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State of Vermont Agency of Transportation Contract Administration Finance & Administration Barre City Place [phone] 802-622-1285 219 North Main Street, Suite 105 Barre VT 05641 [fax] 802-479-5500 http://vtrans.vermont.gov/ November 07, 2023 Notice of State Funding Opportunity: Electrify Your Fleet Incentive Program The Policy, Planning, and Intermodal Development Division of the Vermont Agency of Transportation, hereinafter referred to as VTrans, is seeking applications for the Electrify Your Fleet Incentive Program. Replacing fossil fuels in the transportation sector with renewably produced electricity is an essential means of meeting the State’s renewable energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction requirements. The State of Vermont is working on several fronts to accelerate plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) adoption, encourage cleaner modes of transportation, and advance transportation equity. The Electrify Your

Fleet Program is a first-come, first-served reimbursement grant that is directed at providing funding for the replacement of inefficient, fossil-fueled forms of fleet transport with new plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). Forty percent (40%) or $200,000 of the available funds will be available on a first-come, first-served basis to applicants who are from, or who primarily serve, historically underserved communities (such as Black, Indigenous and people of color or BIPOC individuals; women; veterans; those requiring language access assistance; and communities in disadvantaged census tracts as identified through the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. All work will be accomplished in accordance with the below, all of which are attached hereto, in addition to all applicable local and state regulations:  Attachment A: Scope of Work (SOW) dated October 4, 2023  Attachment B: Payment Provisions  Attachment C: Standard State Provisions for Contracts and Grants dated December 15, 2017  Attachment F: Title VI Assurances – DOT Standard Title VI Assurances and Non-Discrimination Provisions (DOT 1050.2A) – Assurance Appendix A and Assurance Appendix E All questions related to this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) shall be forwarded to Tricia Scribner, Administrative Services Manager III, in writing, by e-mail at tricia.scribner@vermont.gov. All such questions and requests will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, but the Agency encourages the first question(s) to be sent no later than 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. VTrans will not be bound by any oral communications. All questions or requests for clarification received will be documented and answered after this date. Addendums(s) / Modifications: In the event that it becomes necessary to revise, modify, clarify, or otherwise alter this NOFO, including VTrans’ responses to questions and requests for clarification, such addendum(s)/modification(s) shall be posted to the VTrans Contract Administration website. IT IS THE PROPOSER’S RESPONSIBILITY TO OBTAIN ANY NOFO MODIFICATIONS ISSUED. They will be posted on the VTrans Contract Administration website at: https://vtrans.vermont.gov/contract-admin/bids-requests/notice-funding-opportunities Reservation of Rights: All applications become the property of VTrans upon submission. The cost of preparing, submitting, and presenting an application is the sole expense of the applicant. Unselected applications shall be securely disposed of at VTrans’ discretion. VTrans reserves the right to reject any and all applications received as a result of this solicitation, to negotiate with any qualified source, to waive any formality and any technicalities or to cancel this NOFO in part or in its entirety if it is in the best interest of VTrans. This solicitation of applications in no way obligates VTrans to award a State of Vermont Standard Grant Agreement. Exceptions to Terms and Conditions: The applicant must state in the applications any exceptions taken to the terms and conditions in this NOFO. For each exception the applicant shall identify the term or condition, state the reason for the exception, and provide any other information concerning the exception. Such exceptions, deviations or conditional assumptions may, however, result in rejection of the applicant as unresponsive. Failure to note exceptions when responding to the NOFO will be deemed to be acceptance of the State agreement terms and conditions. If exceptions are not noted in the response to this NOFO but raised during grant negotiations, the State reserves the right to cancel the negotiation if deemed to be in the best interests of the State. Multiple Awards Anticipated: VTrans intends to select multiple Grantees to receive electric vehicle fleet incentives under a State of Vermont Standard Grant Agreement. The award period will end June 30, 2024. This award period may be extended contingent upon funding and authorization and approval by the State of Vermont. Total Award Amount: The total award amount will be determined at the time of award of a State of Vermont Standard Grant Agreement and does not guarantee payment of any or all the total award amount. Payment will be for vehicle rebates on a reimbursement basis. Funding may increase or decrease and is contingent upon authorization and approval by the State of Vermont. Cost Sharing or Matching: No more than 25% of a vehicle’s purchase price shall be rebated for this State funding opportunity, although it is encouraged that entities also pursue any applicable federal tax credits and local utility rebates to maximize the upfront cost reductions to electric vehicle purchases. Required Electronic Submittal Information: The quality of applications and adherence to solicitation response requirements and/or restrictions are considered reflective of the manner in which the applicant could be expected to conduct business and will be given due consideration throughout the evaluation process. Failure to provide all required information, or indications that the applicant did not conform to all terms as set forth in the NOFO and attachments may make the offer non-responsive and may result in the elimination of the applicant from further consideration for award. To apply for the Electrify Your Fleet program incentives, fleet owners must fill out the online application form. Applications will be reviewed by a committee comprised of Agency staff. Applicants will then be contacted via screening call to confirm applicant eligibility and provide supporting documentation, including an EYF Impact Methodology that explains how the fleet owner will calculate the reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) or greenhouse gas emission reductions due to the EYF purchase(s). Applicants must have their methodology approved by Agency staff prior to approval for an EYF incentive. A. Fleet Eligibility – A vehicle shall be construed as a “fleet vehicle” if it is being used by the owner/operator for an established commercial or municipal purpose, and the owner of the vehicle is a municipality, business or tax-exempt organization incorporated in the State of Vermont and registered with the office of the Secretary of State. B. Vehicle Eligibility 1. Replaced vehicles – A vehicle eligible for replacement shall be a car, truck, van, motorcycle, or snowmobile powered by an internal combustion engine. In limited circumstances, (e.g. for nonprofit shared mobility organizations providing transportation services to reduce vehicle ownership), incentives may be awarded for the expansion of fleets which can demonstrate an overall reduction in GHG emissions. 2. Incentivized vehicles – A vehicle eligible for a rebate shall comply with the following standards found in the authorizing legislation and program guidelines: a. New Battery All-Electric Vehicles (BEV/AEV) with a base Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $60,000.00 or less; b. New Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) with an electric range of 20 miles or greater per complete charge as rated by the Environmental Protection Agency when the vehicle was new and a base MSRP of $60,000.00 or less; c. New electric bicycles and electric cargo bicycles with a base MSRP of $6,000.00 or less, with a minimum one-year warranty and manufactured by a participating company in the voluntary e-bike battery recycling program, Call2Recycle: hungryforbatteries.org; d. New adaptive electric cycles with any base MSRP; or e. New electric motorcycles with a base MSRP of $30,000.00 or less; and electric snowmobiles with a base MSRP of $20,000.00 or less. The online form is available at the below link(s). Applications must be submitted prior to 2:00 P.M., on Sunday, June 30, 2024. Website: https://vtrans.vermont.gov/planning/climate-change/Electrify-Your-Fleet Application: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ElectrifyYourFleet Evaluation of Applications: VTrans will award grant agreements on a first-come, first-serve basis to applicants who meet the eligibility requirements and submit a complete application. In order to ensure that program funding is directed to projects which can achieve the most expedient climate impacts, Grantees shall order approved vehicle(s) within 30 days of an executed grant agreement with VTrans and shall enter into a lease or purchase agreement for said vehicle(s) within 90 days of an order. Exceptions (e.g., due to supply chain delays) may be granted after submitting a written request to the Agency for permission to extend the allowable timeframe. Secretary of State's Office to do business in the State of Vermont: The Grantee awarded an agreement shall, upon notification of award, apply for registration with the Vermont Secretary of State's Office to do business in the State of Vermont, if applicable and if not already registered. The registration form may be obtained from the Vermont Secretary of State, 128 State Street, Montpelier VT 05609- 1101. The telephone number is 800-439- 8683. Registration can be completed online at Corporations Division (vermont.gov). VTrans will not process the agreement until the Grantee is registered with the Secretary of State’s office. System for Award Management: The System for Award Management (SAM.gov) is an official website of the U.S. Government. There is no cost to use SAM.gov. You can use this site to: Register to do business with the U.S. Government Update, renew, or check the status of your entity registration Search for entity registration and exclusion records Search for assistance listings (formerly CFDA.gov), wage determinations (formerly WDOL.gov), contract opportunities (formerly FBO.gov), and contract data reports (formerly part of FPDS.gov). View and submit BioPreferred and Service Contract Reports Access publicly available award data via data extracts and system accounts Certificate of Insurance: The Grantee shall submit to VTrans a certificate of insurance showing that all minimum coverages in Attachment C, Standard State Provisions for Contracts and Grants dated December 15, 2017, are in effect. The certificate must be submitted to the office of Contract Administration prior to execution of the agreement. No work may be performed for any VTrans agreement, without compliant insurance being on file at AOT Contract Administration. It is the responsibility of the Grantee to maintain current certificates of insurance on file with the State through the term of the agreement. Worker’s Compensation: With respect to all operations performed, the Grantee shall carry worker’s compensation insurance in accordance with the laws of the State of Vermont. NOTE: In the case of out-of-state Proposers, the proposer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier must be licensed to write workers’ compensation for all work that will be conducted within Vermont and so noted on the Certificate of Insurance. The Grantee shall sign the agreement documents and return them to the Agency’s Office of Contract Administration within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date of receipt. No agreement shall be considered effective until it has been fully signed by all the parties. Enclosures:  Attachment A: Scope of Work (SOW) dated October 4, 2023  Attachment B: Payment Provisions and Invoice Template  Attachment C: Standard State Provisions for Contracts and Grants dated December 15, 2017  Attachment F: Title VI Assurances – DOT Standard Title VI Assurances and Non- Discrimination Provisions (DOT 1050.2A) – Assurance Appendix A and Assurance ATTACHMENT A SCOPE OF WORK October 4, 2023 Background and Objectives The Policy, Planning, and Intermodal Development Division of the Vermont Agency of Transportation, hereinafter referred to as VTrans, is seeking applications for the Electrify Your Fleet Incentive Program. Reducing and replacing fossil fuels in the transportation sector with renewably produced electricity is an essential means of meeting the State’s renewable energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction requirements. The State of Vermont is working on several fronts to accelerate plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) adoption, encourage cleaner modes of transportation, and advance transportation equity. I. Program Overview This scope of work describes Vermont’s new Electrify Your Fleet Program, as authorized by the 2023 Transportation Bill (Act 62, Section 21). 2023 Act 62 § 21 authorized up to five-hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) to establish a new incentive program to replace aging fossil-fueled vehicles and with a cleaner transportation option (PEVs, electric motorcycles, electric bikes, or electric snowmobiles). Electrify Your Fleet is a first-come, first-served grant aimed at providing funding support to Vermont-based businesses, non-profit organizations, shared mobility services, and municipalities for the replacement of inefficient, fossil-fueled forms of fleet transport with new plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). The State will provide a vehicle rebate up to two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) to replace a single fossil fueled vehicle currently operating within a municipal, commercial, or non-profit fleet, with up to five (5), five-thousand-dollar ($5,000) rebates for non- profit shared mobility services to replace or avoid the purchase of a fossil-fueled vehicle with an electric vehicle. Up to twenty (20) vehicle rebates total are available to a single applicant. A secondary purpose of the program is to establish a robust and affordable used electric vehicle market within the next several years as fleets turn over through the resale of incentivized vehicles within the State of Vermont. II. Evaluation and Reporting A. Using the agreed-upon methodology for calculating greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reductions achieved with the incentivized vehicle(s), Grantee shall submit a brief report to VTrans no later than thirteen (13) months following the purchase of said vehicle(s). In addition to the estimated GHG emissions reductions, the report should include the following: yearly vehicle miles traveled, discussion of successes and/or challenges with the vehicle or associated infrastructure, a list of all other rebates, incentives, or tax credits received for the vehicles and supporting infrastructure, recommendations for future program modifications, and any other agreed-upon measures to support program evaluation. B. The grantee agrees to submit or allow the use of photographs of the incentivized fleet vehicle(s) and/or testimonials in promotional materials associated with the Electrify Your Fleet program. III. Resale of Incentivized Vehicles A. The minimum term of a lease agreement for vehicles incentivized under this program shall be twenty-four months. If purchasing a vehicle, the Grantee shall maintain ownership of said vehicle for a minimum period of twenty-four (24) months. The grantee shall notify the State in the event of an early lease termination or resale. B. As it is the intent of the Electrify Your Fleet Program to encourage an affordable, used PEV market for individual consumers and households to benefit from transportation electrification, Grantee shall make all reasonable efforts to resell fleet vehicles incentivized through this agreement to car dealerships participating in the MileageSmart Program, Vermont’s income-eligible incentive program for used vehicles. ATTACHMENT B PAYMENT PROVISIONS The State agrees to reimburse the Grantee in part for electric fleet vehicle(s) purchased up to the total award amount stated on the Part 1 – Grant Award Detail, provided such vehicles are eligible within the scope of the Grant and projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as provided for under the terms and conditions of this Grant. You must have an executed grant agreement before you purchase your electric fleet vehicle to be eligible for an Electrify Your Fleet incentive reimbursement payment. This NOFO will lead to a reimbursement grant with specific not-to-exceed amounts for electric vehicle incentives. Grantee shall provide original source documentation to verify the incented purchase or lease of the eligible vehicle(s), as well as a signed application which includes, at minimum, a self-attestation of eligibility for the recipient’s participation in the program. In determining eligibility for Electrify Your Fleet, the Grantee shall further verify the ownership and eligibility of any vehicle(s) proposed for replacement. Rebates will be provided on a reimbursement basis only, after Grantee has submitted to VTrans original source documentation for the replaced and replacement vehicle(s). The Grantee shall submit an evaluation as described in Attachment A, Scope of Work. The initial period for paying incentives is state fiscal year 2024 (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024) while funding authorized under this agreement and the 2023 Transportation Bill remains. The end of the Grant shall not relieve the Grantee of its responsibilities connected to the vehicle evaluation due thirteen months from the date of purchase, as detailed in Attachment A, Scope of Work. The incentive pool allocation for the Electrify Your Fleet Program in State fiscal year 2024 is up to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) in one-time state general funds. No single entity is entitled to more than twenty (20) incentives total for the duration of the program itself. After Grantee completes the purchase or lease, a request for reimbursement must be sent electronically via email to: Ari Lattanzi, AOT Climate Programs Administrator, Ari.Lattanzi@vermont.gov As part of the grant agreement, Agency staff will communicate documentation required for the request for reimbursements, which will include a data collection spreadsheet, itemized receipts, and other documents required on an individualized basis. Grant Monitoring Requirements The Grantee shall submit a brief evaluation to VTrans via email to Ari Lattanzi at Ari.Lattanzi@vermont.gov within thirteen (13) months of the date of a vehicle purchase. The evaluation will be used to estimate greenhouse gas emissions reductions, identify any successes and operational challenges with the vehicle and infrastructure, and improve the program itself. Payment of Amounts Found Due by Audit In the event an audit or inspection by a certified or registered public accountant or an authorized agent of the State reveals that monies are due and owing to the State from the Grantee, for whatever reasons, then the Grantee shall pay such sums to the State within thirty (30) days of written notification of the findings of such audit or inspection.