RFP-WSEDCSP-07-2026.pdf

STATE OF WASHINGTON

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

RFP NO. WSEDCSP-07-2026

NOTE: Please read this entire document before submitting a response. Responses that do not meet one or more requirement stated herein may be disqualified and not scored.

PROJECT TITLE: Washington State Economic Development and Competitiveness Strategic Plan Development

PROPOSAL DUE: August 10, 2026 at 4:00pm, Pacific Time, Olympia, WA

ESTIMATED TIME PERIOD FOR CONTRACT: September 10, 2026 – June 30, 2027

PROPOSER ELIGIBILITY: This RFP is open to those proposers which satisfy the minimum qualifications stated herein and are available for work in Washington.

FUNDING SOURCE AND METHOD: Core contract funding is State funding. Payments will be made on a reimbursement basis for deliverables accepted and/or allowable time and expenses.

CONTENTS OF THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

1. Introduction

2. General Information for Proposers

3. Proposal Contents

4. Evaluation and Award

5. Exhibits

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF WORK

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

FUNDING

MANDATORY AWARD TO SMALL OR VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

CONTRACTING WITH CURRENT OR FORMER STATE EMPLOYEES

DEFINITIONS

ADA

2. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR PROPOSERS

RFP COORDINATOR

ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES

QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

STATEMENT OF INTENT REQUIRED

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION AND PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

REVISIONS TO THE RFP

DIVERSE BUSINESS INCLUSION PLAN

ACCEPTANCE PERIOD

COMPLAINT PROCESS

RESPONSIVENESS

MOST FAVORABLE TERMS

CONTRACT GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

COSTS TO PROPOSE

NO OBLIGATION TO CONTRACT

REJECTION OF PROPOSALS

COMMITMENT OF FUNDS

ELECTRONIC PAYMENT

INSURANCE COVERAGE

3. PROPOSAL CONTENTS

LETTER OF SUBMITTAL (MANDATORY)

CERTIFICATIONS AND ASSURANCES (MANDATORY)

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL (SCORED)

MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL

COST PROPOSAL

4. EVALUATION AND CONTRACT AWARD

EVALUATION PROCEDURE

EVALUATION BREAKDOWN

VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS MAY BE REQUIRED

NOTIFICATION TO PROPOSERS

DEBRIEFING OF UNSUCCESSFUL PROPOSERS

PROTEST PROCEDURE

5. RFP EXHIBITS

Exhibit A Certifications and Assurances Exhibit B Diverse Business Inclusion Plan Exhibit C Workers’ Rights Certification Exhibit D Small or Veteran-Owned Business Certification Exhibit E Service Contract Format with General Terms and Conditions

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1. INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The Washington Department of Commerce, hereafter called "COMMERCE,” is initiating this Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals from those qualified and interested in participating in a project to develop a statewide Economic Development and Competitiveness Strategic Plan to guide inclusive statewide economic growth over the next 4 years and beyond. This inclusive economic growth will drive key metrics such as high-quality/ high-wage jobs and the increased sustainability of small and medium-sized enterprises. Furthermore, it will increase business investment in Washington, lead to increased sales of businesses, and that in turn will provide increased revenues to the legislature that uses that revenue to provide infrastructure and services to residents.

Washington State has a diverse, innovative, and globally competitive economy supported by strengths in technology, advanced manufacturing, international trade, agriculture, clean energy, and other strategic industries. Despite these advantages, the state faces a range of emerging economic challenges that underscore the need for a coordinated, forward-looking statewide economic development strategy.

While regions and industries within Washington continue to experience strong growth, significant disparities persist across geographic areas and populations including rural communities, Tribal nations, and historically underserved populations. At the same time, Washington’s economy is undergoing profound structural shifts driven by rapid technological advancements, evolving supply chain shifts, changing workforce needs, inflation and affordability pressures, infrastructure demands, the transition to a more sustainable economy, and intensifying competition for investment, businesses, and talent both nationally and internationally.

The strategic plan will establish a shared vision and actionable roadmap to strengthen Washington’s competitiveness, resilience, and prosperity across key industries, regions, and communities. The strategic plan will provide a practical and actionable set of priorities to guide coordinated action amongst state agencies, regional economic development organizations, industry partners, Tribal governments, educational institutions, workforce development entities, and community development organizations.

COMMERCE intends to award one contract to provide the services described in this RFP.

OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF WORK

OBJECTIVES

The Contractor will support the Commerce Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness (OEDC) in developing a statewide strategic plan that identifies goals and strategies for state-supported economic development activities, informed by analysis of economic, workforce, and industry data.

The strategic plan shall be focused on inclusive growth opportunities and include:

1. Identify Washington’s competitive advantages, growth opportunities, and emerging risks and constraints to meeting growth opportunities;

2. Establish a framework to support priority sector growth, innovation, and investment attraction;

3. Propose evidence-based, well-defined interventions to further inclusive economic development across regions and populations, including rural communities, Tribal nations, and historically marginalized populations;

4. Recommend actionable policy, programmatic, and investment priorities; and

5. Develop an implementation roadmap of those priorities with specific, measurable outcome and performance metrics.

The strategic plan will focus on high-impact intervention areas and recommend actionable strategies and interventions that advance Washington’s economic development goals. These may include industry-specific priorities; however, all recommendations should be designed to support one or more

P a g e | 2 of the following outcomes: the creation of high-quality, family-sustaining jobs; increased business growth, sales and revenue; greater investment; and expanded economic opportunities for rural communities and historically disadvantaged populations.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor shall undertake the following tasks;

Task 1. Project initiation and work planning

The Contractor will conduct a kickoff meeting with COMMERCE Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness (OEDC) representatives, review all background materials provided by OEDC, and prepare a detailed workplan and stakeholder engagement plan.

Task 2. Economic competitiveness assessment

The Contractor will conduct a statewide competitiveness assessment, including:

Review of peer state and regional economic development plans;

Benchmarking against peer states and relevant international competitors on key metrics, including an analysis of publicly available data on business creation, closure, moving out of state, moving in state;

Evaluation of industry competitiveness and growth potential/market opportunities;

Identify constraints to competitiveness and key gaps, including assessment of innovation ecosystems, workforce needs, infrastructure, and the business enabling environment; and Identify key economic development opportunities and cross-cutting priorities to increase competitiveness.

In the case that Commerce manages to access business survey data of 100-600 respondents, contractor should incorporate analysis of data provided.

The assessment should consider regional variation across Washington, urban-rural dynamics, and equity and inclusion implications, and explicitly include strategies to increase economic opportunities outside of the Puget Sound region and across the state.

As part of the strategic planning, the assessment should evaluate and prioritize interventions to address key business-enabling environment factors that may influence workforce attraction, business growth, and regional competitiveness.

The Contractor will not start from scratch, but will review, synthesize and build upon the previously developed strategic plans and materials provided by OEDC and available publicly. Materials from OEDC include:

Draft sector strategic plans for 10 priority sectors and draft key economic data for 11 sectors

(shared upon request). Priority sectors include Aerospace, Circular Economy, Energy and Clean Technology, Forest Products, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Life Sciences and Global Health, Maritime, Military and Defense, Tourism, Creative Economy. Agricultural Innovation, the 11th sector, may include a brief strategic plan and will have a summary of economic data.

Resources from initial stocktaking on relevant state strategic plans, as well as summary of key issues discussed to date in Commerce convened volunteer working groups for rural, regional, tribal and historically marginalized populations economic development.

Economic development priorities for each of the 39 counties identified by county-level Associate Development Organizations (ADOs).

Case studies from rural counties on what has been tried and worked that they think could be useful.

PowerPoint slides on suggestions for economic development strategic planning from the Washington State Microenterprise Association.

High-level information on proposed Opportunity Zones 2.0 in low-income or high-poverty communities as well as their proposed projects to take advantage of capital gains tax breaks that

P a g e | 3 would come with official designation by Governor Ferguson (designation due September 27th, extension allowed to October 27th). Once the official designation is carried out, the full details of projects proposed in designated communities can be provided so long as Commerce has consent from those who proposed them.

Inputs from the Governor’s office and advisory bodies, including the new Governor’s Economic Development Council created by Executive Order 26-02 on June 25, 2026.

The Contractor shall utilize quantitative and qualitative analysis, as relevant.

Task 3. Partner engagement and consultation

The Contractor will design and facilitate inclusive stakeholder engagement and consultation process to create and validate assessment findings and inform strategic priorities. OEDC has convened four ongoing partner working groups, which include regional, rural, inclusive growth for marginalized communities, and Tribal inclusive economic growth. These volunteer groups meet on a monthly basis and they may continue throughout the strategic planning process. Additionally, sector-specific meetings are underway to gather feedback, confirm preliminary findings, and inform development of final strategies. The Contractor shall build upon existing partner engagement and consultation mechanisms and is encouraged to recommend additional approaches as appropriate. Engagement activities may include qualitative and quantitative research such as in-depth interviews, focus groups, workshops, listening sessions, and surveys.

Consultation may include engagement with local and regional economic development organizations, labor organizations, Tribal economic development entities, industry associations, educational and research institutions, community-based organizations, and representatives of rural and historically marginalized communities.

The Contractor shall develop a government-to-government engagement approach for Tribal consultation and collaboration, consistent with Washington State policies and practices as well as the technical needs of the economic development strategic plan. The engagement process should seek to identify Tribal economic development priorities, opportunities for partnership, and strategies that support Tribal economic sovereignty and self-determination. The actual Tribal consultation outreach will come from Commerce sending a Dear Tribal Leader letter, and the first draft of the letter should be provided by the contractor. Commerce can provide a sample letter from another consultation.

Following development of the draft strategic plan, the contractor shall propose and support a process that minimizes administrative burden on Commerce while enabling compliance with Executive Order 25-10 and the commitment to carry out engagement for the result of free, prior, and informed consent.

The Contractor is encouraged to recommend approaches that facilitate meaningful Tribal outreach, review and feedback, including the preparation of consultation materials, draft correspondence to Tribal leadership, and Tribe-specific background information and data to support informed engagement with each of Washington’s 29 federally recognized Tribes. The Contractor shall also identify staffing, coordination, and communication strategies that help ensure the consultation process is efficient, respectful, and well-supported.

At a minimum, outreach and engagement will be carried out virtually across multiple regions of the state. Commerce will assist with coordination and introductions where appropriate and will carry out any necessary government to government consultations.

The contractor’s public outreach and consultation will include interaction, in consultation with OEDC with the Governor’s office and associated advisory bodies. The contractor should prepare interim updates and PPT slides to present to the Governor’s Economic Development Council, and plan to take feedback from that body to incorporate into the process and the findings.

Task 4. Development of the Statewide Economic Development and Competitiveness Strategic Plan

The Contractor will prepare a draft and final strategic plan document that at a minimum will include:

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WAGOV/bulletins/41db79f https://governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/exe_order/25-10%20-%20Tribal%20Relations%20(tmp)_1.pdf https://governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/exe_order/25-10%20-%20Tribal%20Relations%20(tmp)_1.pdf

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1. Executive Summary

2. State Economic Profile and Opportunities that include:

a. Examination of such factors as demographics, workforce characteristics, industry landscape, and regional and tribal economics, infrastructure, and assets.

b. Overview of economic challenges and market growth opportunities.

i. Shall include consideration of key market opportunities outlined in the sector strategic plans

ii. Shall include consideration of suggestions made by the regional, rural, tribal and historically marginalized working groups as available.

iii. May include consideration of Opportunity Zones 2.0 in low-income or high-poverty communities as well as their proposed projects to take advantage of capital gains tax breaks that would come with official designation by Governor Ferguson (designation due September 28th, extension allowed to October 28th).

c. Assessment of Washington’s global trade position, export opportunities, foreign direct investment potential, innovation ecosystem strengths, entrepreneurship activity, and research commercialization opportunities.

d. Analysis of future workforce demand, labor market trends, demographic shifts, and talent pipeline requirements for priority industries.

3. Vision and Strategic Framework for Growth that includes:

a. Goals and strategies for state-supported economic development activities in the state, utilizing analysis of economic and industry data.

b. Strategic pillars and priorities for growth, and a strategic framework for achieving results.

c. Economic resilience and scenario planning, that evaluates key economic uncertainties and identifies strategies, to strengthen long-term competitiveness under alternative future conditions.

4. Industry Sector Competitiveness Strategy that includes, but will not be limited to:

a. Integration and synthesis of sector-specific priorities into a coherent statewide framework, including prioritization of strategic themes, growth opportunities and priority interventions across the 10 priority sectors, based on OEDC draft sector strategic plans and expected results.

b. Integration of emerging trends and future-facing industry growth drivers into strategic planning (e.g., Artificial Intelligence, Quantum computing, sustainability, clean tech).

c. Growth strategy for traditional sectors that are undergoing structural transformation (e.g., forest products, maritime).

d. Recommendations to expand and align business support and partnerships that foster growth amongst businesses and start-ups in the 10 priority sectors and identify the most cost-effective approaches to strengthen the resilience of small businesses across the state, particularly those owned by or serving historically underserved populations.

e. Recommendations to cost-effectively strengthen innovation ecosystems, research commercialization, entrepreneurship, startup formation, business scale-up, and access to capital for innovation-driven firms.

5. Regional and Inclusive Development Strategy that includes, but will not be limited to:

a. Recommendations to strengthen rural economies and reduce regional disparities, prioritizing the highest-impact interventions and market growth opportunities. Contractor may consider urban and/or industrial growth anchors to support the identification of growth opportunities outside of the Puget Sound region.

b. Recommendations to support equitable participation in economic growth, advance economic opportunities for historically marginalized populations, and support Tribal economic development priorities and partnerships.

c. Recommendations to address priority business enabling environment factors with feasible changes possible in 4 years. This could include place-based barriers to economic growth, including workforce housing availability, infrastructure gaps, broadband

P a g e | 5 access, transportation connectivity, energy capacity, and site readiness constraints, or other factors.

6. Analysis and Synthesis of Strategic Priorities for Economic Development that shall include;

a. Recommendations to address priority opportunities, including addressing associated priority cross-cutting constraints, such as workforce development and retention, innovation and technology adoption, entrepreneurship, supply chain and cluster development, export growth, investment attraction, regulatory constraints, access to sites and infrastructure, housing availability, energy availability, and other barriers identified through analysis and stakeholder engagement.

b. Contractor may consider recommendations that fall under the following levers/enablers:

i. Streamlining or accelerating permitting and regulatory processes

ii. Expanding access to flexible capital

iii. Improving access to sites, space, infrastructure

iv. Strengthening entrepreneurship support services

v. Connecting firms to buyers, contracts, and supply chains

vi. Building stronger talent pipelines

vii. Simplifying navigation across public and private support systems

7. Policy Recommendations and Proposed Interventions that include:

a. 3-5 prioritized interventions/initiatives for state actors aligned with both industry priorities and Washington’s economic development goals such as high-quality (living/high wage) job creation, increased sales and revenues, increased investment, and increased inclusion of rural and historically disadvantaged populations. Interventions should consider implementation feasibility, funding availability, institutional capacity, and policy constraints.

b. Recommendations for Commerce on improving the Small Business Resiliency Network program and other programs addressing the overall needs of businesses.

c. Recommendations for Commerce on improving Equity and community wealth building efforts.

d. Prioritization framework used to evaluate and select recommended interventions, including consideration of anticipated economic impact, implementation feasibility, regional benefits, equity outcomes, funding requirements, return on investment, and alignment with statewide economic development goals.

8. Implementation Plan that includes:

a. Priority actions, sequencing and timelines, and relevant roles and responsibilities.

b. Performance indicators and monitoring framework for measuring outcomes.

c. Funding and resourcing considerations and recommendations for how available state actor resources and partnerships can be leveraged to support the funding and implementation of various activities.

d. Recommended governance and coordination framework for implementation, including proposed roles for state agencies, regional economic development organizations, Tribal governments, industry partners, educational institutions, and community-based organizations.

e. Recommended process for ongoing monitoring, annual reporting, periodic strategy updates, and continuous stakeholder engagement.

f. Quantitative performance targets and baseline metrics, including projected impacts on employment, wages, business growth, investment, exports, innovation activity, and regional economic outcomes where feasible.

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DELIVERABLES

Contractor will submit the following deliverables. Deliverables shall be subject to review and approval by OEDC prior to acceptance.

Deliverable Indicative Timing

1. Inception report, including workplan and stakeholder engagement plan.

October 2026

2. Interim progress updates including partner engagement summary report documenting consultation activities and key themes; includes PPT slides to debrief OEDC and, in consultation with OEDC, the Governor’s office and associated advisory bodies. This includes to offer an oral PPT briefing upon request of OEDC to be delivered to OEDC and Governor’s staff and/or the Governor’s Economic Development Council created by Executive Order 26-02 on June 25, 2026.

Once per month

3. PowerPoint slides and in-person presentation to OEDC management of draft findings, summary of stakeholder consultations to date and draft strategic plan recommendations.

On/about November 13, 2026

4. Revised PPT slides based upon feedback received On/about November 20, 2027

5. Draft statewide strategic plan document and in-person presentation of recommendations.

On/about February 1, 2027

6. Final statewide strategic plan document including an executive summary for public and policymaker audiences, technical appendix documenting data sources, analysis methods, assumptions, and key themes; implementation roadmap graphics and strategic framework visualization; incorporating OEDC feedback and public comments.

April 30, 2027 (flexibility to extend to no later than June 30th,2027)

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications include:

Minimum of five years’ experience in economic development strategy and sector competitiveness analysis;

Experience working on strategic planning with state or regional governments; Minimum of having developed five fully developed state, regional (multi-state), or national strategic plans;

Minimum of having completed one state level plan or extensive economic sector study experience within Washington State.

Business strategy experience in the 10 key sectors (see above) most relevant to WA.

Minimum of three relevant economic development strategic plans (or related) in other states or countries;

Experience completing economic analyses inclusive of Washington State level economic landscape;

Experience engaging underserved communities in economic development strategic planning with a minimum of three examples;

Licensed to do business in Washington State.

Additional Desired Qualifications –

Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical capabilities.

Excellent facilitation, writing, client feedback and stakeholder engagement skills. (Provide letters of reference)

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Bidders are encouraged to provide one example of a relevant strategic plan.

Proposals that do not clearly meet or exceed all minimum qualifications listed above are non-responsive and will not be evaluated.

FUNDING

COMMERCE has budgeted an amount not to exceed $270,000.00 of State funding for this project.

Proposals in excess of the base amount for the core SOW will be considered non-responsive and will not be evaluated. In the event additional funding becomes available during the period of performance, any contract awarded may be amended to provide for additional related services. Additional funding is not guaranteed.

Proposer should clearly define what scope of work, services and deliverables can be carried out for $270,000.00. Additionally, Proposer should separately define what additional work and outcomes aligning with the current scope can be performed with an additional budget, not to exceed $1 million dollars in total ($270,000.00 from the state budget, + up to $730,000.00 in additional funds). As examples, these additional services could be related to analysis, public relations, outreach on the strategic plan, additional qualitative or quantitative research, convening of in-person events, study tour with stakeholders to other exemplary state(s), etc.

Proposer may include in-kind contributions (e.g. pro-bono hours, volunteer hours, non-cash donations), which will be scored as part of the budget evaluation criteria.

Any contract awarded as a result of this RFP is contingent upon the availability of funding.

MANDATORY AWARD TO SMALL OR VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS

As of April 1, 2023, COMMERCE is required to award competitively procured service contracts with an initial value less than $150,000 to the highest-ranked responsive and responsible Small or Veteran- Owned Business, unless there was no responsive and responsible Proposal from a Small or Veteran- Owned Business. Any ties may be resolved by virtual presentations, the results of reference checks, or other means. This does not apply to grants, pass-through funding, or any RFP in which for-profit entities are not eligible. This also does not apply to any RFP with a federal funding source.

See Exhibit D for Small and Veteran-Owned Business certification.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance of any contract resulting from this RFP is anticipated to begin on or about September 24, 2026, and continue through April 30, 2027. It is a legislative requirement that all work must be completed before June 30, 2027. Amendments extending the period of performance, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of COMMERCE.

COMMERCE reserves the right to extend the contract for two one-year periods.

CONTRACTING WITH CURRENT OR FORMER STATE EMPLOYEES

Specific restrictions apply to contracting with current or former state employees pursuant to chapter

42.52 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW). Proposers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the requirements prior to submitting a Proposal that includes current or former state employees.

DEFINITIONS

Definitions for the purposes of this RFP include:

Apparent Successful Contractor/Bidder/Vendor/Grantee/Awardee: The Proposer selected to perform the anticipated services, subject to successful completion of contract negotiations and execution of a written contract.

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COMMERCE or AGENCY: The Department of Commerce is the agency of the state of Washington that is issuing this RFP.

Contract: A written, legally binding agreement to perform the services proposed, also called a Grant or Interagency Agreement.

Contractor: Individual or organization whose Proposal has been accepted by COMMERCE and is awarded a fully executed, written contract. Also called Grantee, Awardee, Recipient, or Vendor.

Exhibit: Document attached to this RFP, also referred to as Attachment.

Proposal: A formal offer submitted in response to this Request for Proposals.

Proposer: Individual, firm, organization, company, or other entity or group of entities that submits a Proposal to attain a contract with COMMERCE.

Request for Proposals (RFP): Formal procurement or solicitation document in which a service or need is identified but no specific method to achieve it has been chosen. The purpose of an RFP is to permit the Proposer community to suggest various approaches to meet the need at or below a given funding level.

Small business: An in-state business, including a sole proprietorship, corporation, partnership, or other legal entity, that: (a) Certifies, under penalty of perjury, that it is owned and operated independently from all other businesses and has either: (i) Fifty or fewer employees; or (ii) A gross revenue of less than seven million dollars annually as reported on its federal income tax return or its return filed with the Department of Revenue over the previous three consecutive years; or (b) Is certified with the Office of Women and Minority Business Enterprises under chapter 39.19 RCW.

Veteran-owned business: A business certified by the Washington Department of Veteran Affairs.

Priority Sectors: Industry sectors identified by COMMERCE as having strategic importance to

Washington's economy based on factors such as employment, wages, growth potential, innovation, competitiveness, resilience, and contribution to statewide economic development goals.

Inclusive Economic Development: A strategy for fostering economic growth that benefits all regions and populations in Washington state by expanding access to quality jobs, business opportunities, workforce development, investment, and wealth-building opportunities. Inclusive economic development aims to reduce disparities and ensure that the benefits of economic growth are broadly shared, particularly among rural communities, Tribal nations, and historically marginalized populations.

Rural Communities: Communities located outside federally designated urbanized areas or urban clusters, or as otherwise defined by COMMERCE for purposes of this RFP.

Tribal Consultation: Government-to-government engagement between the State of Washington and federally recognized Tribal governments conducted in accordance with applicable state and federal laws, policies, executive orders, and principles of Tribal sovereignty and self-determination.

Historically Marginalized Populations: Communities that have experienced persistent barriers to economic opportunity and participation due to historic and systemic inequities. These may include, but are not limited to, Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color; immigrants and refugees; people with disabilities; veterans; women; LGBTQ+ individuals; and populations experiencing persistent poverty or geographic isolation.

Business-Enabling Environment: The conditions, systems, and assets that influence business formation, growth, competitiveness, and investment, including workforce availability, infrastructure, housing, transportation, permitting and regulatory processes, access to capital, innovation capacity, and quality of life factors.

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Stakeholder Engagement: Structured outreach and consultation activities designed to gather input from affected communities, businesses, organizations, institutions, and governmental entities to inform the development of the strategic plan.

Implementation Roadmap: A prioritized plan that identifies recommended actions, responsible parties, timelines, resource considerations, and performance measures to support implementation of the strategic plan.

ADA

COMMERCE complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Proposers may contact the RFP Coordinator to receive this Request for Proposals in Braille or on tape.

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2. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR PROPOSERS

RFP COORDINATOR

The RFP Coordinator is the sole point of contact in COMMERCE for this RFP. All communication between the Proposer and COMMERCE upon release of this RFP shall be with the RFP Coordinator, as follows:

Name Serena Grimes

E-Mail Address OEDCProcurement@commerce.wa.gov

Any other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on COMMERCE. Proposers are to rely only on written statements issued by the RFP Coordinator. Communication directed to parties other than the RFP Coordinator may result in disqualification of the Proposer.

ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES

Issue Request for Proposals Friday, July 10, 2026

Question & answer period Friday, July 10, 2026–

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Answers to Q&A posted no later than Monday, July 27, 2026

Pre-Proposal Conference Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at

1:00pm PST

Proposals due Monday, August 10, 2026 by 4:00pm PST

Evaluate proposals Tuesday, August 11, 2026 – Thursday, August 20, 2026

Announce “Apparent Successful Contractor” and send notification via e-mail to unsuccessful Proposers

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Debrief Period (if requested) Wednesday, August 26, 2026 – Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Negotiate contract Wednesday, August 26, 2026 – Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Earliest date contract may be signed Thursday, September 10, 2026

COMMERCE reserves the right to revise the above schedule.

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QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD

COMMERCE will accept questions about this RFP sent to the RFP Coordinator at the email address listed in Section 2.1 during this period. Questions should not identify the submitting person or organization. COMMERCE will answer all questions in a Q&A document posted no later than the date identified in Section 2.2.

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

A pre-proposal conference will be held on July 21st, 2026 at 1:00 p.m., Pacific time. The pre-proposal conference will be virtual only, on a platform such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams. The meeting link is listed below. All prospective Proposers are encouraged attend; however, attendance is not mandatory.

Microsoft Teams meeting Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/21450969456706?p=DBEIlfpPXv6jj6vPQ6 Meeting ID: 214 509 694 567 06 Passcode: DH9KS6yi

Need help? | System reference Dial in by phone +1 564-999-2000,,69683845# United States, Olympia

(833) 322-1218,,69683845# United States (Toll-free) Find a local number Phone conference ID: 696 838 45#

COMMERCE will be bound only to COMMERCE written answers to questions. Questions arising at the pre-proposal conference will be documented and answered in written form. A copy of the questions and answers will be sent to each prospective Proposer that has requested the RFP Coordinator to send them RFP addenda.

STATEMENT OF INTENT REQUIRED

A bidder’s Statement of Intent must be received by the RFP Coordinator by the date specified in Section

2.2. Proposals received by those who did not timely submit a Statement of Intent will be disqualified. Submitting a Statement of Intent is not binding and the submitter may choose not to propose without penalty. Statements of Intent should be on organization letterhead and include the RFP number, a statement of intent to submit a proposal to this RFP, and identify the organization’s contact person.

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

ELECTRONIC PROPOSALS:

The proposal must be received by the RFP Coordinator no later than 4:00pm Pacific Time, in Olympia, Washington, on Monday, August 10th, 2026.

Proposals must be submitted electronically via email to the Procurement Coordinator at OEDCProcurement@commerce.wa.gov. Attachments must be in Microsoft Word format or PDF.

Zipped files cannot be received by COMMERCE and cannot be used for submission of Proposals. The Submittal Letter and the Certifications and Assurances form must have a scanned or digital signature of the individual within the organization authorized to bind the Proposer to the offer.

COMMERCE does not assume responsibility for problems with Proposer’s system. If the COMMERCE submission portal is not working, appropriate allowances will be made. No Proposals will be accepted through email, fax or mail. Only Proposals submitted through the email OEDCProcurement@commerce.wa.gov will be accepted.

Proposals may not be transmitted using facsimile transmission.

Proposers should allow sufficient time to ensure timely receipt of the proposal by the RFP Coordinator.

Late proposals will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration, unless COMMERCE e-mail is found to be at fault at COMMERCE’S sole determination.

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/21450969456706?p=DBEIlfpPXv6jj6vPQ6 https://aka.ms/JoinTeamsMeeting?omkt=en-US https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_N2RhNTc4OGYtNDQzZC00MDNlLTk5ODYtMTA2MjFhZGI4OTE3%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2211d0e217-264e-400a-8ba0-57dcc127d72d%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cfcffc40-5b66-4c25-bf78-fa94d6a2d96a%22%7d tel:+15649992000,,69683845 tel:8333221218,,69683845 https://dialin.teams.cloud.microsoft/811a9140-4f87-4b3b-b4e5-c0df12d33f3f?id=69683845 mailto:OEDCProcurement@commerce.wa.gov

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Proposals should be sent in one email, however if more than one email is needed all must be received by the due date and time. Exceptions will not be made for partial submissions. Requests for deadline extensions will not be granted. All Proposals and any accompanying documentation become the property of COMMERCE and will not be returned. Any information received as a result of this RFP may be collected and considered for continuous improvement purposes.

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION AND PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

Proposals submitted in response to this RFP shall become the property of COMMERCE. All Proposals received shall remain confidential until the Apparent Successful Contractor is announced; thereafter, all Proposals are subject to disclosure as provided for in Chapter 42.56 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW).

Any information in the proposal that the Proposer desires to claim as proprietary and exempt from disclosure under the provisions of Chapter 42.56 RCW, or other state or federal law that provides for the nondisclosure of your document, must be clearly designated. The information must be clearly identified and the particular exemption from disclosure upon which the Proposer is making the claim must be cited. Each page containing the information claimed to be exempt from disclosure must be clearly identified by the words “Proprietary Information” printed on the lower right hand corner of the page. Marking the entire proposal exempt from disclosure or as Proprietary Information will not be honored.

If a public records request is made for the information that the Proposer has marked as "Proprietary Information," COMMERCE will notify the Proposer of the request and of the date that the records will be released to the requester unless the Proposer obtains a court order enjoining that disclosure. If the Proposer fails to obtain the court order enjoining disclosure, COMMERCE will release the requested information on the date specified. If a Proposer obtains a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction enjoining disclosure pursuant to Chapter 42.56 RCW, or other state or federal law that provides for nondisclosure, COMMERCE shall maintain the confidentiality of the Proposer's information per the court order.

A charge will be made for copying and shipping as allowed by law. No fee shall be charged for inspection of contract files, but twenty-four (24) hours’ notice to the RFP Coordinator is required. All requests for information should be directed to the RFP Coordinator.

REVISIONS TO THE RFP

Addenda will be published on Washington’s Electronic Business Solution (WEBS). The website can be located at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/. For this purpose, the published questions and answers and any other pertinent information shall be provided as an addendum to the RFP and will be placed on the website. Such addenda will also be published anywhere the RFP is posted, including on COMMERCE’S public webpage, located at https://www.commerce.wa.gov/contracting/.

COMMERCE also reserves the right to cancel or to reissue the RFP in whole or in part, prior to execution of a contract.

DIVERSE BUSINESS INCLUSION PLAN

Proposers are required to submit a Diverse Business Inclusion Plan with their Proposal describing, in good faith, their aspirational goals for the inclusion and utilization of diverse business subcontractors , as applicable. In accordance with legislative findings and policies set forth in RCW 39.19, the state of Washington encourages participation in all contracts by firms certified by the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE), set forth in RCW 43.60A.200 for firms certified by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, and set forth in RCW 39.26.005 for firms that are Washington Small Businesses. No minimum level of minority- or women-owned business, Washington Small Businesses, or Washington State certified Veteran Business participation is required as a condition for receiving an award. Any affirmative action requirements set forth in any federal governmental rules included or referenced in the contract documents will apply.

COMMERCE has the following agency goals:

10% participation by Minority Owned Business https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/ https://www.commerce.wa.gov/contracting/

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6% participation by Women Owned Business

5% participation by Veteran Owned Business

5% participation by Small Businesses

ACCEPTANCE PERIOD

Proposals must provide 60 days for acceptance by COMMERCE from the due date for receipt of proposals.

COMPLAINT PROCESS

Potential Proposers may submit a complaint to COMMERCE based on any of following:

a) The solicitation unnecessarily restricts competition;

b) The solicitation evaluation or scoring process is unfair; or

c) The solicitation requirements are inadequate or insufficient to prepare a response.

A complaint may be submitted to COMMERCE at any time prior to 5 days before the proposal response deadline. The complaint must meet the following requirements:

a) The complaint must be in writing;

b) The complaint must be sent to the RFP coordinator in a timely manner;

c) The complaint should clearly articulate the basis for the complaint; and

d) The complaint should include a proposed remedy.

The RFP coordinator will respond to the complaint in writing. The response to the complaint and any changes to the solicitation will be posted on WEBS. The Director of COMMERCE will be notified of all complaints and will be provided a copy of COMMERCE’S response. The complaint may not be raised again during the protest period. COMMERCE’S action or inaction in response to the complaint is final.

There is no appeal process.

RESPONSIVENESS

All Proposals will be reviewed by the RFP Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instructions specified in this RFP. The Proposer is specifically notified that failure to comply with any part of this RFP may result in disqualification of the Proposal as incomplete and/or non-responsive.

Disqualified Proposers will be notified after the announcement of the Apparently Successful Contractor(s).

Disqualified Proposers will be informed of the reason for disqualification; this shall constitute a debriefing conference for the purposes of Section 4.6, Protest Procedure.

COMMERCE reserves the right at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities.

MOST FAVORABLE TERMS

COMMERCE reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the Proposal submitted.

Therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the Proposer can propose. There will be no best and final offer procedure. COMMERCE reserves the right to contact a Proposer for clarification of its Proposal.

The Apparent Successful Contractor should be prepared to accept this RFP for incorporation into a contract resulting from this RFP. Contract negotiations may incorporate some, or all, of the Proposer’s Proposal. The Proposal will become a part of the official procurement file on this matter without obligation to COMMERCE.

CONTRACT GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

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The Apparent Successful Contractor will be expected to enter into a contract which is substantially the same as the example contract and its general terms and conditions attached as Exhibit E. This sample contract is for information and review only and should not be returned with your Proposal. In no event is a Proposer to submit its own standard contract terms and conditions in response to this RFP. All proposed edits to the contract terms and conditions must be submitted as an attachment to Exhibit A, Certifications and Assurances form. COMMERCE will review requested edits and accept or reject the same at its sole discretion.

COSTS TO PROPOSE

COMMERCE will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Proposer in preparation of a Proposal submitted in response to this RFP, travel to or conduct of a presentation, or any other activities related to responding to this RFP.

NO OBLIGATION TO CONTRACT

This RFP does not obligate the state of Washington or COMMERCE to contract for services specified herein.

REJECTION OF PROPOSALS

COMMERCE reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any and all Proposals received without penalty and not to issue a contract as a result of this RFP.

COMMITMENT OF FUNDS

The Director of COMMERCE or delegate is the only individual who may legally commit COMMERCE to the expenditures of funds for a contract resulting from this RFP. No services may begin and no cost chargeable to the proposed contract may be incurred before receipt of a fully executed contract.

ELECTRONIC PAYMENT

The state of Washington prefers to utilize electronic payment in its transactions. The successful Contractor must have or obtain a Statewide Vendor Number (SWV) from the Office of Financial Management to be paid by COMMERCE. For more information, visit: www.ofm.wa.gov.

INSURANCE COVERAGE

The Contractor is to furnish COMMERCE with a certificate(s) of insurance executed by a duly authorized representative of each insurer, showing compliance with the insurance requirements set forth within the contract if requested.

The Contractor shall, at its own expense, obtain and keep in force insurance coverage which shall be maintained in full force and effect during the term of the contract. The Contractor shall furnish evidence in the form of a Certificate of Insurance that insurance shall be provided, and, if requested, a copy shall be forwarded to COMMERCE within fifteen (15) days of the contract effective date. Standard insurance requirements are included within the example contract and its special terms and conditions attached as Exhibit E.

http://www.ofm.wa.gov/

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3. PROPOSAL CONTENTS

ELECTRONIC PROPOSALS:

To be responsive, Proposals must contain all eight items below, written in English, and submitted electronically to the RFP Coordinator in the following order:

1. Letter of Submittal

2. Certifications and Assurances (Exhibit A to this RFP)

3. Technical Proposal (Scored)

4. Management Proposal (Scored)

5. Cost Proposal (Scored)

6. Previous Strategic Plan Examples (Scored)

7. Diverse Business Inclusion Plan (Exhibit B to this RFP)

8. Workers’ Rights Certification (Exhibit C to this RFP)

9. Small or Veteran-Owned Business Certification (Exhibit D to this RFP)

Proposals must provide information in the same order as presented in this document with the same headings. This will not only be helpful to the evaluators of the Proposal but should also assist the Proposer in preparing a thorough response.

Items marked “mandatory” must be included as part of the Proposal to be considered responsive, however, these items are not scored. Items marked “scored” are those that are awarded points as part of the evaluation conducted by the evaluation team.

LETTER OF SUBMITTAL (MANDATORY)

The Letter of Submittal must be signed and dated by a person authorized to legally bind the Proposer to a contractual relationship, e.g., the President or Executive Director if a corporation, the managing partner if a partnership, or the proprietor if a sole proprietorship.

Along with introductory remarks, the Letter of Submittal must include the following information about the Proposer and any proposed subcontractors:

A. Name, address, principal place of business, telephone number, and fax number/e-mail address of legal entity or individual with whom contract would be written.

B. Name, address, and telephone number of each principal officer (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, etc.)

C. Legal status of the Proposer (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, etc.) and the year the entity was organized to do business as the entity now substantially exists.

D. Federal Employer Tax Identification number and the Washington Uniform Business Identification (UBI) number issued by the state of Washington. If the Proposer does not have a UBI number, the Proposer must state that it will become licensed in Washington within thirty

(30) calendar days of being selected as the Apparently Successful Contractor.

E. Location from which the Proposer would operate.

F. Identify any state employees or former state employees employed or on the firm’s governing board as of the date of the proposal. Include their position and responsibilities within the Proposer’s organization. If following a review of this information COMMERCE determines that a conflict of interest exists, the Proposer may be disqualified from further consideration.

CERTIFICATIONS AND ASSURANCES (MANDATORY)

The Certifications and Assurances form (Exhibit A to this RFP) must be signed and dated by a person authorized to legally bind the Proposer to a contractual relationship, e.g., the President or

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Executive Director if a corporation, the managing partner if a partnership, or the proprietor if a sole proprietorship. Proposers wishing to submit any proposed contract edits must indicate so on this form (see Section 2.14).

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL (SCORED)

The Technical Proposal must contain a comprehensive description of services including the following elements:

A. Project Approach/Methodology: Include a complete description of the Proposer’s proposed approach and methodology for the project. This section should convey Proposer’s full understanding of the proposed project.

B. Work Plan: Include all project requirements and the proposed tasks, services, activities, etc.

necessary to accomplish the scope of the project defined in this RFP. This section of the technical proposal must contain sufficient detail to convey to…