers in the Town of North Attleborough. NAED is a not for profit municipal public power utility operating pursuant to M.G.L. c. 164. NAED is governed by a General Manager and Municipal Light Commission, responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of the utility.

NAED seeks to install an MDM solution to automate the electric meter reading process and to have more in-depth information on its customers’ usage and distribution system load. MDM, along with a newly installed AMI system, will serve as the foundation technology to meet NAED’s future Smart Grid vision and goals, including the following:

Reduce costs through efficiencies and improve quality of service.

Improve billing accuracy and reliability.

Empower customers to help manage their energy and costs.

Position NAED with a technology platform for the future.

3.1 RFP Intent

NAED intends to select an MDM solution that meets or exceeds the requirements outlined in this RFP. The intent of this document is to solicit a detailed proposal that meets the requirements in Sections 4 through 7. Vendors are encouraged to read the RFP completely, understand NAED’s needs thoroughly and seek appropriate clarification. Any vendors seeking clarification regarding any information or specifications within this RFP must do so in writing prior to the deadline date and time for RFP questions (see Table 1, Section 2.10) and in accordance with the provisions outlined in the RFP.

3.2 MDM and AMI Features and Planned Benefits

In addition to providing reliable, accurate and timely meter readings, NAED expects the following capabilities from the MDM and AMI systems:

Detection, measurement and reporting of service voltage to assess grid reliability

Power outage and restoration notification for faster response to customers with advanced outage analytics and integration with an Outage Management System (*Note that NAED does not have an OMS system)

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Ability to support dynamic rates via interval data with real time notification to the customer

Real time event management including energy diversion and tamper detection

Management of engineering data for system analysis including loading & voltage monitoring

Monitoring and billing of net metering to support the increasing customer use of solar energy

Infrastructure to support future demand response programs

Integration with a Meter Data Management System (MDMS) to support customer service offerings such as web presentment of customer data, prepayment services, customer selected billing dates and data analytics.

3.3 About NAED

NAED was established in 1894. Since establishment, NAED has served the Town of North Attleborough. NAED presently serves about 13,500 customers. The majority of these customers are residential. About 9% are commercial-industrial accounts.

The Town of North Attleborough is located on the Northeast Massachusetts/Rhode Island border. The NAED service area covers 19.1 square miles. The NAED distribution plant is 209.8 miles in total, based on the 2018 NAED report filed with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities. That plant is 150.3 miles aerial, 59.5 miles underground.

As a municipally owned utility, NAED is governed by a locally elected board of commissioners and General Manager appointed by the board pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 164. NAED is financially independent from Town government. Its operations are supported by customer revenues without for-profit investors. The NAED mission statement: NAED, a public power utility, owned by the people of North Attleborough, provides reliable services at economical rates through teamwork, technology and innovation. The Board of Electric Commissioners and NAED employees are committed to safe operations, to excellent customer service and to the community NAED serves.

NAED’s customer base is primarily residential. NAED operates in an area that is a mix of old, industrial New England, and modern suburbia. A significant amount of North Attleborough’s industry moved when trade restrictions were eased, and the industrial load has not been replaced. The Emerald Square Mall, once a regional showpiece, is in a state of transition similar to that of the majority of New England’s regional malls. Town activities to attract new businesses are nascent.

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The Town of North Attleboro provides municipal water services. There is an interest in the future to add water meter reading services to the electric AMI solution.

NAED developed and implemented a strategic plan for its power needs. This plan was implemented beginning in 2018. The plan recognizes the changing energy environment and the risks that may develop. To quote:

“It should be noted that as NAED moves forward, there will be different types of power arrangements that will be considered as the power market continues to evolve. The continual goal is to acquire the most economic blend of arrangements that will provide NAED’s customers with the most economic costs.

“In order to accomplish this process NAED will have to: Establish and maintain an appropriate operational strategy to govern its power supply

activities. Determine NAED’s expected future growth in capacity and energy requirements. Secure and maintain an adequate power supply to meet NAED’s expected future

requirements. Project and manage future power costs to provide NAED’s customers with the most

economic costs. Work with partners in the industry to assure appropriate oversight of the environment

for electric power with which NAED is operating.”

NAED is classed as a distribution Provider-Under Frequency Load Shedding (DP-UFLS) by NPCC, the regional arm of NERC.

NAED power is supplied by a portfolio of generation including long term nuclear, hydropower and fossil fuel contracts. These are administered by Energy New England (ENE). NAED is a participant-member of MMWEC (Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company). NAED continues to source growing shares of renewable resources including wind and solar energy. At this time, approximately 39% of NAED power is supplied by non-carbon emitting resources. NAED uses financial and physical hedges to keep costs low and maintain stable and regionally competitive rates for customers.

NAED recently completed an upgrade to its single substation, replacing core switch gear and aging transformers. NAED has also added a 2.49MW gas peaking unit, located at the substation.

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NAED has 36 full-time employees. There are no part-time employees. The employees are grouped in Line Crew, Meters, Operations, Engineering, GIS, Administration, Billing/Projects, Customer Service, and Finance divisions.

NAED anticipates it will need to be positioned to respond to the increasing number of EVs registered in town. NAED does not anticipate a growth in Commercial-Industrial loads in the next few years. NAED anticipates replacing its home-grown OMS with one integrated to its AMI and MDM.

3.3.1 Current Meter Reading and Assets

NAED currently uses Itron FCS to read its AMR meters. NAED began using AMR in 2001-2002 and is migrating away from this means of meter reading. NAED reads all its meters in the first week of the month. The Itron FCS read data is exported to the NAED NorthStar billing system. NAED is retaining its Harris Northstar CIS. Any opt-out customers will retain their AMR meter. NAED expects to integrate to both an AMI system as well as FCS for AMR meters.

There are twenty-two (22) meters measuring total kWh delivered, total kWh received and net energy. There is no time-of-use (TOU) measurements on any meters today. For future TOU rates, NAED plans to use interval load data to compute billing determinants in the MDM.

The table below identifies the systems in place at NAED.

Vendor System Version

Customer Information System (CIS) Harris Northstar 6.4.21m

Service Order System Harris mCare 6.3.1

Geographic Information System (GIS) ESRI ArcGiS

Outage Management System (OMS) ESRI ArcGIS used for outages (pseudo-OMS; not a traditional OMS)– will be phased out

SCADA QEI

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NAED owns and operates a QEI-branded SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system. The SCADA is used for operational data acquisition, and not used in any Distribution Automation schema. NAED does not plan to integrate SCADA with the AMI solution.

NAED operates and maintains a robust ESRI Geographic Information System. NAED is actively involved in assisting the Town Public Works Department in enhancing their own GIS. The NAED GIS Manager developed the current NAED Outage Management System.

NAED built and operates a fiber-optic network to serve municipal facilities in North Attleborough. That system expanded in 2019. It now provides about 27 miles of cable. All fiber is retained for future NAED and Town use. There is no commercial use of the NAED fiber network. Municipal networks are all separate from one another.

3.3.2 Meters

To aid in determining the data storage required by the MDM, the following chart provides a breakdown of the electric meter forms. NAED expects to collect at least four channels of data on the single-phase meters and six channels of data on the polyphase meters.

Table 2. Electric Meter Forms & Quantities

Form Number2S 11,42812S 1,4344S 25S 19S 28616S 411

Total 13,562

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4. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL OVERVIEW

NAED requires an MDM solution that allows them to offer more innovative and creative solutions in the future. It is a top priority that the chosen MDM solution be positioned to bring about the many economic benefits of streamlined meter reading, outage notification, tamper detection, bi-directional metering for solar integration, time of use (TOU) rates, dynamic pricing, improved system reliability, increased Smart Grid functionality and other emerging opportunities.

The MDM project scope and general requirements include:

The MDM is delivered as a hosted, cloud solution in a Tier 3 North American data center with failover in a separate North American data center.

Integration support or services with a NAED-selected AMI System

Management of 15-minute interval frequency for all the meter population, four (4) channels for single phase and six (6) channels of data for polyphase including three (3) channels of voltage

A minimum of three (3) years of data will be stored online

Integration with NAED’s Harris Northstar Customer Information System and mCare Service Order System

Integration with ESRI ArcGIS

Support of and compliance with Open Standards including Multispeak

Support for future demand response programs and innovative rate structures

Training, Support, and Documentation.

4.1 Mandatory Requirements

The following requirements are mandatory requirements identified by NAED. Respondents are asked to respond and state compliance with each of the following requirements:

1. The Vendor must have experience delivering an MDM solution to a similar sized utility collecting 15-minute interval data and performing VEE on the data.

2. The Vendor must have experience integrating with the Harris Northstar billing solution and mCare work order solution.

3. The MDM solution must be hosted, cloud-based residing in a Tier 3 data center with 99.99% availability and 99% data delivery for billing.

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4. The MDM solution has demonstrated integration experience with ESRI GIS. Provide details on your ESRI integration model.

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5. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS AND SOLICITATION OF INFORMATION REGARDING PROPOSED MDM SOLUTION

Please answer all questions and provide detail on any specific capabilities of MDM technology in your response. Please show your responses in different font (e.g., bold, italics, color). Attach separate pages as necessary. Identify the section reference and question on all attachments.

5.1 Core MDM Functions

This section defines the functional requirements for the MDM System to manage the data sent from an AMI solution and operate the solution on a daily basis.

5.1.1 Daily Operations and Reporting

This section covers the day-to-day functions delivered with the Meter Data Management System.

1. Provide screen shots of the Meter Data Management System dashboard and key screens or reports available from the proposed MDMS. MDM should have dashboards and configurable KPIs to support the utility's objectives.

2. Provide details of daily procedures to manage meters, collectors, and network.

3. Provide details of procedures when there is failure of meters, collectors, and network. How does your software help identify aberrations in the data coming back over the network to help NAED pro-actively fix potential problems? How are notifications delivered to the proper NAED staff?

4. Users should have the ability to schedule reports. How are these reports delivered? What formats are available (CSV, XLS, PDF)?

5. Describe how a high bill complaint call can be supported using MDM?6. Does the MDM report the number of meters that have not received data at any given day

so utility can take action? How are these notifications delivered?7. Describe the software capabilities supporting network monitoring and meter paths. Is

there a GIS mapping component to network monitoring? What statistics on the network are presented to the user, e.g. RSSI?

8. The service Levels expected from the MDM include:a. 99.99% uptime b. Meter data for the 24-hour period should be collected within next 30 hours

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c. Meter data complete the VEE process and make the data available within 3 hours of receipt from AMI

d. MDM is synchronized with interfacing systems (such as CIS) within 12 hours e. Meter data is collected and stored in MDM within 4 hours of collection from

the AMI metersf. Alarms, Outage and Restoration events are processed in real-time.g. Non-Critical events are processed within 12 hours of receipt.h. Notifications are sent in real-time.

5.1.2 Data Collection

1. How does the proposed solution receive and request meter data from AMI? 2. Does the proposed MDM solution support multiple collection schedules from AMI? Does

this apply for a subset of meters or for all meters on one schedule per day? Explain the solution’s capability to handle batch versus streaming data from the AMI systems.

3. Describe how the software supports billing data collection to ensure there are no data gaps.

4. Does the proposed MDM solution support changing interval frequency at the meter and in MDM after the meter has been commissioned?

5. How does the MDM solution handle the delay in synchronizing the meter exchange in the system from when the meter was installed? Specifically, describe how the MDM system handle the data coming from the meters until the exchange is synchronized and meter is “provisioned”.

6. How does the proposed solution handle the Daylight Savings Time shift when collecting and storing interval meter data? In the event of the possible elimination or change of daylight savings time, is this configurable or automatic? How does time synchronization occur?

7. Describe the data measurements (units of measure - UOM) which can be stored and processed in the MDM. Identify any functions or processes that can be performed on each UOM.

8. Is the MDM solution capable of collecting and storing delivered, received and net quantities for solar or distributed generation customers?

9. Can MDM solution collect and store data for manual meters?10. Does MDM solution provide ability for the utility to export usage data for a defined set of

date and time periods?

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5.1.3 Validation, Estimation, Editing (VEE)

1. Provide the list of VEE rules supported by the proposed MDM solution.2. Does the proposed MDM solution have ability to apply different rules for different groups

of meters? 3. List the various estimation methods available in the proposed MDM solution. Are profile-

based estimations supported? Is weather data used in any estimation algorithms?4. Explain how the proposed MDM solution adjusts for the AMI retries when estimating

missing intervals or late arrival of data in a day.5. The MDM shall provide configurable validation rules for the bill determinants before

sending them to CIS for billing. Give examples of such validations 6. Does the solution support running specific validations at the monthly frequency versus

daily?7. How does the proposed solution identify unauthorized usage?8. Indicate compliance that AMI data should be VEE-ed within two (2) hours of receipt.9. Does the MDM solution use outage information while validating and estimating missing

intervals?10. Can rules be configured to validate usage for seasonal customers differently than

continuous usage?11. Indicate the average time it takes to clear an exception. Describe the process.12. Does the MDM solution version the data for audit purposes so that both original and

edited/estimated data are available at any given time for review?

5.1.4 Meter Events

1. Describe the remote meter operations (e.g. disconnect/connect, ping) available in the proposed solution? Describe the functionality of each.

2. All residential meters should be able to be disconnected and reconnected remotely. Does MDM store meter switch status?

3. Describe the management of outage and restoration events from AMI HES. NAED has a custom developed OMS system using ESRI ArcGis. How do you propose a solution where NAED has visibility into the outage and restoration information without delays and provide faster and effective response to their customer base?

4. Describe how the proposed solution handles real-time events versus alarms or non-critical events. How does the MDM solution collect, store and manage non-critical meter alarms and events? Specifically include alerts on temperature, voltage outside the min-max threshold, fatal error, tamper etc.?

5. Does the proposed MDM solution integrate with service order system? Harris mCare, to take actions based on the alarms and alerts coming from AMI Head-end?

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6. Can the MDM solution be configured to build a delay on some non-critical alerts to monitor recurrence before taking actions to account for false positive?

5.1.5 Billing Capabilities

1. Describe the types of billing determinant calculations available in the MDMS. Include demand, power factor and load factor calculations.

2. Explain the solution’s ability to create, store and bill virtual meters. Provide some scenarios from prior implementations.

3. Does MDM solution have the ability to configure time of use schedules to calculate on-peak/off-peak consumption?

4. Does MDM solution have the ability to support dynamic peak pricing models or real time pricing?

5. Does the MDM solution have the ability to push bill determinants based on a set read-bill schedule to CIS systems?

6. Does the MDM solution have the ability to respond with bill determinants based on a request from CIS systems?

7. Does the MDM solution provide ability for CIS systems to use webservice calls to get a read from MDM to create a closing bill for an account?

8. Does MDM Solution support calculation of bill determinants for solar or other distributed generation customers in individual and group scenarios?

5.2 Architecture and Integration

The following section include the functional and technical requirements for MDM integration to other systems at NAED. NAED requires a hosted, cloud service for the Meter Data Management System. Integration may be to other cloud-based solutions such as a hosted AMI.

5.2.1 System Architecture

1. Data generated by AMI Meters and other AMI end-point devices (energy consumption and demand) and/or other Customer data (voltage, power factor, outage status, tamper flags, service connect/disconnect confirmation, etc.) should be delivered from the Head-End System to the MDM. This data shall be collected in a timely manner and persistently available on demand.

2. The proposed system software shall be an established, well-proven, commercially available product based on widely adopted technology standards. Describe the MDM.

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Identify the various software components of the system. State the version of all software components to be delivered.

3. Describe and represent graphically (Visio preferred) the physical and logical architecture of the proposed Meter Data Management System. Describe the firewall and connectivity requirements. The description shall include all software, data, and integration interfaces needed to concurrently support production, and disaster recovery instances of the MDM System.

4. Describe the internet connectivity, firewall and bandwidth required to deliver the AMI data from a hosted HES to a hosted MDM residing in separate data centers. Provide the data delivery options supported.

5. Describe the proposed means and methods for retaining Customer Data in the AMI Meters and in each type of intermediate AMI storage device proposed by Vendors and utilized between the AMI Meters and the AMI Head-End System.

6. Provide the disaster recovery provisions for the MDM. Include recommended practices and available components (whether included or at extra cost). Provide a discussion of the following:

Data protection Configuration protection System recovery & validation Data recovery & validation Application recovery & validation Software configuration files (system, database, application)

7. Describe the options for backup and archiving (onsite and offsite storage) of all data. Describe the storage of archived data and the process for NAED to access archived data. Does the vendor anticipate data storage costs to increase or decrease over time? Please reflect the long-term storage costs in the MDM Pricing Table.

8. State and describe compliance with active directory for identification, authentication, and authorization of users and external processes. Does the solution offer O365 AD integration as well?

9. The MDM System shall comply with the following security criteria:

Security for software running on Windows servers must interoperate with MS Active Directory or O365 AD Services

Full compliance with Sarbanes–Oxley (SOX) and IFRS

10. Are Managed Services available for the MDM solution? If so, explain the services provided by the vendor.

11. Does the MDM solution support message prioritization i.e. Quality of Service (QOS)? Can this be managed by the user and if so, explain how.

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5.2.2 Integration

1. Identify interfaces required between the proposed AMI and an MDM, other NAED back office systems including GIS. Describe the APIs between the systems. Is Multispeak supported? Is REST API Supported? Identify any other standards supported Identify any other standards supported.

2. Provide the complete list of data and message types that are available for exchange between the AMI and the MDMS and other NAED information systems. Identify any instances in which the AMI would bypass integration with the MDM.

3. Describe how MDM synchronizes data with other systems such as CIS, GIS etc. Describe the integration mechanism and frequency in detail. How often is data synchronized? Include the key data elements synchronized between the systems

4. What is the process to validate the data is in sync between the systems? Describe some past experiences with other utilities.

5. The MDM solution shall integrate with the Harris Northstar Billing system and the mCare service order system. State whether the MDM has existing integration with these products and the versions of the MDM and Harris products which are integrated.

6. Describe the capabilities of the MDM to support outage management including mapping, alarms, outage messaging (text or email) display of detected outages, and other notifications.

7. Describe the users’ capability to write custom queries to extract data from the MDM.8. Describe the current capability of the MDM to support utility-industry best practices for

effective monitoring, analysis, and management of service voltage interruptions, validation and restoration processes. The MDM shall have the ability to characterize the difference between the different types of interruption including momentary and sustained, and correctly report back to NAED’s OMS.

9. Describe the integration or any plans to integrate with ESRI’s Utility Model.

10. Describe any existing integration and partnerships with the following types of system providers:

a. AMI solutionsb. OMS solutionsc. Customer portal solutionsd. ESRIe. Other solutions.

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5.3 Analytics and Smart Grid Capabilities

NAED is interested in understanding capabilities provided by the MDM solution that go beyond managing meter data and events. Identify any software modules in addition to the base MDM required for any of these capabilities.

1. Describe the MDM support for Volt-VAR programs, e.g. VVR, CVR. Does the MDM solution support real-time load analysis?

2. How does MDM solution support virtual data aggregation? Describe how the virtual data points are setup in MDM.

3. Can the MDM aggregate load at the transformer level at any given time? Describe how the data will be setup to achieve this functionality. read rate

4. How does MDM solution support in rate reviews? For example, if the utility must periodically review demand to switch a group of customers from a non-demand rate to a demand rate.

5. Describe any load research and rate analysis capabilities provided.6. Describe the MDM solution’s capability to support water meter reading and water system

monitoring.7. Describe any customer web portal capabilities available with the MDM. Is it a separate,

but integrated software component? Identify any integration with payment vendors.8. How does MDM support functional areas like Engineering and Load Research in using

meter data? Provide examples 9. Can MDM collect data from other data sources such as electric vehicle providers. 10. Describe the supported prepayment services available with the solution. Describe the

role(s), if any, of third parties in the proposed prepayment service offering. NAED is aware that prepayment service implementations may require interaction with a third party for financial transactions.

11. Describe MDM system features that support customer conservation and load control programs.

12. NAED is interested in understanding the meter-to-home communication options provided through the MDM solution. Identify and state compliance with any in-home communications standards and methods.

13. NAED has a few distributed generators (DG) and net metered customers connected to its distribution system today. Describe the current capabilities to support DG.

14. Identify the capabilities of the MDM solution to support the identification and measurement of electro technologies within a customer premise such as electric vehicle charging, power walls, etc.

15. Identify and explain the Smart City capabilities supported by the MDM, e.g. streetlight control, traffic light control, noise monitoring.

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6. SERVICES AND SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS

Please answer all questions on the project implementation and ongoing support.

6.1 System Support, Product Releases and Roadmap

1. Provide the following support information (when applicable) for all proposed software components:

Describe resources required for software technical support services

Describe the planned schedule of future software upgrades for each major software component

Describe the policy for “sun-setting” the support for non-current versions of software

Describe the policy for escalating support issues

Provide the means for accessing and receiving support including phone, email, interactive web tools, etc.

2. Describe the frequency of releases (major and minor), and if they are managed by the utility or the vendor in a hosted environment. Indicate how many previous versions back are supported. Indicate the product version proposed and when the next versions, major and minor, are expected to be released. Describe the vendor’s guarantee for backward compatibility on all software components.

3. Provide the recommended upgrade process, testing process, and versioning rollback process and who performs these tasks.

4. Provide a sample of release notes to understand the quality of this documentation. Provide a sample of the test scripts performed for the release

5. Provide details (workflow or description) on the company’s quality assurance or testing plan, including details on how your company responds to:

Service/support related problems Software quality problems

6. Provide the MDM product roadmap for the next three (3) years. Note any significant product changes over that period.

7. If a “Users Group” exists for the proposed AMI, describe the User Group’s structure, purposes and governance. If the Users Group has an informal or formal role in submitting or disseminating software upgrades, that process shall be described. Describe how the Users Group provides input to the product roadmap.

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6.2 Product Documentation and Training

1. Describe the proposed content, formats, tools, and procedures for producing and delivering the solution documentation. This includes details of configuration, business decisions, business processes and integration between systems. Provide representative samples that effectively illustrate the nature of the documentation framework. What is the versioning path of documentation, how often is it updated, and how is it distributed to customers?

2. Provide softcopy samples of the applicable user, administrator, and technical support manuals for each distinct software element of the proposed MDM.

3. Provide a sample training plan which shall: Fully address all areas of system functionality and operation Include training outlines for general user and advanced user training Clearly identify learning objectives for each section of the training plan. All

training materials shall clearly support the achievement of those objectives4. Describe vendor resources, curriculum, and methods that will support each type of

training provided. Is training at an additional cost or is it included with standard support? (If we get a new hire and they need training, how is that handled?)

5. Provide samples of class agendas, training manuals, supplemental materials, and online materials that will be used to provide training as part of the training plan.

6.3 System Acceptance

1. The Acceptance Test Plan will include tests to demonstrate the ability of the MDM to perform in accordance with the specifications in the RFP under conditions likely to occur during the operating life of the system. In addition, establish that the vendor has met all obligations and that the MDM performs as represented. The Acceptance Test Plan will provide rigorous verification of the acceptability of the provided MDM.

2. The Acceptance Tests will be contractually binding between NAED and the vendor, (through separate contracts) and will establish milestones for the parties. The Vendor will be responsible for organizing and conducting the Acceptance Tests, which will be monitored and witnessed by NAED. Vendors shall document the Acceptance Test(s), the methods, and the performance parameters demonstrated in the form of an Acceptance Test Plan Report.

3. Details of the Acceptance Test Plan will be negotiated with the vendor and incorporated into the final Contract with NAED. Formal sign-off accepting each stage must occur prior to proceeding to the next stage. Payment milestones and contract termination clauses may apply to each stage.

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4. The Acceptance Tests will occur in stages to identify problems early and to establish confidence for the continuing work and funding. Early tests will demonstrate system viability, compliance with the submitted proposal and validate deployment processes. A Final Acceptance Test will exercise all capabilities of the provided MDM. It will identify all functions tested in each major step at every stage of the Acceptance Test Plan. It will describe the consequences of test failure, the alternatives available for the AMI provider to remedy failure, and the consequences of subsequent repeated test failures.

5. Provide a sample Acceptance Test Plan that clearly outlines and demonstrates anticipated project stages. The final Acceptance Test Plan will be developed collaboratively by NAED and the selected Vendors.

6.4 Project Management

The vendor will be responsible for managing the delivery and installation of the MDM solution and system integration. The vendor will be a key participant in coordinating project management with the NAED AMI Project Team.

NAED requires vendors to have a proven track record of success managing projects with similar requirements as those defined in this RFP. NAED will contact references to verify vendor’s experience. NAED reserves the right to interview and approve assignment of vendor’s personnel recommended for placement on this project.

1. Describe in full detail the project management support proposed and various levels of optional support available.

2. Provide a plan for the project, including a work breakdown structure, key milestones, reporting, project management plan, documentation, training, on-site support, dispute resolution, and resource availability.

3. Describe the tools (including software) to be used to ensure quality, timeliness and performance of the project. The vendor shall identify recognized industry standards and guidelines to which these tools and methods conform.

4. Describe the organization proposed to both plan and manage the work. Include an organization chart. Vendors will identify by name and provide resumes for the project manager and key individuals who will work as part of this project. NAED understands that the individuals cited as key personnel will manage the work, and reserve the right to approve, or not, any personnel substitution.

5. If subcontractors are used in the project, describe in detail the specific role and responsibility of each subcontractor in the project plan, including their interactions with NAED personnel, if applicable.

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6. Describe the planned project status reporting approach, methods and frequency, including the proposed review process and schedule.

7. Describe the proposed plan for reacting to schedule slippage if work is not delivered as expected. It is important that NAED achieves their milestones; vendors are expected to manage the work and workers in a proactive manner.

8. Describe the escalation plan for problems or issues that arise during the project. In addition, illustrate the described plan with examples of problems (for example, from a previous project) and proposed escalation for difficulties with delivery schedule, hardware quality, software quality, system operation, and subcontractor performance.

9. Provide a sample project Scope of Work (SOW) identifying the essential tasks and actions of the project. The SOW shall identify the party responsible for each element in a manner that provides NAED a clear understanding of vendor’s expectations of NAED during the implementation of the AMI. The Work Plan shall explain any physical space and other logistical requirements. The work plan shall also explain any specific resources required from NAED.

10. Provide a candid assessment of the areas of project risk identifying and ranking the risks. Include a description of each risk and a discussion of how each risk is to be mitigated. This assessment shall consider organizational impacts to be expected both during and post AMI deployment.

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7. COMMERCIAL PROPOSAL

The pricing and terms may be negotiated by NAED. NAED anticipates commencing negotiations with the Vendor, as determined by NAED, having the number one ranked proposal based on its ability to meet or exceed all requirements. If an agreement cannot be reached with the first choice NAED may negotiate with the next highest ranked Vendor. Provided however, NAED, in its discretion, may negotiate with multiple short-listed Vendors contemporaneously if NAED determines that it is in its best interests to do so. The overall cost of ownership over the life of the project will be considered in the selection process, this is a total cost of ownership-based selection process.

As a basis for negotiations, Vendors shall supply a draft contract with its proposal that conforms to the RFP requirements and terms specified in Appendix B, General Terms and Conditions. Vendors may provide separate contracts for software licensing, professional services, and maintenance, provided the Vendor is responsible for a fully functional and integrated MDM solution. Vendors shall mark any proposed changes to the mandatory requirements of the RFP and provide a reasonably detailed explanation for any proposed changes. Any conflicting or additional terms provided in the proposal or proposed agreements that have not been identified shall be ineffective and shall not be deemed to be accepted by NAED without its express consent.

7.1 Pricing

Vendors are required to fill out a pricing matrix, NAED MDM Pricing Matrix.xls included in Appendix A.

Vendor’s proposal shall provide the following information (when applicable) for each proposed software component to be provided by Vendors:

One-time cost of license procurement and recurring costs for future license maintenance and version upgrades

Vendor’s policies and procedures for software maintenance and version upgrades

Description of policy regarding patches and upgrades to third party software components (i.e. Windows)

Describe any software keys, restrictions of use, or other limitations that may in any way restrict NAED’s full and open use of the MDM.

It is critical for NAED to manage its risks for both product and work through warranties and guarantees offered by Vendors. NAED will require protection against any defects in materials or other premature failures in software or hardware that may occur as part of this project.

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7.2 Subcontractor Relationships

If the vendor plans to enter into contracts with subcontractors to complete the proposed project, the vendor shall provide evidence, upon request, that the third party is under substantially similar obligations of non-disclosure as those that exist between NAED and the vendor.

The vendor represents to NAED that the vendor and its subcontractors, suppliers and agents are properly insured, licensed, and qualified to perform the type of Services proposed.

The vendor shall remain entirely responsible for the quality, completeness, and timeliness of the work of its contractors and subcontractors. The vendor shall fully disclose existing legal relationships and/or litigation between its subcontractors and their clients or customers, and between the vendor and its clients or customers.

Describe each subcontractor that the vendor proposes to use in this project and the portion of the proposed MDM for which said subcontractor(s) will be responsible for.

7.3 Partnership and Alliance Relationships

Describe all (if any) partnerships, alliances, and other strategic relationships the vendor has established with other energy industry participants, including AMI suppliers, distribution automation suppliers, utilities (other than direct sales relationships), software suppliers, and integration and consulting firms.

If the vendor’s proposal is successful and leads to a contract with NAED, failure to timely disclose a relationship which later is found to have materially influenced the course of the NAED MDM project may constitute a material breach of contract.

7.4 Expertise, Experience, Corporate Attributes

Briefly describe (no more than 2 pages) the expertise, experience, stability, competence, and credibility of your company to ensure the success of NAED’s MDM project.

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APPENDIX A – Cost Spreadsheet

APPENDIX B – General Contract Terms and Insurance Requirements

APPENDIX C – Proposal Forms

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