News and Update
“Go With Natural Gas” Website is Now Live - October 24, 2012
A new bilingual website will facilitate the transition to lower emission vehicles across Canada. Go With Natural Gas provides a central point of access for information on how switching to natural gas can lower emissions and reduce operating costs for truck and bus fleet owners. The website is a go-to resource for Canadian fleets interested in learning more about natural gas vehicles including the availability of factory-built trucks and buses, driving range, technology improvements, stations, emissions benefits, payback and fuel savings as well as learning about how natural gas compares to diesel in terms of energy use, properties, and safe handling.
The website was made possible by a contribution from Natural Resources Canada’s ecoENERGY for Alternative Fuelsprogram.
Questions and Answers on the ecoENERGY for Alternative Fuels Request for Proposal – September 14, 2012
Following the launch of the RFP, the Program has received more questions from potential applicants.
1. Can you please advise how Natural Resources Canada defines a collaborator and what, if any, are the responsibilities of a collaborator?
For the purpose of the ecoENERGY for Alternatives Fuels Program, the words project partners and project collaborators are used interchangeably - meaning anyone who is contributing towards the project, through either verifiable in-kind or cash contributions.
Questions and Answers on the ecoENERGY for Alternative Fuels Request for Proposal – September 6, 2012
Following the launch of the RFP, the Program has received more questions from potential applicants.
1. What is the definition of a “partner” organization?
A partner organization is an organization who is contributing towards the project, through either verifiable in-kind or cash contributions.
2. Would a consultant/ contractor (or sub-contractor) to the proponent be defined as a “partner”?
No, a consultant/ contractor (or sub-contractor) is an organization or an individual who provides goods or renders a service for a fee and is paid for their service.
3. If an organization is defined as a “partner,” are there any restrictions to them being able to charge professional fees at full market rates or are they limited, as a partner, to only charge the cost of salaries and benefits?
- A partner cannot charge any expenses to the project, i.e., to be paid out to them by the project. A partner is considered a contributor to the project and their contribution can take the form of in-kind (professional services, employee salaries and benefits, etc.) or cash.
- Professional services provided by a partner can be accounted at full current market value however, the applicant is required, in their application and also when submitting a claim for payment, to provide verifiable evidence of the full market value through market documented rates and previous similar expenses. In the case of salaries and benefits, time sheets and salary slips for personnel attributed to the project can be used.
4. Is a consultant/ contractor (or sub-contractor) allowed to make an in-kind contribution toward the eligible costs of the project?
No, a consultant/ contractor (or sub-contractor) cannot make a contribution to a project. They can only provide a service directly attributed to the project that is then to be paid outby the project. If they want to make a contribution they are considered a partner.
5. Are there specific limits on the maximum hourly value of verifiable and relevant in-kind contributions? Could, for example, an hourly professional services rate of $300 per hour be fully credited as an in-kind contribution?
There is no maximum hourly value, however, the applicant is required and responsible to provide verifiable evidence of the market value of the in-kind contribution through market documented rates and previous similar expenses. In the case of salaries and benefits, time sheets and salary slips for personnel attributed to the project can be used.
Questions and Answers on the ecoENERGY for Alternative Fuels Request for Proposal – August 23, 2012
Following the launch of the RFP, the Program has received questions from potential applicants.
1. What are the geographical parameters for establishing the hub serving the Francophone market?
Beyond the mandatory criteria that the hub must have the capacity to provide all services in both official languages, it is expected that the hub be physically located in a French speaking region to effectively deliver the services to a Francophone Market. Based on the 2006 Census from Statistics Canada, these regions include: Québec, New Brunswick (North and South East), and Ontario (East and North).
2. If there is no successful applicant in one of the required regions, can more than one hub be established in the other region, should there be multiple successful proposals for that region?
No, the ecoENERGY for Alternative Fuels is a national program and as such, is seeking to establish one hub per region with the exception of the French hub which may be established in a French region in eastern Canada.
3. Does the program require a minimum number of proposals to proceed with a specific hub?
No, there is no minimum number of proposals required to proceed with a specific hub. As long as a given proposal meets all criteria, it can be approved for funding even if it is the only one proposal for that region.
4. Are the hubs expected to actively reach out to areas of Canada that are not currently well-served by natural gas distribution infrastructure, namely PEI, Newfoundland, Nunavut, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories?
The ecoENERGY for Alternative Fuels is a national program and as such must try to ensure that information and services are available to all that require and request it.
It is up to each applicant to determine and present in their proposal the extent of their reach e.g. the market they can serve face to face, the market they can serve virtually and the partnership network they will use to maximize both. This will be assessed and graded during the selection process phase.
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