General Banking Services

All questions and the proposal should be submitted by email to PCE’s Chief Financial Officer [email protected].

Proposals shall be concise, well organized, and demonstrate qualifications and applicable experience and approach necessary to provide the capabilities and Scope of Services. Banks should submit their proposals as a single PDF and include the following items:

Table of Contents

• Letter of Transmittal – Brief summary of services offered and key benefits
• Firm Overview – Description of organization, customer service philosophy, capital adequacy/credit rating, and alignment with PCE’s mission and values; include information about the Bank’s ESG policies and specifically the Bank’s engagements with the fossil fuels industry
• Qualifications and Experience – Including any public sector and/or energy agency clients
• Key Personnel – Roles, responsibilities, and contact information
• Banking Services Proposal – Description of proposed services and technologies
• Pricing Proposal – Schedule of fees and compensating balance options
• Implementation – Overview of implementation timeline, responsibilities, and costs
• References – Minimum of two comparable clients
• Sample Reports – Online portal screenshots or reporting samples

• Federal or State of California chartered commercial banking institution.
• Qualified public depository for public funds under applicable California law. All balances must be fully collateralized through the pool collateral system required under the State of California.
• Member of the Federal Reserve System and insured by the FDIC.
• Provide full-service commercial banking operations, including deposits, disbursements, and account reconciliation.
• Maintain insurance coverage sufficient to meet state and local requirements.
• Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, including data privacy and cybersecurity standards.
• Have good standing in the community regarding integrity of work, no pending investigations, and preferably no pending litigations.

Evaluations will be based upon the information provided in the proposals and such other information requested by PCE, or as deemed appropriate by PCE. Proposals should provide clear, concise information and sufficient detail to enable reviewers to evaluate the responsiveness and quality of the proposals to all RFP requirements.

The evaluation team will select the proposal that offers the greatest value to PCE based on an analysis of the following criteria:

1. Ability to provide required services
2. Experience and qualifications
3. Reliability and quality of customer service
4. Financial strength and capitalization of Bank
5. Security and fraud prevention capabilities
6. Commercial terms
7. Implementation plan, including any costs
8. Experience with CCAs or similar public entities
9. Alignment with PCE’s mission and values, including the Bank’s commitment to sustainability

Contract award will not be based solely on price, but on a combination of factors as determined to be in the best interest of PCE. PCE will not be bound to award the contract based solely on the lowest cost bid submitted. In addition, PCE seeks to support companies that reflect its values.

PCE may conduct interviews with a “short list” of Banks, consisting of those Banks reasonably likely, in the opinion of PCE, to be awarded the contract. Any interview may include discussions about services offered and fees/compensation amount. Interviews may take place through video conference, and/or face-to-face meetings, at PCE’s sole discretion.

After a Bank has been selected by the above-referenced evaluation team, PCE will negotiate a contract for execution. The contract will be presented first to PCE’s Audit and Finance Committee for recommendation and then to the Board for approval.