REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS – Writing a Utility Handbook on Cybersecurity and Digitalization for the Electricity Sector | USEA

RFP Closed

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS – Writing a Utility Handbook on Cybersecurity and Digitalization for the Electricity Sector

Funding Agency:

U.S. Agency for International Development

Implementing Agency:

United States Energy Association

RFP Closing Date:

January 8th, 2021

Questions Due Date:

December 28th, 2020

The United States Energy Association (USEA) is inviting prospective organizations or individuals through this Request for Proposals (RFP) to submit proposals for Writing a Utility Handbook on Cybersecurity and Digitalization for the Electricity Sector.

As this is a USAID-funded program, the RFP follows USAID Procurement Regulations and Laws. All bidder details will be kept confidential.

RFP - Handbook on Cybersecurity for the Electricity Sector.pdf

Q+A Cybersecurity Handbook.pdf

Horizontal Tabs

Background and Scope

Introduction:

The United States Energy Association, headquartered in Washington, DC, is an association of public and private energy-related organizations, corporations, and government agencies. USEA represents the broad interests of the U.S. energy sector by increasing the understanding of energy issues, both domestically and internationally.

Through a cooperative agreement with the USAID Bureau for Development, Democracy and Innovation (DDI), USEA implements the Energy Utility Partnership Program (EUPP), available to all USAID-assisted countries and USAID Missions. EUPP supports the efforts in USAID-assisted developing countries to increase environmentally sustainable energy production and to improve the operational efficiency and increased financial viability of their utilities and related institutions, with the goal of increasing the access of these countries to safe, reliable, affordable and environmentally sound energy services.

Background:

Over the past 6 months, USEA has conducted a series of 15 webinars and 2 industry panels on Cybersecurity topics of relevance to the electricity sector. Recordings of the webinar, and links to the PDFs of the power points can be found here:

Industry Panels:

These webinars are aimed at giving USAID partner-country utilities, policymakers, and regulators a clear panorama of the relevance of cybersecurity to their sector, and to the process of digitalization, as well as clear, concise suggestions on how they can incorporate cybersecurity into their sector.

Scope of Work:

Tasks: The tasks to be performed by the writer under this Scope of Work shall include the following:

Task 1: Viewing the 15 webinars and 2 industry panels mentioned above

The writer will view all 15 webinars and 2 industry panels to gain an understanding of the Cybersecurity and Digitalization webinar series.

Task 2: Writing a draft handbook on cybersecurity for the electrical sector, based on the cybersecurity webinars and industry panels mentioned above

The writer will prepare a draft handbook on cybersecurity for the electrical sector, based on the cybersecurity webinars and industry panels on our webpage under the direction of USEA.

Key features for the handbook that are required include:

Incorporating information from 17 hours of webinars, plus some very light desk research
Each webinar would be its own section (2-3 pages in length) and should incorporate utility presentations and industry panels as examples, perhaps in text boxes and images from the presentations, as appropriate. Each section should have a definition of the topic, how it fits into the utility preparedness, examples from open sources. Quotes and select questions from the audience.
All sections should be written in a voice that communicates key concepts to an audience new to cyber security terminology
A 2-3-page executive summary
An introduction
A conclusion that highlights lessons learned, drawing out the links and synergies among the presentations
Checklist highlighting actions utilities can take to begin to address cybersecurity vulnerabilities

If the proposal contains additional features that the writer believes will improve the final product, please note them as such in the proposal, and if they are an additional cost, that cost should be noted in the detailed budget.

Task 3: Incorporate USEA suggestions into a final draft

Incorporation of USEA suggestions into a final draft is an essential part of this project.

Questions to be addressed by the developer in the proposal:

What is your experience in writing handbooks or manuals?
What is your knowledge of the cybersecurity sector, and how was it acquired?
What is your knowledge of the electricity sector, and how was it acquired?

Implementation and Deliverables

Implementation:

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit proposals from various candidates (organizations or individuals), conduct a fair evaluation, and select the candidate deemed most suitable to undertake the project.

Subcontract Agreement Management and Oversight

A subcontract agreement between USEA and the Consultant shall be subject to all USAID Special Terms and Conditions, including all mandatory FAR Flow-Down clauses, where applicable, and the provisions included in 2CFR200 and 2CFR700. All bidders are strongly encouraged to review these provisions prior to submitting a proposal.

Standard Provisions for U.S. Nongovernmental Organizations: https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/303maa.pdf
2CFR200: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2014-title2-vol1/pdf/CFR-2014-title2-vol1-part200.pdf
2CFR700: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2015-title2-vol1/pdf/CFR-2015-title2-vol1-part700.pdf

Subcontract agreement management, oversight, and payment will be carried out by USEA.

Proposal Preparation:

The proposal must contain the following:

A cover letter to the proposal, including:

A bidder’s Data Universal Numbering System (D-U-N-S) number and proof of a current registration in the System of Award Management (SAM). Proposals without a DUNS number or proof of SAM registration will not be considered. USEA will accept a proposal if it includes proof that the company is in the process of obtaining a DUNS number and SAM registration (see evaluation criteria for more information).

A technical proposal, including:
1. A technical approach summary of no more than 3 pages
2. Proposed project schedule to perform the tasks under this project
3. Resume/CV of writer
4. Two writing samples of no more than 5 pages each
5. Summary of writer’s relevant experience. Relevant experience should be listed chronologically (starting with the most recent). Not to exceed 1 page.
A financial proposal, including:

Detailed budget justification (i.e. line item budget);
Labor, other direct costs, indirect costs, and level of effort for each employee proposed for this project.

Timeframe and Submission

Evaluation Criteria:

All bidders are required to provide a DUNS number and maintain a current SAM registration. Proposals without a DUNS number or proof of SAM registration will not be considered (see below).

Note: USEA will accept a proposal if it includes proof that the company is in the process of obtaining a DUNS number and SAM registration. A PDF copy of an email from “[email protected]” to the bidder stating that the bidder “successfully submitted the entity registration for NAME OF COMPANY in the U.S. Government’s System for Award Management (SAM)” will be considered an acceptable proof. Please keep in mind that the winning bidder must have both before the contract is signed.

Selection of an offer for a subcontract award will be based on an evaluation of proposals against qualifications, subject matter expertise and budget justification. Proposals shall first be evaluated from a technical standpoint (qualifications and subject matter expertise) without regard to proposed budget justification. For those proposals determined to be technically acceptable, budget justification will be evaluated.

Evaluation Criteria:

50%: Industry experience and expertise in cybersecurity and electricity sectors

20%: Cost

30%: Demonstrated writing experience with similar projects

Timeframe:

All questions and clarification requests related to this RFP should be submitted via email to Ms. Johanna Koolemans-Beynen at [email protected] no later than 12:00 PM December 28, 2020. Questions will be answered and posted publicly on the USEA website no later than 5:00 PM EST on December 30, 2020.

Search form

RFP Closed