Active SLED Opportunity · WASHINGTON · CITY OF SEATTLE
AI Summary
City of Seattle seeks qualified consultants for audit, financial, and asset management consulting rosters through a Request for Qualifications.
The City of Seattle is requesting eligible Consultants submit an application and statement of qualifications for the establishment of audit, financial, and asset management related consultant rosters.
City of Seattle ordinance allows the City to establish lists of qualified Consultants for use by any Department for skills or services in specialized areas of knowledge or experience. The City refers to these lists of qualified Consultants as rosters. A Department may contract with a Consultant on the appropriate roster for assignments or projects without a formal, advertised competitive process as long as each Contract is estimated to cost below $410,000 and the Department has determined that its needs can be fully met without soliciting proposals through public advertising.
The City has updated the solicitation to update the first date of use for consultants approved to the roster through this solicitation. . The City will officially transition from rosters in the Online Business Directory to rosters in OpenGov beginning January 1, 2026. OpenGov rosters will not be used for City contracting before this date. Only consultants approved to rosters in the Online Business Directory or through the manual process mentioned in Section 1.3 will be allowable for roster contracting before January 1, 2026.
Additionally, the City has clarified that notices will be sent out when a small business priority goes into effect for a roster category. As of November 24, 2025, none of the roster categories listed in Section 2.1 have a small business priority in effect.
Lastly, the City has fixed the Questions Response deadline from December 1, 2025 to December 1, 2030.
Please use the See What Changed link to view all the changes made by this addendum.
Seattle Municipal Code 20.50.100 allows the City to establish lists of qualified Consultants for the use by any Department for skills or services in specialized areas of knowledge or experience. The City refers to these lists of qualified Consultants as rosters. A Department may contract with a Consultant on the appropriate roster for assignments or projects without a formal, advertised competitive process as long as each Contract is estimated to cost below $410,000 and the Department has determined that its needs can be fully met without soliciting proposals through public advertising.
Applications will be evaluated by City staff familiar with the consultant roster program and requirements. Evaluators will review responses to this RFQ, including Statements of Qualification, to determine that a Consultant meets the following requirements:
1. Consultant or firm has experience performing the scopes of work contemplated within the applicable roster category.
2. Consultant or firm has affirmed it has obtained all relevant licenses, certifications, and education necessary to perform the work it seeks through this solicitation.
3. Consultant or firm is considered a "small business concern" (when applicable) using the Small Business Administration's Table of Size Standards.
4. Category-specific qualification requirements when applicable.
Those eligible will have experience providing consulting services that include any of the scopes detailed below. Consultants found to be qualified will be approved to the City's consultant roster(s) for which they apply. This solicitation is looking for Consultants to populate the roster categories below:
Consultants must meet minimum qualifications in order to be considered for approval to a roster category. Those that are not responsive to these qualifications shall be rejected by the City:
All Categories in this solicitation require the following qualifications:
City departments are authorized to enter into a Consultant Roster Contract (Agreement) with an approved roster consultant when they have determined that its contracting needs can be fully met without soliciting proposals through public advertising. Departments have discretion to identify a firm for contracting off a roster using one of the three methods below.
1. Informal solicitation (not publicly advertised) to the entire roster (Vendor List) of approved consultants for the appropriate category under which their needed scope of work falls.
2. Informal solicitation (not publicly advertised) to a subset of Consultants from the roster (Vendor List) of approved consultants for the appropriate category under which their needed scope of work falls.
3. Direct selection of a Consultant approved to the roster (Vendor List) for the appropriate category under which their needed scope of work falls.
City ordinance defines a Consultant as any person that by experience, training, and education of the principals, officers or employees thereof has established a reputation or ability to perform specialized activities on a discrete, nonrecurring basis over a limited and pre-established term as an independent contractor, delivering or providing advice, recommendations, reports, analyses, evaluations, audits, surveys or other products of cognitive processes or expert or professional services including but not limited to services from any attorney, architect, accountant, public relations advisor, dentist, physician, surgeon psychiatrist, psychologist, veterinarian, engineer, surveyor, appraiser, planning consultant, investment counselor and actuary.
Licensing and insurance requirements listed in Section 5, Selection of Consultants from a Roster for Contracting, are NOT required in order to submit an application to the consultant roster program. Business licensing and insurance requirements are applicable upon the City notifying you of its intent to enter into a formal consultant roster agreement and are required to be satisfied before an agreement is executed. Additional licenses and insurance may be required based on the project.
Should a Consultant be approved to a roster, formal communication notifying Consultant of the approval will be sent either by email or through the Procurement Portal. The City will designate the Consultant as approved within the Procurement Portal by adding the Consultant to the appropriate roster(s). After January 2, 2026, the approved lists of consultants will be accessible to the public under Vendor Lists in the City's Procurement Portal under the Vendors tab.
The scope of work covered by this category includes investment services, including but not limited to: investment review, research, cost-benefit analysis, audit, CIP prioritization, inventory analysis, assessment, evaluation, monitoring, documentation, recommendations, forecasting, strategizing, modeling, governance approach or expert witness.
Consultants are required to submit a new Consultant Questionnaire for each individual agreement entered with the City. It is not required as a condition of roster approval. For reference, the Consultant Questionnaire can be found: https://www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/FAS/PurchasingAndContracting/Consulting/fas-cpcs-consultant-questionnaire.docx.
As we transition away from the consultant roster program housed within the City's soon-to-be retired Online Business Directory (OBD), the City is in a transition period where departments will use the rosters from the OBD to determine consultant roster eligibility for contracting. At the end of 2025, the City expects the rosters to contain a sufficient amount of approved Consultants to sustain a consultant roster program and will transition the official consultant roster program to the City's new Procurement Portal (OpenGov). If during this transition time, it becomes necessary to formally add an eligible Consultant to a Consultant Roster for immediate contracting, as allowed by ordinance, the City employee requesting the contract must contact the Purchasing and Contracting division within Finance and Administrative Services for assistance. This schedule is subject to change and this solicitation will be updated accordingly.
The City has linked its boilerplate Consultant Roster Agreement so Consultants can be familiar with the standard terms of the City's roster consultant contracts. Should Consultant be approved to a roster and then selected for contracting, the selecting department may use this boilerplate to prepare the contract. Departments have discretion over whether to allow for negotiation of the standard terms. The City is not able to modify contract provisions mandated by Federal, State, or City law. Additional project- and/or department-specific terms and exhibits may be required in a resultant contract during the contracting process.
This solicitation is accepting applications for the City of Seattle's Consultant Roster continuously until this roster cycle ends on 12/31/2030. Consultants may apply at anytime within the cycle.
The scope of work covered by this category includes asset maintenance services, including but not limited to: asset classification or inventory (tagging) practices, condition assessment, inspection, critical analysis, develop critical scorecard, evaluation, monitoring, documentation, maintenance (time-based or condition-based) recommendations, research, asset risk management, policy, procedure or program development, communications, training, change management assessment or expert witness.
Consultant understands that the rosters are lists of Consultants the City has deemed as qualified to perform all or parts of the scopes of work designated under a particular category. Approval to any of the roster categories does not guarantee any Consultant any contract for any amount. See Section 4. Selection of Consultants from a Roster for Contracting for information on how Consultants may be selected for a Contract.
The City is moving into a new era of the consultant roster program wherein rosters will be reset every 5 years. The first of these cycles is tentatively expected to run from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2030. Between this time period, the City's Procurement Portal (OpenGov) will be considered the official "rosters of record." Consultants approved to one or multiple consultant rosters during this time period will remain approved until either (1) the Consultant no longer meets the requirements to be approved to a consultant roster or (2) until December 31, 2030. All consultant roster approvals will expire December 31, 2030 regardless of when the application was approved.
Upon notification of consultant roster contract award, Consultant agrees that, at a minimum, it will maintain premises operations and vehicle liability insurance in force with coverages and limits of liability typically maintained by consultants performing work of a scope and nature similar to that called for under the contract but in no event less than the coverages and/or limits required by Washington state law. Such insurance shall include “The City of Seattle” as an additional insured for primary and non-contributory limits of liability. Workers compensation insurance shall also be maintained if required by Washington state law. Project-specific insurance requirements may be added as a condition of contracting in addition to the City's standard Consultant insurance requirements.
Consultants may submit their questions through the Procurement Portal by visiting the Question & Answer tab above. The City intends to answer questions within a timely manner. All questions and answers will be posted publicly with the submitter's name removed. Questions that apply to all roster solicitations may be added to all roster solicitations in process.
The scope of work covered by this category includes financial audit, financial accounting analysis, advice, studies, actuarial studies, evaluation, monitoring, recommendations, review, reports, or expert witness
Consultants have the right to appeal rejection notifications to the Consultant Roster program. Only appeals alleging an issue concerning the following subjects shall be considered:
1. A matter of bias, discrimination, or conflict of interest.
2. Non-compliance with procedures described in the solicitation or City policy.
Formal appeals must be in writing and received within 3 days from the date the consultant roster rejection notification was sent by the City. A casual inquiry, complaint, or statement of the intention to appeal that does not provide the facts and issues or does not comply with the form, content, or deadlines will not be considered or acted on as an appeal. The following information must be included in the appeal letter to be considered:
1. Consultant firm name, mailing address, email address, phone number, and name and title of Consultant individual responsible for submission of the protest.
2. The basis for the appeal to the rejection decision including specific facts with back-up documentation.
3. A signature by an authorized agent of the business.
The Purchasing and Contracting division of Finance and Administrative Services will review the appeal. All available facts will be considered and a final decision shall be issued in writing. Each determination from the City will:
1. Find the appeal lacking in merit and uphold the City action; or
2. Find merit in the appeal and proceed with approval to the roster(s) that were previously denied to Consultant.
The City may make changes to this RFQ if, in the sole judgment of the City, the change will not compromise the City’s objectives in this solicitation. Any change to this RFQ will be made by formal addendum issued by the City, through the Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/seattle and shall become part of this RFQ.
Prior to the execution of a formal consultant roster agreement with the City, Consultants must meet all applicable licensing requirements or the City may reject the Consultant. Companies must license, report and pay revenue taxes for the Washington State business License (UBI#) and Seattle Business License, if required by law.
Seattle Business Licensing and associated taxes
1. If you have a “physical nexus” in the city, you must obtain a Seattle Business license and pay all taxes due before a Consultant Roster agreement can be executed.
2. A “physical nexus” means you have physical presence, such as: a building/facility/employee(s) in Seattle, you make sales trips into Seattle, your own company drives into Seattle for product deliveries, and/or you conduct service work in Seattle (repair, installation, service, maintenance work, on-site consulting, etc).
3. All costs for any licenses, permits and Seattle Business License taxes owed shall be borne by the Consultant and not charged separately to the City.
4. The apparent successful Consultant(s) must immediately obtain the license and ensure all City taxes are current, unless exempted by City Code due to reasons such as no physical nexus. Failure to do so will cause rejection of the submittal.
5. The City of Seattle Application for a Business License and additional licensing information can be found this page here: https://www.seattle.gov/city-finance/business-taxes-and-licenses/business-licenses
6. For Questions and Assistance, call the Revenue and Consumer Protection (RCP) office which issues business licenses and enforces licensing requirements. The general e-mail is tax@seattle.gov. The main phone is 206-684-8484.
7. Self-Filing You can pay your license and taxes on-line https://www.filelocal-wa.gov/Default_FileLocal.aspx
8. If a business has extraordinary balances due on their account that would cause undue hardship to the business, the business can contact the License and Tax Administration office at tax@seattle.gov or 206-684-8484 to request additional assistance.
9. Those holding a City of Seattle Business license may be required to report and pay revenue taxes to the City.
Consultants who have been notified of their denial of application to be added to a roster have the right to reapply after 6 weeks. Consultants can apply to additional roster categories at anytime.
The scope of work covered by this category includes performance audit, analysis, assessment, evaluation, advice, studies, reports or expert witness in accordance with the Government Audit Standards as set by the Comptroller General of the United States, on a wide range of management, administrative, financial, budgetary, operational, or other organizational issues.
Per Seattle Municipal Code 20.50.110B, whenever 15 or more Consultants qualify as "small business concerns" in a single roster category, the category shall consist only of those Consultants who are eligible to be classified as a "small business concern." If 14 or fewer such Consultants are qualified, Consultants for that roster category shall be selected without regard to their eligibility under the small business criteria. The City currently uses the Small Business Administration's standards to identify small businesses. More information about small business size standards can be found at: https://www.sba.gov/partners/contracting-officials/small-business-procurement/small-business-size-standards.
Should Consultants graduate from the small business concern designation, Consultants are required to notify the City's Purchasing and Contracting division within Finance and Administrative Services by email to Julie.Salinas@seattle.gov for removal from the roster list. Graduation from the small business concern designation will have no effect on executed Consultant Roster contracts.
The City will issue notices on this solicitation as roster categories close to large businesses. As of November 24, 2025, all roster categories listed in Section 2.1 continue to be open to large businesses.
At this time, not-for-profit organizations are not eligible to apply for the City's consultant roster program as they do not fall under the "small business concern" designation required by ordinance. Should a City department determine that a contract with a public benefit nonprofit corporation is the best option for consulting work, they are able to contract directly with the public benefit nonprofit corporation per Seattle Municipal Code 20.50.090C. Approval to a consultant roster is not necessary for a public benefit nonprofit corporation to contract with the City without public advertising.
It is the Consultant's responsibility to respond to this solicitation in a manner that does not require interpretation or clarification by the City. The Consultant is to provide all requested materials, forms and information, ensure the materials are submitted properly, and accurately reflect the Consultant’s qualifications. This does not limit the City’s right to consider additional information (such as references that are not provided by the Consultant but are known to the City, or past City experience with the consultant), or to seek clarifications as needed.
Should a Consultant be selected from a roster to enter into a contract, before the contract is signed, Consultant must have a State of Washington business license (a “Unified Business Identifier” known as a UBI#). If the State of Washington has exempted your business from State licensing (some foreign companies are exempt and sometimes, the State waives licensing because the company has no physical presence in the State), then submit proof of that exemption to the City. All costs for any licenses, permits and associated tax payments due to the State because of licensing shall be borne by the Consultant and not charged separately to the City. Instructions to apply for a business license can be found at https://dor.wa.gov/open-business/apply-business-license and the State of Washington Department of Revenue contact help page at https://dor.wa.gov/contact.
City departments may contract with Consultants on the roster for contracts estimated to cost no more than $410,000. The limit applies to the entire estimated contract, not per year of the contract. Each department may only use an approved roster Consultant up to a maximum amount of $819,000 per year, per approved roster category.
Consultants shall not interfere in any way to discourage other potential and/or prospective Consultants from applying to this solicitation. Prohibited contacts includes but is not limited to any contact, whether direct or indirect (i.e. in writing, by phone, email or other, and by the Consultant or another person acting on behalf of the Consultant) to a likely firm or individual that may discourage or limit competition. If such activity is evidenced to the satisfaction and in sole discretion of the City, the Consultant that initiates such contacts may be rejected from the process.
The City does not guarantee utilization of any agreement(s) awarded to a Consultant who was selected off of a consultant roster. The agreement may provide estimates of utilization; such information is for Consultant convenience and not a usage guarantee. The City reserves the right to order work based on City needs. The City may turn to other appropriate contract sources or supplemental contracts to obtain these same or similar services. The City may re-solicit for new additions to the Consultant pool. Use of such supplemental contracts does not limit the right of the City to terminate existing contracts for convenience or cause.
The City may formally remove a Consultant from any City roster at its discretion before the current cycle ends.
Prior to City's evaluation, a Consultant may update their application through the City's Procurement Portal.
The scope of work covered by this category includes economic analysis, assessment, evaluation, monitoring, recommendations, forecasting, strategizing, modeling, review, reports, rate studies, or expert witness.
The scope of work covered by this category includes historic resource inventories, assessments, impacts, rehabilitation, or design for re-use.
The City of Seattle, as a Washington governmental entity, is subject to Washington Laws regulating governmental entities, including the Washington Public Records Act (“Public Records Act”), RCW 42.56, which provides that any writing (including handwriting, typewriting, printing, photographing, and every other means of recording any form of communication or representation) containing information relating to the conduct of government or the performance of any governmental or proprietary function prepared owned, used or retained by state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics, must be promptly disclosed upon request, unless specifically exempted under the Public Records Act. Exemptions are narrow and explicit and contained in RCW 42.56 and RCW 19.108.
Accordingly, the City cannot represent or guarantee that any information submitted by Consultant will be confidential. In the event the City receives a request under the Public Records Act, the City's sole responsibility will be to follow the procedures set forth in the Public Records Act; provided that the City shall, in accordance with the Public Records Act, use reasonable efforts to provide prior notice to the Consultant when appropriate under the Public Records Act in order for Consultant to either promptly provide a redaction of such records to maintain confidentiality of its information, intellectual property rights, and trade secrets or for Consultant to file an injunction through the state or federal courts in King County, Washington to block the release of the requested records. Regardless, Consultant agrees that the City will not be required to notify Consultant in connection with the City's compliance with the Public Records Act.
For more information, visit the Washington State Legislature’s website at http://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=42.56.
The scope of work covered by this category includes providing real property valuation services, including right of way appraisal services, true cost estimates, appraisals, appraisal reviews, administrative offer summaries, cost to cure bids, market analysis for property acquisitions, surpluses or sales, arbitration of fair market rent, or expert witness. Appraisal services provided in compliance with the Uniform Act 42 U.S. Code Chapter 61, WSDOT Local Agency Guidelines, RCW 8.26 or any Seattle Municipal Code applicable to appraisals.
The scope of work covered by this category includes real estate consulting, brokerage services, disposition, acquisition, relocation, valuation, estimates, property management, due diligence transaction screening, or expert witness.
A Consultant is considered a "small business concern" if it qualifies as a Small Business under the Small Business Act of the United States, 15 USC Section 632, and its implementing regulations. The Small Business Act empowers the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to establish specific size standards based on various factors like number of employees, revenue, and net worth which vary by industry.
You can select see if you qualify by finding your industry in the SBA's Table of Size Standards found here: https://www.sba.gov/document/support-table-size-standards.
Nonprofit organizations are not eligible to apply to the Consultant roster program.
Seattle Municipal Code provides another avenue for which City departments are able to contract out with public benefit non-profit organizations without public advertisement. Non-eligibility for the consultant roster program does not preclude your firm from working with the City.
Qualified consultants will have experience providing consultation on investment services, including but not limited to: investment review, research, cost-benefit analysis, audit, CIP prioritization, inventory analysis, assessment, evaluation, monitoring, documentation, recommendations, forecasting, strategizing, modeling, governance approach or expert witness.
Each project must have included at least one of the following scopes: investment services, including but not limited to: investment review, research, cost-benefit analysis, audit, CIP prioritization, inventory analysis, assessment, evaluation, monitoring, documentation, recommendations, forecasting, strategizing, modeling, governance approach or expert witness.
Qualified consultants will have experience providing consultation on asset maintenance services, including but not limited to: asset classification or inventory (tagging) practices, condition assessment, inspection, critical analysis, develop critical scorecard, evaluation, monitoring, documentation, maintenance (time-based or condition-based) recommendations, research, asset risk management, policy, procedure or program development, communications, training, change management assessment or expert witness.
Each project must have included at least one of the following scopes: asset maintenance services, including but not limited to: asset classification or inventory (tagging) practices, condition assessment, inspection, critical analysis, develop critical scorecard, evaluation, monitoring, documentation, maintenance (time-based or condition-based) recommendations, research, asset risk management, policy, procedure or program development, communications, training, change management assessment or expert witness.
Qualified consultants will have experience providing consultation on financial audit, financial accounting analysis, advice, studies, actuarial studies, evaluation, monitoring, recommendations, review, reports, or expert witness.
Each project must have included at least one of the following scopes: financial audit, financial accounting analysis, advice, studies, actuarial studies, evaluation, monitoring, recommendations, review, reports, or expert witness.
Qualified consultants will have experience providing consultation on performance audit, analysis, assessment, evaluation, advice, studies, reports or expert witness in accordance with the Government Audit Standards as set by the Comptroller General of the United States, on a wide range of management, administrative, financial, budgetary, operational, or other organizational issues.
Each project must have included at least one of the following scopes: performance audit, analysis, assessment, evaluation, advice, studies, reports or expert witness in accordance with the Government Audit Standards as set by the Comptroller General of the United States, on a wide range of management, administrative, financial, budgetary, operational, or other organizational issues.
Qualified consultants will have experience providing economic analysis, assessment, evaluation, monitoring, recommendations, forecasting, strategizing, modeling, review, reports, rate studies, or expert witness.
Each project must have included at least one of the following scopes: economic analysis, assessment, evaluation, monitoring, recommendations, forecasting, strategizing, modeling, review, reports, rate studies, or expert witness.
The scope of work covered by this category includes historic resource inventories, assessments, impacts, rehabilitation, or design for re-use.
Each project must have included at least one of the following scopes: historic resource inventories, assessments, impacts, rehabilitation, or design for re-use.
Qualified consultants will have experience providing consultation on real property valuation services, including right of way appraisal services, true cost estimates, appraisals, appraisal reviews, administrative offer summaries, cost to cure bids, market analysis for property acquisitions, surpluses or sales, arbitration of fair market rent, or expert witness. Appraisal services provided in compliance with the Uniform Act 42 U.S. Code Chapter 61, WSDOT Local Agency Guidelines, RCW 8.26 or any Seattle Municipal Code applicable to appraisals.
Each project must have included at least one of the following scopes: real property valuation services, including right of way appraisal services, true cost estimates, appraisals, appraisal reviews, administrative offer summaries, cost to cure bids, market analysis for property acquisitions, surpluses or sales, arbitration of fair market rent, or expert witness. Appraisal services provided in compliance with the Uniform Act 42 U.S. Code Chapter 61, WSDOT Local Agency Guidelines, RCW 8.26 or any Seattle Municipal Code applicable to appraisals.
Qualified consultants will have experience providing real estate consulting, brokerage services, disposition, acquisition, relocation, valuation, estimates, property management, due diligence transaction screening, or expert witness.
Each project must have included at least one of the following scopes: real estate consulting, brokerage services, disposition, acquisition, relocation, valuation, estimates, property management, due diligence transaction screening, or expert witness.
A statement of qualifications is a document that details how a Consultant firm's skills and experience align with the specific scope of work covered by the roster(s) attempting to be qualified for. There is not an official City of Seattle template for a Statement of Qualifications as they can vary significantly from field to field.
In general, the City is looking for evidence that the firm has completed projects or assignments related to the scope of work and that the key personnel and/or Principal have the required licenses, certificates, or education to perform the type of consulting work described for each category applied to.
Statements of qualification are generally set up in a resume style format as opposed to a narrative format. City departments may use these statements of qualifications to determine whether a Consultant has the proper experience to be considered for contracting. Upon approval to a consultant roster, Consultant must add this document to their Documents tab in the business profile of the CIty's Procurement Portal.
Q (Real Estate Services Qualifications ): • Please confirm that rosters are intended for non-advertised selections below $410,000, and that large, publicly advertised tenant-representation procurements (e.g., major lease transactions) would proceed outside the roster and do not require roster approval to compete. • For larger Real Estate tenant-representation needs anticipated to exceed $410,000, please confirm the intended procurement vehicle (e.g., separate, publicly advertised RFQ/RFP) and that firms not on a roster remain fully eligible to compete. • During the current transition, where many categories are small-business-only, please confirm that such restrictions apply only to roster-based, non-advertised selections and do not limit eligibility to compete in separate, publicly advertised procurements. Thank you
A: While roster opportunities are intended for projects with an estimated value of $410,000 or less and open to roster-approved firms by invitation only, please note that the City may publicly advertise projects of any dollar size via a RFQ/RFP without soliciting through the approved roster, and would be open to all businesses to respond to.
Q (Deadline): Can you confirm the deadline? Is it 12/30/30, as stated in the RFQ and OpenGov, or 12/30/25?
A: The response deadline is December 30, 2030 by 12:00 AM
Q (No subject): Is there an onsite requirement of the following categories? 2.4. Audits - Financial Audit, Analysis or Advice 2.5. Audits - Performance or Government
A: There is no onsite requirement in order to be eligible to apply to these categories. Consultants who are eventually approved and selected to provide services under these categoris may be required to have an onsite or in-person presence depending on the Scope of Work requirements
SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.
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