Request for Proposals: Professional Services Support for Workforce Development Programs (FY26)

MassCEC / Workforce / Funding / Request for Proposals: Professional Services Support for Workforce Development Programs (FY26)

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Technology Center seeks qualified individuals or organizations to support MassCEC Workforce Development efforts across five different scopes of work:

Scope 1: Technical Assistance for Grantees - Scope 1 incorporates two strands of work.

  • Strand A: Consultant to provide services that accelerate the rollout of coordinated, high-quality supports for underrepresented clean-energy businesses by assisting with program development, convening, and continuous improvement across the Climate-Critical Underrepresented Business Support (CUBS) Hub-and-Spoke ecosystem.   
  • Strand B: Consultant to provide direct technical assistance for recipients of MassCEC’s Student and Young Adult (SYA) grants through SYA Awareness and Training and Climate Service Corps programs, design virtual and in-person group technical assistance offerings, and support broader SYA program development and improvement efforts.   

Scope 2: Training Providers for Support of Internship Program Success (SIPS) Initiative for 2026, 2027 - MassCEC is seeking one training provider that can recruit, match, retain, mentor,  and track eligible students to the Internship Program and conduct the following services. The funding amount for this scope can be up to $20,000 if requesting a one-year contract, or up to $40,000, if requesting a two-year contract. 

Scope 3: Event Production - Consultant to provide event production services, including planning and logistics support, for three in-person events hosted by MassCEC annually: annual MassCEC workforce grantee convening on December 4, 2025; a regional clean energy and climatetech workforce conference in March of 2026; and clean energy internship symposium in Spring of 2026, as well as other in-person events as requested.  

Scope 4: Research Services - Consultant to provide research and data analysis support to MassCEC Workforce Development department, working closely with the MassCEC Workforce Strategy, External Engagement, and Research team on FY26 workforce development initiatives and to align them with current economic trends impacting the clean energy and climatetech sector.  

Scope 5: Subject Matter Experts - MassCEC is seeking to engage two to four on-call technical subject matter experts. These experts will leverage their technical expertise and experience to help MassCEC staff assess the requirements, curriculum, and strategies of clean energy and climate-critical training programs seeking funding through MassCEC. 

Open
Application Deadline

September 26, 2025 - Scope 3

October 17, 2025 - Scopes 1, 2, 4, 5

Questions? Contact

Procurement Schedule

Process Step Timing
Release of RFP August 29, 2025
Webinar (optional) September 10, 2025

Application Deadline for Scope 3

September 26, 2025
Application Deadline for Scopes 1, 2, 4, and 5 October 17, 2025

Apply

Application Process

Applicants may propose services under one or multiple scopes of work, which are fully laid out in Section V of the solicitation. Applicants must submit a different application for each scope and strand for which they are proposing services. An applicant may propose services under both Scope 1 strands, but must submit a separate application for each strand.   

All proposals must include completed Attachments 1 and 2. (Attachment 1 is located at the end of the RFP document.) Submit completed proposals via email to rfpworkforce@masscec.com with the subject line “FY2026 Professional Services Support for Workforce Development Programs.”   

Pre-Application Webinar

MassCEC hosted an optional webinar for potential respondents on September 10, 2025. The webinar provided an overview of the services MassCEC is seeking and an opportunity for webinar participants to ask questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

(Last Updated 10/6/2025)

Our company does work in Massachusetts but is physically located in another state. Will that disqualify our company from applying?

Although an applicant is not required to have a MA-based office, strong applicants will have clear knowledge and expertise in Massachusetts workforce systems, markets, or clean energy industry ecosystems specific to the respective scope of work they are bidding on. Also, there may be expectations that a consultant participates as part of in-person meetings or events, depending on the scope of work.

We are a current MassCEC professional services contractor. Are we eligible to apply for additional scopes of work as part of this RFP?

An applicant is eligible to apply for all of the scopes of work as part of the 2026 Professional Services RFP, irrespective of whether they are currently or have previously been a consultant for MassCEC.

Questions Specific to Scope 1:

The application requests breaking down hours by FY26 and FY27. Is it correct that MassCEC's fiscal year runs through end of June? It also references "if contract extension possible" for FY27. Should we be approaching this such that we're addressing full scope of work by end of June 2026 or is there an assumption that this will continue through end of the calendar year?

MassCEC's 2026 fiscal year is July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026. Funding for services for this RFP are only guaranteed for FY26, but we are asking if the applicant is available for continued work if funding becomes available through FY27. The applicant should be focused on a scope of work for FY26 and should also clarify if they are available to continue the work beyond that.

FAQs continues...

What is the anticipated start date for delivery of services?

The start date will be dependent on the contracting process, but MassCEC is aiming for services to start by the beginning of the calendar year.

In reviewing the FY26 Professional Services RFP a question has arisen in regard to Scope 1 Strand A. In the application form for this RFP, Section 5 states to review the relevant RFPs. Can you provide links to the applicable RFPs?

Yes – Student and Young Adult Career Awareness and Climate Service Corps.

In reviewing the FY26 Professional Services RFP a question has arisen in regard to Scope 1 Strand B. Is there somewhere that the recent CUBS grant recipients are listed?

The most up to date list of CUBS grantees can be found near the bottom of the most recent CUBS RFP – see the ‘Recently Awarded Projects’ section, and click ‘See All’. As part of the above RFP, MassCEC is in the process of contracting with recently awarded Hub and Spoke grantees. However, they haven’t been announced yet, so are not posted publicly at this time

Will proposed technical assistance offerings under Scope 1B supplement MassCEC’s existing periodic convenings for workforce grantees or take the place of those offerings?

Technical Assistance would be supplementing existing convenings, not taking the place of them.

Questions Specific to Scope 4:

Are there minimum qualifications for Scope 4?

Strong applicants should be able to provide the following:

  • Established portfolio of labor market information research for Massachusetts and/or New England-based clients
  • Expertise with publicly available industry and employment data and statistics at the national, state and sub-state levels
  • Has a deep and working knowledge of the Massachusetts economy
  • Has experience and demonstrable expertise with qualitative research methods including but not limited to surveys, focus groups, and interviews.
  • Has examples of final products prepared for a lay or public audience including PowerPoint decks, written reports, and data visualizations or infographics.

What's the timeline associated with the scope of work tied to Scope 4 (i.e., anticipated start and end dates)?

The timeline for work will depend on the specific project but would likely occur during fiscal year 2026, which runs from July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026. The applicant should be focused on a scope of work for FY26, and additionally tell us if they are available to continue work beyond that through FY27. MassCEC may seek to extend a consultant contract into FY27 if funding becomes available.

MassCEC / Workforce / Funding / Request for Proposals: Professional Services Support for Workforce Development Programs (FY26)

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