Seattle's New Rules Require WMBE Plan Pre-Bid
Please share your comments on these new requirements with other AGC members by posting them on the Seattle District Government Action Blog.
Prime contractors bidding on city of Seattle projects of more than $300000 must submit their plans for including WMBE firms with their bids according to an executive order announced by Mayor McGinn Aug. 24. Plans will be evaluated to assess whether the bidders good-faith efforts meet the citys standard.
Effective immediately the mayor’s “inclusion plan” replaces the “outreach plan” established in 2002. Previously the city has discussed its outreach plan with the lowest bidder before the award but the goal is to eliminate that step in the future. With the old plan bidders did not need to meet a basic responsiveness standard. Now if the bidders inclusion doesnt meet the citys standard the city will not consider the bid.
In addition bidders for projects with an engineers estimate above $2 million will need to use a designated WMBE expert to develop and carry out the inclusion plan including recruitment and support throughout the contract. The expert can be a qualified person on the bidders staff or may be selected from a city roster of pre-qualified experts.
Here is as summary of the plan requirements:
• The Bidder must clearly identify their proposed WMBE goals as a percentage of the total bid amount.
• Self-performance is not a substitute for good faith efforts to subcontract and utilize WMBE firms.
• The Bidder must demonstrate that it conducted sufficient outreach to appropriately qualified WMBE firms (such as those licensed and/or certified for the scope of work sought).
• PCSD will reject any bid that does not attach a completed Inclusion Plan.
• PCSD will score the Inclusion Plan for all remaining responsive bids and make responsiveness determination based on scoring as described in the Inclusion Plan.
For details on the new requirements click here.
Please share your comments on the new requirements with other AGC members by posting them on the Seattle District Government Action Blog.
AGC is requesting the City to conduct an outreach meeting with its members on what they now need to provide for the Inclusion Plan when submitting bids. Your comments will help develop the agenda for that meeting. Meanwhile all potential bidders for city construction work should be aware that it is in effect now.
AGC members with questions or comments should contact AGC Seattle District Manager Jerry Dinndorf 206-284-0061.