Intent to Sole Source

The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) is pursuing a sole source contract with the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO to provide a labor liaison service across Washington's 34 community and technical colleges. The contract aims to foster partnerships between organized labor and educational institutions, with specific objectives including increasing labor representation on approximately 1,000 professional and technical program advisory committees, improving diversity in labor participation, and facilitating communication between SBCTC staff and labor representatives. Key deliverables include placing 20 new labor representatives on advisory committees, conducting training sessions for new representatives, scheduling college visits to discuss workforce needs, and producing quarterly and year-end reports. The contract will run from July 15, 2025, through June 30, 2026, with a potential one-year extension through June 30, 2027. Interested parties must submit capability statements within 10 business days of the announcement, with Abraham L. Rocha, Contracts & Procurement Officer, serving as the point of contact for further information or submissions.

The procurement appears to be exclusively targeted at the Washington State Labor Council, which has been deemed uniquely qualified due to its comprehensive representation of organized labor and established relationships with colleges and labor organizations. No specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises are mentioned in the documentation. The contract is structured to comply with RCW 28B.50.252, which requires local advisory committees to include representatives from business and labor reflecting local industry and community needs. The total contract value is $98,000, funded entirely from state funds, with payments structured around specific deliverables across four goal areas. The contractor will receive $1,500 per labor representative placement and $2,000 per training session, with flexibility to shift efforts between activities with SBCTC's approval. The contract demonstrates a focused approach to workforce development, emphasizing the strategic placement of labor representatives and the enhancement of communication between educational institutions and labor organizations.