Student and Employee Investigations

Eastern Washington University (EWU) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP #25-NLS01) seeking qualified firms to conduct comprehensive student and employee investigations across multiple jurisdictions in Washington State, including Spokane County, Tacoma City, Spokane City, and Spokane Valley City. The procurement solicits external investigators capable of conducting impartial investigations into allegations of misconduct, encompassing ethical issues, discrimination, sexual misconduct, and violations of university policies, laws, and regulations. Key deliverables include creating detailed investigative reports, making factual findings, and potentially determining policy violations in discrimination and Title IX cases. Proposers must demonstrate experience in higher education personnel investigations, ability to initiate investigations within 72 hours of notification, and possess proper Washington state business licensing. The evaluation criteria will be weighted as follows: Technical Proposal (30%), Management Proposal (40%), and Cost Proposal (30%), with proposals due February 12, 2025, by 3:00 PM Pacific Time. The contract term is tentatively scheduled from March 1, 2025, to February 28, 2028, with potential for two optional one-year extensions, bringing the maximum contract duration to five years.

The university encourages participation from diverse business enterprises, specifically targeting minority-owned businesses (10% goal), women-owned businesses (4% goal), and veteran-owned businesses (3% goal). Proposing firms must maintain comprehensive insurance coverages, including $2 million in general liability, $1 million in professional liability, and $1 million in business auto liability. While specific budget amounts are not explicitly stated, EWU intends to create a vendor pool and may award contracts to multiple firms, with an average of 1-2 external investigations conducted annually. The RFP indicates flexibility in investigation methodologies, accepting investigators from outside Washington state and accommodating both in-person and virtual interview formats depending on investigation requirements. Contractors will be expected to provide full investigator resumes and demonstrate the capability to conduct thorough, objective investigations across various misconduct allegations in a higher education environment.