Request for Proposals: Maritime and Aviation Decarbonization Sector Mapping

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) seeks qualified consultants or professional teams with experience in clean transportation, maritime decarbonization, aviation decarbonization, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement to serve as technical consultant and project manager for the Maritime and Aviation Decarbonization Sector Mapping Initiative.

The initiative addresses the unique challenges of decarbonizing maritime and aviation sectors, including low rates of equipment replacement, high infrastructure costs, limited technology options, lack of resources and assistance programs, and complex infrastructure needs and regulatory environments. The technical consultant will be responsible for ongoing management and reporting, developing baseline sector mapping to identify key stakeholders and existing decarbonization technologies, conducting robust stakeholder engagement to understand market needs and barriers, and developing recommendations for near-term (0-5 years) next steps for MassCEC and other Massachusetts state agencies.

Key milestones include: Webinar on March 26, 2026 at 2pm EST; Questions due April 8, 2026 by 4:59pm ET; Answers posted April 15, 2026; Proposals due May 1, 2026 by 4:59pm; Interviews of top applicants mid-May 2026; Notification of award in June 2026. The scope encompasses four major workstreams: Management and Reporting (monthly status calls and quarterly taskforce meetings with state agencies); Baseline Sector Mapping (initial sector map, dataset acquisition, emissions analysis); Sector Engagement and Finalized Sector Map (stakeholder engagement plan, individual interviews, two roundtable events, final sector map with regulations, technologies, barriers, and workforce analysis); and Development and Communication of Recommendations (draft recommendations, state agency engagement, second roundtable events, final recommendations with public-facing and legislator-focused materials, webinars).

Applicants should demonstrate experience with program management, technical knowledge of maritime and aviation sectors (with existing stakeholder relationships preferred), stakeholder engagement and facilitation experience, and ability to handle and analyze large quantities of quantitative and qualitative data. MassCEC anticipates selecting one technical consultant team. The initiative should focus on decarbonization within Massachusetts but may engage out-of-state stakeholders as needed. Scope includes electrification, renewable fuels, hydrogen, and other emissions-reducing technologies and efficiencies, with focus on vessels and aircraft (not port facilities or off-road terminal vehicles).