(1)(a) After bids that are submitted in response to a competitive solicitation process are reviewed by the awarding agency, the awarding agency may:

(i) Reject all bids and rebid or cancel the competitive solicitation;

(ii) Request best and final offers from responsive and responsible bidders; or

(iii) Award the purchase or contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.

(b) The agency may award one or more contracts from a competitive solicitation.

(2) In determining whether the bidder is a responsible bidder, the agency must consider the following elements:

(a) The ability, capacity, and skill of the bidder to perform the contract or provide the service required;

(b) The character, integrity, reputation, judgment, experience, and efficiency of the bidder;

(c) Whether the bidder can perform the contract within the time specified;

(d) The quality of performance of previous contracts or services;

(e) The previous and existing compliance by the bidder with laws relating to the contract or services;

(f) Whether, within the three-year period immediately preceding the date of the bid solicitation, the bidder has been determined by a final and binding citation and notice of assessment issued by the department of labor and industries or through a civil judgment entered by a court of limited or general jurisdiction to have willfully violated, as defined in RCW 49.48.082, any provision of chapter 49.46, 49.48, or 49.52 RCW; and

(g) Such other information as may be secured having a bearing on the decision to award the contract.

(3) In determining the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, an agency may consider best value criteria, including but not limited to:

(a) Whether the bid satisfies the needs of the state as specified in the solicitation documents;

(b) Whether the bid encourages diverse contractor participation;

(c) Whether the bid provides competitive pricing, economies, and efficiencies;

(d) Whether the bid considers human health and environmental impacts;

(e) Whether the bid appropriately weighs cost and noncost considerations; and

(f) Life-cycle cost.

(4) The solicitation document must clearly set forth the requirements and criteria that the agency will apply in evaluating bid submissions. Before award of a contract, a bidder shall submit to the contracting agency a signed statement in accordance with chapter 5.50 RCW verifying under penalty of perjury that the bidder is in compliance with the responsible bidder criteria requirement of subsection (2)(f) of this section. A contracting agency may award a contract in reasonable reliance upon such a sworn statement.

(5) The awarding agency may at its discretion reject the bid of any contractor who has failed to perform satisfactorily on a previous contract with the state.

(6) After reviewing all bid submissions, an agency may enter into negotiations with the lowest responsive and responsible bidder in order to determine if the bid may be improved. An agency may not use this negotiation opportunity to permit a bidder to change a nonresponsive bid into a responsive bid.

(7) The procuring agency must enter into the state's enterprise vendor registration and bid notification system the name of each bidder and an indication as to the successful bidder.

Findings—2017 c 258: See note following RCW 39.04.350.