The Defense Innovation Unit has issued an area of interest, or AOI, solicitation for Phase 2 of the Department of Defense’s Finance First initiative seeking industry-made capabilities for resilient energy installations. The solicitation seeks proposals for installations that can be completed within two to three years and can deliver an acceptable per kilowatt hour cost with small or no upfront investment, DIU said.
The agency noted that AOI proponents have to provide alternative financing structures and operational strategies for cost-effective energy generation. The potential approaches to meet such goals include requesting access to DOD land and tax credit and awards grant applications.
Technical Capability Requirements
The proponents’ basic qualifications outlined in the solicitation include the technical capability to accomplish build-own-operate-and-transfer projects or similar delivery schemes. Pitches on the DIU solicitation should also include a letter of credit indicating a proponent’s capacity to undertake a project valued at over $50 million. The AOI solicitation’s response deadline is on Dec. 20.
The selected solution providers are eligible for other transaction contracts for follow-on production without further competition. The vendors may also be awarded contracts for solutions across the federal government.
The DIU initiated Finance First in March 2023, with an AOI solicitation for the Department of the Air Force energy installations as the focus.