Contract description: The Washington Student Achievement Council is conducting a competitive solicitation to award a Contract to acquire a qualified firm with expertise in Islamic finance, Shariah compliance, investment analysis, and/or higher education savings programs to evaluate whether the State's GET (529) Prepaid Tuition Plan (GET) may be considered a Shariah-compliant option for Muslim families seeking to save for future qualified higher education expenses.

Scope of Work

Consultant shall:

• Evaluate GET’s legal structure, governance, investment characteristics, and contractual relationship with program participants in the context of established principles of Islamic finance.
• Identify any features of the program that may present concerns under commonly recognized Shariah standards.
• Assess whether GET could reasonably be considered a Shariah-compliant education savings option under the recognized standards and methodologies applied in the review.
• Identify any plan features that may present ambiguities or variations in interpretations among recognized Islamic scholars or Shariah standards that may affect the analysis.
• Recommend any further analysis, scholarly review, and/or certification procedures that may be available and advisable.
• Recommend potential modifications, disclosures, or operational changes, if any, that could affect the program's compatibility with Islamic finance principles.

Commodity codes: 918-04 Accounting/Auditing/Budget Consulting; 918-06 Administrative Consulting;

918-21    Business Consulting, Large; 918-20 Business Consulting, Small; 918-32 Consulting Services (Not Otherwise Classified); 918-37 Economy Consulting; 946-49 Financial Services (Not Otherwise Classified); 918-58 Governmental Consulting; 946-56 Investment Management Services; 918-74 Legal Consulting; 918-79 Minority and Small Business Consulting; 962-71   Religious Services.

Inclusion plan: None

Preference/priority points:

• Washington small businesses
• Veteran-owned businesses
• Executive Order 18-03

Solicitation documents: Solicitation documents, contacts and bid instructions are available  in WEBS: https://pr-webs-vendor.des.wa.gov/.

Question-and-answer period: September 9, 2026 to October 7, 2026. Submit questions or concerns about this solicitation in writing to the Procurement Coordinator: Your Name at RFPCoordinator@wsac.wa.gov.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING BIDS: October 21, 2026