Renovation of a water / sewer project in Kotzebue, Alaska. Working plans call for the renovation of a water / sewer project.

The Northwest Arctic Borough (the Borough), NANA, and Atautchikun are issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to gather input from qualified contractors regarding an upcoming residential heat pump installation project in nine rural communities across the Borough. This RFI is intended solely for information-gathering purposes. The Borough is not soliciting formal bids or proposals at this time, and participation in this process does not confer any advantage or obligation in future procurements. The purpose of this RFI is to help the Borough refine its technical scope, understand contractor capacity, identify logistical constraints, and shape an effective procurement strategy. This RFI will be conducted via written responses to the questions below, or through scheduled phone calls between project staff and interested contractors. The calls will follow a standardized question set to ensure fairness and consistency. Input will be used for planning and scoping only. Interested contractors are invited to participate in this RFI in one of two ways: 1) Schedule a 60-minute phone call with the Northwest Arctic Borough to provide verbal input. 2) Submit written feedback via email in response to the RFI questions found below. To participate by either method, please contact us using the contact information provided above, by July 23, 2025. Phone calls will follow a consistent format. Borough staff will ask a standardized set of questions covering the topics listed below. Respondents will also have the opportunity to share their experience, insights, and recommendations. Responses-verbal or written-will be used for planning purposes only and will be kept confidential. While individual responses will not be shared publicly or attributed to specific contractors, the Borough may use aggregated feedback to help shape the content and structure of the upcoming Request for Proposals (RFP).Participation in this RFI is entirely voluntary and will not impact eligibility or competitiveness in future procurement processes. The Northwest Arctic Borough plans to issue a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) in the coming months, with the goal of completing installations in several communities as soon as the fall of 2025 and recommencing in the summer of 2026. The timeline depends on constraints driven by the granting agency and will be updated accordingly. Under that RFP, the installation contractor will be responsible for: _ Installing the indoor and outdoor components of heat pump units per manufacturer specifications _ Performing basic electrical connections (including meter base upgrades if required) _ Coordinating with the Borough, local utilities, and homeowners for site access and electrical shutoffs _ Hiring and working with local labor where feasible _ Report on progress of heat pump installation throughout execution of the work. _ Warranty workmanship for 1 year, minimum _ Host basic training workshops on heat pump operation, care, and maintenance. This should be done on a per-household basis at a minimum, and can also be done as part of community-wide operational training meetings. _ Document installations and deliver post-installation reports This RFI is intended to help the Borough gather contractor input on how best to structure this future scope of work, including phasing, labor requirements, logistics, training, pricing, and reporting needs. In particular, the Borough seeks to understand what types of community specific information contractors will need in order to develop accurate proposals - including whether site visits or pre-installation assessments in each community will be necessary to scope the detailed work required for each home.