BEAD NEPA and Historic Preservation Services

The Washington State Broadband Office (WSBO) is soliciting proposals for a third-party environmental contractor to provide comprehensive National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and historic preservation support services for Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) projects across multiple Washington counties, including Franklin, Grant, Grays Harbor, Chelan, and Yakima. The selected contractor will be responsible for reviewing environmental documentation, conducting NEPA compliance reviews, coordinating with federal and state agencies, and developing environmental and cultural resource management plans for approximately 170 BEAD project areas requiring full environmental review. Key deliverables include environmental assessments, categorical exclusion determinations, environmental impact statements, archaeological monitoring plans, and Section 106 consultation documentation. The procurement follows a detailed evaluation process that weights Technical Proposals at 80% and Management Proposals at 20%, with cost proposals scored by dividing the lowest cost received by the proposer's total cost. Proposals are due on February 2, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time, with a Question and Answer period running from December 18, 2025, through January 6, 2026. The contract term is scheduled from February 20, 2026, through November 30, 2030, with potential extensions for two additional one-year periods.

The solicitation is open to proposers licensed to do business in Washington or willing to obtain a license within 30 days of selection, with mandatory minimum qualifications including five years of experience with NEPA/NHPA regulations and Washington State permitting requirements. All proposers must submit a Diverse Business Inclusion Plan, and subcontractor experience can count toward meeting minimum qualifications. The contract includes a mandatory award provision for contracts under $150,000 to be awarded to the highest-ranked Small or Veteran-Owned Business, though this is not applicable to the federally funded BEAD program. The total budget for this contract is approximately $6,000,000, with potential additional funding up to $1,000,000 for up to two additional one-year periods. Successful contractors must obtain a federal Unique Entity Identifier from SAM.Gov and a Statewide Vendor Number from the Office of Financial Management. The project is funded through the National Telecommunications Information Association (NTIA) BEAD program, with a total federal award of $1,222,742,066.30. Proposers certifying they do not require mandatory individual arbitration clauses for employees will receive an additional 5% bonus to their awarded points.