How is SMMI funded?

SMMI is part of California Climate Investments, which uses billions of Cap-and-Invest dollars to fund projects that reduce harmful emissions, protect public health, strengthen local economies, and support natural environments. With a strong focus on communities most impacted by pollution and limited access to resources, California Climate Investments helps build a more equitable and sustainable future. (CARB Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative Expenditure Record) (//ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/auction-proceeds/carb_smmi_attestationmemo_er_fy23-24.pdf).

What does the scope of work for this project include?

SMMI includes 7 main tasks:

• Task 1 – Hold a virtual public kickoff meeting.
• Task 2 – Form Project Expert Group (PEG) to guide and steer SMMI.
• Task 3 – Develop a community engagement plan in collaboration with the PEG.
• Task 4 – Design Community Air Monitoring Plans (CAMPs).
• Task 5 – Conduct mobile monitoring. 
• Task 6 – Data reporting and visualization.
• Task 7 – Project wrap-up and final virtual public meeting.

Who is the contractor and how were they selected?

CARB awarded Aclima, Inc a $26.88 million contract to carry out SMMI through a competitive solicitation process called a Request for Proposal (RFP). Aclima is a California Public Benefit Corporation that specializes in hyperlocal air quality mapping and analysis. All SMMI RFP materials are available on CaleProcure (https://caleprocure.ca.gov/event/3900/0000029910). The contractor responded to the RFP by submitting a technical proposal, which is available on CARB’s SMMI website. The contractor was selected by an evaluation committee through a rigorous evaluation process against the minimum qualifications and technical evaluation criteria established in the RFP.

How was the RFP designed and what technical requirements were in the RFP?

The RFP was designed based on information collected through a Request for Information (RFI) and air quality concerns from overburdened communities. The RFP considered the availability of monitoring technologies and challenges to address air quality, toxic, and climate issues. Example air pollutants, emission sources, and monitoring areas were listed in the RFP, which CARB compiled through community engagement, data collected by CARB’s monitoring networks, and scientific literature. The priorities in the RFP were designed to leverage the strengths of mobile monitoring to focus on screening for potential sources that can lead to follow-up monitoring and action.

Explicit scoring criteria were included in the RFP to guide selection of a proposal that was the most technically qualified. Proposers were required to meet the following minimum technical requirements to score full points:

• Identifies approach to apply existing platforms and capabilities that meets specified RFP mobile monitoring definition.
• Identifies pollutants that can be measured and provides a comprehensive justification of the utility of the selected pollutants.
• Maximizes benefits to priority populations and discusses spatial coverage that can be accomplished.
• Provides justification for prioritization of certain locations based on anticipated sources of concern, pollution burden, demographics, and priority population designation.

Proposers’ monitoring capabilities were also required to achieve or exceed the following (to score maximum points):

• Ability to measure pollutants classified as criteria, greenhouse gases, and air toxics.
• Proposed methods have pollutant-specific Limits of Detection (LoDs) adequate for measuring near ambient concentrations typical in California.
• Ability to quantify localized pollutant concentration enhancements, both temporally and spatially.
• Three complete mobile monitoring platforms that can be employed for this project.
• Ability to conduct monitoring outside of standard business hours (Monday through Friday, 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. and weekends).

What was the timeline for SMMI development and contractor selection?