Location: Indiana, frequent in-state travel required

Reports To: Vice President, Strategic Communications

Overview

Indiana’s best future starts with building an energy-focused economy, and renewable energy presents an incredible opportunity for the state. The business community is one of the most influential voices in state policy discussions, but this group has not been effectively coordinated for renewable energy.   

Clean Grid Alliance (CGA) is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to launch a new initiative in Indiana to organize businesses to advocate for renewable energy. The consultant will hold the title of Strategic Partnerships Project Manager. This project represents an exciting opportunity for an entrepreneurial individual to build a strong, impactful coalition in Indiana for a cleaner energy future.

In this role, the Project Manager will cultivate and strengthen relationships with leaders across the Indiana business community through networking, information-sharing, and educational opportunities to advance renewable energy. The Project Manager will ensure business leaders understand clean energy benefits, while enlisting them in efforts to support and advocate across the state for future renewable energy solutions. The Project Manager will communicate and demonstrate the value that renewable energy delivers to Indiana, including economic development, job growth, and energy affordability for both businesses and households. The Project Manager will also drive engagement of business leaders to understand and advocate for how renewable energy projects generate revenue streams for communities that host projects, drive business profitability, and reduce the costs of conducting business in the state.

Background & Context

For 25 years, CGA has organized businesses in support of affordable, renewable energy. In Indiana, CGA has an extensive network of advocates, policy contacts, and 40+ businesses for renewable energy. We have built a strong coalition of organizations across a variety of industries from independent power producers, labor, home builders, nuclear and data centers developers, industrial consumers, and others to advance our shared cause. Indiana has been a high priority state for CGA for several years because of the increased county-level resistance to renewable energy and, at the same time, the real progress we have made with state leadership toward positive policies and statewide siting. With grant funding, Clean Grid Alliance is building on the existing work and broadening the current coalition to engage and organize an even more powerful coalition of Hoosier businesses through PowerShift Indiana.

Objectives

In partnership with CGA staff, the selected consultant will:

• Stand up the structure and recruit Indiana businesses into membership to organize around renewable energy advocacy
• Raise awareness among Indiana business leaders on how renewable energy impacts them and instill a sense of urgency for action
• Create opportunities for the group to advocate for renewable energy

Qualifications

The consultant must be skilled in business networking, recruitment, and ecosystem building. This person is a powerful networker and strategic partnerships developer and must also be uniquely qualified to engage at the state and local policy and advocacy levels. This person is adept at speaking with business leaders and has expertise in state and local policy with a strong history of experience in the business community. The ideal candidate is someone who can influence business leaders and is respected, or can cultivate respect, among policymakers of both political parties to create a broad appeal for renewable energy solutions and policies. The individual must be able to work independently and manage daily operations while engaging the expertise of CGA staff to align priorities and protect CGA’s existing coalitions and work.

Scope of Work

The consultant will work closely with CGA staff on project strategy and be responsible for day-to-day operations.

While some activities must happen before others, many of the tactics will be continuous and overlapping. 

• Analyze existing landscape and map network around business organizing in Indiana as well as explore potential partnerships with business-supporting organizations, trade associations, and nonprofit organizations
  • Connect with organizations like Michigan EIBC and Clean Energy Economy Minnesota to learn from similar strategies in other states
  • Determine swim lanes and collaboration opportunities
• Establish PowerShift’s case, brand, and formal processes and structure
  • Engage and understand the needs of Indiana businesses through networking and listening to develop a case statement that advances affordability, economic growth, business development
  • Ensure additive benefit and separation from CGA’s existing work
• Recruit 10+ companies into PowerShift
  • Determine initial round of ideal member targets and conduct introductory/recruitment meetings
  • Establish coalition’s formal structure, including commitment agreements and membership types, leadership structure, meeting cadence, decision-making process, etc.
• Organize and deliver 3-5 educational sessions (Renewable Energy 101, Advocacy 101)
  • Provide businesses with accessible tools to understand their vested interest in renewable energy and advocacy
  • Determine process for information sharing between businesses
• Develop policy agenda for PowerShift
  • Listen to businesses’ interests and capacity in alignment with CGA’s existing policy goals to determine 1-3 positions
• Spearhead business entity engagement in policy agenda with 1-3 actionable outcomes
  • Align with CGA priorities and potentially plug into other campaigns to take concrete actions

Deliverables

The main desired outcome for the first year is a functioning coalition of 10+ businesses. To support this effort, the following deliverables are needed:

• Landscape assessment and network map
• Case statement for PowerShift Indiana and related collateral, with marketing assistance from CGA staff
• Organization founding documents (articles of incorporation, bylaws), with assistance from CGA staff and legal counsel
• 3-5 educational sessions
• Near-term policy agenda
• 1-3 policy actions
• Mid-year member survey
• Formal six-month program reports

Time Commitment: ~40 hours per week, immediately through May 31, 2027, with potential for annual renewal

Budget: $100,000-120,000 for 12-month contract (benefits not included)

Timeline: Work to begin immediately through May 30, 2027, with potential for renewal

Proposal Submission Details

Submit to Jon Mills, Vice President of Strategic Communications, at jmills@cleangridalliance.org

Deadline: June 24, 2026

Proposal should include:

• Resume / firm overview
• Proposed methodology outline
• Relevant work samples
• References