FY26 AWB LegalNoticeofIntenttoAward.docx

State of Washington Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

LEGAL NOTICE

Sole Source Posting

REPOSTED JUNE 23, 2025

The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) intends to award a sole source contract to the Association of Washington Business Institute (AWB).

AWB will work with SBCTC to promote Washington’s economic development through education and workforce training programs by supporting and fostering partnerships between employers, business and industry, and the state’s community and technical college system. The focus is to strengthen college workforce education and training programs and includes the following goals:

1. College worker training programs and services are understood and utilized fully by Washington businesses.

2. The Washington community and technical college system is equipped with information about new, emerging and incumbent worker training needs and receives direct support facilitating partnerships with businesses and industries to provide workforce training across the state. Increase and Improve active participation of business representatives on college program and general advisory committees.

Activities to be performed in support of these goals include:

Communicating to business and industry through broad-statewide platform(s) examples of college-based workforce training successes, developments, and/or innovative partnerships between employers and colleges. Developing, maintaining, and promoting workforce internship and work-based learning portal connecting students and employers. Collaboration with and inclusion of college faculty in events that advance student awareness of jobs and careers in manufacturing. Recruiting and placing business and industry representatives on college program advisory boards, business participation in the classroom, and opportunities for students, faculty, and deans to connect with employers, business, and industry to better understand state-of-the-art skill requirements of Washington’s economy.

Throughout the contract period, AWB and SBCTC will organize other meetings with representatives from their membership and college leaders to discuss economic development, policy, education and training issues, and support of common interests. Where appropriate, AWB will actively market college worker training programs and services to member businesses through trade shows, regional meetings, other AWB events. AWB will also actively recruit association members to serve on various state and local college advisory committees and task forces.

Requirements for the vendor includes demonstrated skills in developing, maintaining, and promoting workforce internship and work-based learning programs for students. Must have demonstrated knowledge of and connections with local businesses that offer careers in manufacturing. Must have demonstrated understanding of and ability to recruit industry representatives on college advisory boards, must be able to provide businesses that will participate in college classrooms and provide opportunities for students to learn through working/learning partnerships. Must demonstrate skills in establishing connections between students, faculty, and college executives with business and industry.

An additional requirement of RCW 28B.50.252 establishing the Vocational Educational Program Advisory Committee includes language specifically stating that the local committee must (c) Include representatives of business and labor who reflect the local industry, and the community. In order to contract for the work in this contract you must be a local business representative from the community.

The 12-month contract, which may, at the sole discretion of the SBCTC, be extended to 24 months upon satisfactory progress, will be issued on or about July 15, 2025. The dollar value is estimated at no more than $100,000 per fiscal year. The contract will be funded with approximately $12,500 of state funds and $87,500 of federal Carl D. Perkins funds.

Offerors contemplating the requirements are required to submit capability statements detailing their ability to meet the state’s requirements no later than 10 business days from the date of this announcement. In absence of qualified sources, it is the state’s intent to make a sole source award of the contract.

To submit capability statements or for questions, contact:

Abraham L. Rocha, Contracts & Procurement Officer Email: arocha@sbctc.edu Telephone: 509-842-4341