How to run a commercial energy request for proposals

Prepare the data and authority

Confirm meter identifiers, utilities, customer classes, eligibility, usage, existing contract dates, and legal customer names. Provide interval data for accounts where shape matters, plus known closures or major load changes. Use appropriate data authorization and confidentiality controls. Identify internal signers and approval thresholds before bids arrive. If information is incomplete, label it and ask suppliers to state assumptions rather than allow each bidder to fill the gaps invisibly.

Specify comparable pricing and terms

Define service start, term alternatives, quantity assumptions, desired product, renewable requirements, billing needs, and component scope. Ask for an inclusions matrix, exclusions, fees, volume provisions, credit requirements, renewal, and exit terms. Require pricing units and the status of each offer as indicative or executable. Suppliers should identify exceptions directly. A response form that forces a simple all-in number while hiding unavoidable tariff differences can be less useful than a transparent component-level comparison.

Evaluate and execute within a controlled process

Document the invited supplier panel, responses, timestamp, validity, and recommendation. Compare total modeled costs and realistic stress scenarios rather than rank only the headline energy rate. Arrange qualified legal review for material clauses and resolve amendments before execution. If pricing expires, obtain revalidated offers instead of assuming an old quote remains available. Keep broker compensation and relationships visible. Approval should refer to a specific version of the offer, account schedule, and contractual terms.

Practical RFP scorecard

For a hypothetical portfolio, score full cost, defined price exposure, closure flexibility, billing quality, credit conditions, and implementation support. Set the weighting before evaluating suppliers. One offer may have the lowest base case and a larger stressed exposure; another may better match budget requirements. Explain that tradeoff to the signer. After selection, track utility acceptance and reconcile first bills so the RFP concludes with implemented service rather than merely a signed PDF.

Practical review checklist

• Validate account data, current obligations, operational changes, and authorized decision makers.
• Issue one scope with component definitions, term options, required exceptions, and response timing.
• Normalize total cost and scenario risk; preserve quote validity, compensation, and approval evidence.
• Verify execution, enrollment acceptance, account coverage, and first-bill reconciliation before closing the project.

Questions & answers