Information Technology and Professional Services (ITPS)

The Washington Health Benefit Exchange (WAHBE) has issued a Request for Quotes and Qualifications (RFQQ HBE 24-004) to establish a pool of qualified vendors for Information Technology Professional Services (ITPS) across 13 resource categories including Application Developers, Business Systems Analysts, Cloud Security Engineers, Database Administrators, IT Architects, Project Managers, Product Owners, Risk Management Analysts, Security Analysts, and Software Test Analysts. The solicitation seeks vendors to provide specialized IT services, project management, and professional resources primarily through remote work, with occasional on-site work at WAHBE's Olympia location. Each resource category has specific mandatory and desired qualifications, with vendors required to demonstrate expertise through detailed responses, resumes, and references. The RFQQ was released on December 2, 2024, with an optional vendor conference on December 13, 2024, and proposals due by February 3, 2025 at 3:00 PM PT. The initial contract period will run from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027, with potential extensions through June 30, 2030, and individual work orders typically spanning six months to one year. Evaluation criteria include pass/fail mandatory requirements and point-based scoring for desired qualifications, with vendors able to earn up to 150 points for certain responses and 100 points for others.

While there are no specific set-aside goals, WAHBE encourages participation from small, minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses. The previous RFQQ from 2019 (HBE 19-003) resulted in contracts with 12 vendors and total contract spend of $9,687,392.07 across approximately 26 different resource titles since March 2020. Vendors must have a physical presence in the United States, be licensed to conduct business in Washington state within 30 days of award, and have a minimum of two years' experience providing similar ITPS resources. The solicitation notes that successful award does not guarantee any minimum work volume, as funding is contingent upon availability. Some work may involve access to sensitive information, including potential interaction with Federal Tax Information, which requires additional background checks and security measures. Resources will typically use WAHBE-provided laptops, and hourly rates must be all-inclusive, covering travel, lodging, expenses, administrative costs, insurance, overhead, profit, and other necessary expenses. Historically, the most frequently requested resources have been Business Systems Analysts, Cloud Services Engineers, Risk Management Analysts, and IT Project Management Services.