May 31, 2013
TO ALL SMALL FIT APPLICANTS
Thank you for your interest in Ontario’s FIT program.
In the past few days, the OPA has started to receive feedback from applicants, asking for more information about why their applications failed and for the opportunity to correct errors.
We appreciate these concerns and are taking steps to address them.
Unsuccessful applicants can reapply
All unsuccessful applicants will have an opportunity to reapply during the next Small FIT application period to open in fall 2013.
The Ontario Power Authority will hold Small FIT webinars starting in June 2013 to review the program requirements, discuss the most common issues encountered during the application review and to discuss how we can work together to improve the process.
Common issues
A transparent process
Working together
The following is a summary of some of the most common and most frequently occurring issues.
The OPA is committed to managing successful procurements of clean energy. To that end, our procurement processes are designed to be fair and transparent. We appreciate the effort that goes into each application.
To ensure all applicants received objective and equal treatment, the OPA hired an independent evaluation monitor, through a competitive tender (request for proposal). Using an evaluation monitor is a regular practice in large public sector procurement processes and at the OPA.
The evaluation monitor reviewed a selected sampling of different types of applications to ensure the criteria for review was being applied objectively and consistently to all applicants.
Specifically, the evaluation monitor was responsible for reviewing the:
The independent evaluation monitor is also responsible for providing a written opinion regarding the integrity of the review and contracting process once the contracts have been issued and the process has been concluded.
Thank you again for your comments. We appreciate your feedback and your interest in making the FIT program a success.
We look forward to hearing from you at our June webinars. In the meantime, please contact the FIT team at FIT@powerauthority.on.ca if you have additional questions or comments.
May 14, 2013: Initial Reviews Completed for Small FIT Applications
The OPA received almost 4,000 Small FIT applications from across the province during the application window that opened on December 14, 2012, and closed on January 18, 2013.
The OPA, together with an independent Evaluation Monitor, has now completed its review to determine if the applications were complete and eligible. Over the next week, all applicants will receive a message on their My FIT Home Page on the status of their applications.
Applications that passed both the completeness and eligibility reviews will move onto the transmission and distribution availability testing in the order in which they have been ranked, according to the priority points awarded during the review process. The time stamp has been used to determine the order where applications had the same number of points.
Up to 200 MW of contracts are expected to be offered in the summer of 2013 to applications that pass the transmission and distribution availability testing once testing is complete.
Applications that did not pass the completeness and eligibility reviews will be terminated and will not be subject to further testing.
For more information, click here for FAQs.