Frequently Asked Questions
Please see below for inquiries that we have received so far, the answers to which are relevant to the entire applicant pool.
Please do not hesitate to submit additional inquiries to GKS via email at Dec2021CarbonRFP@gordianknotstrategies.com.
We will continue to update this Frequently Asked Questions document on a rolling basis.
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THE BUYER
1. Does the buyer intend/prefer to remain anonymous?
Yes. They prefer to remain behind a blind wall at this stage.
2. Where is the buyer headquartered?
In the US.
PRICING AND VOLUME
3. Does the buyer have a price range or target in mind?
No. Price will of course be one important consideration, within a holistic assessment and comparison of proposals. All criteria outlined in the RFP will have weight.
4. Are there any specific factors that are important enough to the client that would support the acceptance of a higher credit cost?
See the answer to 3 above. The client is not interested solely in the lowest cost options.
5. What is the optimal volume for Track 1 and Track 2?
The clients will give preference to supplied volumes of 500,000 credits per year or greater for Track 1 and 50,000 credits per year or more for Track 2. This is specified in the RFP.
While there is no specified optimal volume, the client is open to receiving proposals for significant volumes.
6. For a project proposed under Track 1, how should we reflect credit delivery extending beyond 2025?
With reference to Question 7 of Track 1, simply extend your tabular data entry to include years that extend past 2025.
7. The client has indicated a preference for fixed pricing. Is there an opportunity to offer alternative pricing mechanism such as indexed pricing?
Yes, the client will consider alternative pricing mechanisms that include indexed pricing.
PROJECT LOCATIONS AND TYPES
8. Are projects located in countries other than the US eligible?
Yes. Projects located in any country are eligible.
9. Does the buyer have a preference for projects of particular types, e.g., for removal versus avoidance, or for NCS versus renewable energy?
The project types of interest to the client are listed in the RFP.
Within the listed types, there’s no pre-determined preference on the buyer’s part. They will consider proposals for both avoidance and removals. The buyer has significant volume requirements and expects to invest in a portfolio of different projects.
OTHER TOPICS
10. Regarding the co-benefits, are you looking for them to be registered or verified in some way or just a representation that they exist? (I.e.- if company policy is to exceed BMPs, that should be listed?)
Please see the Criteria and Questions for Co-Benefits in the RFP. For both Track 1 and Track 2, these read as follows:
Criteria 9: Co-benefits: The extent to which the underlying project(s) otherwise benefits communities, ecosystems, health, or society beyond its impact on greenhouse gas mitigation, capacity-building, or JEDI. Any benefits in-line with the Sustainable Development Goals should be articulated–as should other benefits.
Q15. In one page or less, please articulate the primary co-benefits generated by your project. Describe both the type of co-benefits, and their scale, importance, or relevance. You may embed links to or attach copies of third-party evidence, studies, reports, or documentation that strengthen your case.
We would consider any third-party registration or verification of co-benefits as third-party documentation that strengthens your case — and we encourage you to submit it.
11. Do you welcome joint applications/submissions?
Yes, we do, assuming they are well-conceived, configured, and governed.
12. Would the buyer consider voluntary market projects under the British Colombia Forest Carbon Offset Protocol?
Yes, the client will consider proposals for credits generated under the BC Forest Carbon Offset Protocol.
13. Is the vintage year rolling from 2016?
Credits with a vintage of 2016 onwards will be considered by the client.
14. Is there a preference for how many projects are included in a proposal?
Applicants may submit proposals addressing either or both tracks. We encourage applicants that wish to present more than one project for Track 1 to assemble those projects into a single portfolio, which could be presented under one proposal and procured under one pricing regime and one purchase contract. There is no limit on the number of projects in such a bundled proposal. If applicants choose to do this, they should provide sufficient information on each project for us to assess the quality, attributes, and contribution of each one to ensure eligibility of all in the portfolio.
15. When will decisions be made by the client on the proposals received?
For Track 1 Proposals
● 1/10/22: Shortlisted Track 1 proposals will be announced.
● 1/10-3/1/22: Due diligence will be conducted on shortlisted Track 1 proposals.
● 3/1/22: Final decisions on Track 1 proposals selected for contracting.
For Track 2 Proposals
● 1/31-3/1/22: A subset of Track 2 applicants will be approached to arrange exploratory conversations.
16. Do Track 2 submissions need to submit a signed Bidder Confidentiality Declaration?
No. The Bidder Confidentiality Declaration (BCD) is designed to allow applicants access to the ERPA template relevant to proposals submitted under Track 1. Since Track 2 proposals are not subject to the standard ERPA template, the BCD is not required.
17. Is the client open to purchasing Registry Offset Credits (ROCs)?
No. Forestry ROCs need to convert to ARBOCs under the regulation or they will be in violation of the long-term MRV commitments under the California cap-and-trade program.
18. Will the information provided in our submission be held in confidence and not be made public?
We would encourage your to provide only the information you are comfortable sharing to favorably position your application. All submissions for either Track 1 or Track 2 will be held in confidence and only disclosed to the client, so no information provided will be made public.
19. Will we have the opportunity to submit mark-up suggestions to the ERPA template?
The client wishes you to review the ERPA template and advise in Question 5 of Track 1 whether you are comfortable with the stated terms. If not, you are asked to elaborate. Should your proposal be selected by the client, you will have the opportunity to engage directly on any identified issues you raise in your proposal.
20. What format should our proposal be submitted in?
PDF of a word document.