Office of Developmental Disabilities Ombuds Services

The Washington State Department of Commerce has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking a private, independent nonprofit organization to serve as the Office of the Developmental Disabilities Ombuds (ODDO) for a statewide contract. The selected organization will be responsible for investigating and reporting on services provided to persons with developmental disabilities, with a focus on effective communication with policymakers, stakeholders, and the general public. The RFP requires proposers to demonstrate extensive experience and capacity in developmental disabilities advocacy and communication. Proposals are due by April 2, 2025, at 5:00 PM Pacific Time, with a pre-proposal conference scheduled for February 27, 2025. The initial contract period will run from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027, with potential extensions for two additional biennium periods. The evaluation process will be comprehensive, assessing technical proposals (60%), management proposals (40%), with an additional 5% consideration for organizations that do not require employees to sign individual arbitration clauses. Top-scoring proposers may be required to participate in a virtual presentation before a panel of community members to further demonstrate their project approach and work plan.

The procurement is exclusively open to private, independent nonprofit organizations with specific expertise in developmental disabilities advocacy. There are no explicit set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises mentioned in the documentation. The maximum funding available for this project is $729,600.00, with proposals exceeding this amount considered non-responsive. Funding will be sourced from state resources and disbursed on a reimbursement basis for accepted deliverables and allowable time and expenses. The contract will cover services across multiple Washington counties, including but not limited to Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Clark, King, Pierce, Spokane, and Yakima Counties, as well as numerous cities and census-designated places within these jurisdictions. Proposers must demonstrate a robust organizational infrastructure capable of managing comprehensive developmental disabilities advocacy services across a diverse geographic landscape. The contract represents a significant opportunity for a nonprofit organization to provide critical ombuds services to individuals with developmental disabilities throughout Washington State.