The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) has issued a request for qualifications/proposals (RFQ/P) to support an Offshore Wind Technical Assistance Program.
The program is expected to help local companies develop the skills and competencies needed to participate in New Jersey’s offshore wind industry.
NJEDA said it is seeking the services of a company with demonstrated experience in providing an array of technical assistance and certification services to small businesses that are in or seeking to enter a new product line or market.
The RFQ/P is intended to award a two-year contract with three one-year extension options.
The awarded party will be primarily responsible for designing a Technical Assistance/Certification Program for New Jersey-based businesses seeking to develop the competencies necessary to supply the offshore wind industry.
It will also conduct outreach and marketing to recruit eligible local businesses to participate in the program, as well as provide Technical Assistance and Certification services to participating businesses through the implementation of the program.
Based on NJEDA’s expectation for which parts of the supply chain will take root in the U.S. first, the initial cohort of the program is likely to focus on manufacturing companies.
NJEDA plans to contract with an experienced advisory and certification company to develop a technical assistance program that will help participating small businesses assess their current capacity to supply the market and develop an action plan to get up to the current industry standards.
Businesses that complete the proposed program will receive assistance in implementing their action plan and will be independently certified with industry credentials that are important for securing contracts.
Proposals are due by 5 February at 3:00 p.m. EST.
“New Jersey is poised to lead the nation in offshore wind, and the Offshore Wind Technical Assistance Program will help New Jersey businesses and workers acquire the skills and industry knowledge they need to participate in this extraordinary growth opportunity,” said NJEDA CEO Tim Sullivan .
“Offshore wind is designated as a targeted sector under Governor Phil Murphy’s plan for a stronger, fairer New Jersey economy, and is a cornerstone of his vision for 100 percent clean energy.”
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy recently signed an executive order increasing the state’s offshore wind target from 3.5GW by 2030 to 7.5GW by 2035.