The Washington State Department of Commerce is initiating a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals from firms to lend professional expertise, provide specialized facilitation, training, and support to ensure the development of a strategic plan that will move Commerce forward towards integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion in the work of the agency. Commerce and the director of Commerce have made diversity, equity and inclusion one of the top priorities of the agency and seeks to align this priority to the agency mission and goals. Commerce intends to award one contract for an amount not exceeding $100,000. All entities meeting the minimum requirements are encouraged to respond and proposals are due no later than January 24, 2020 at 4 p.m.

The key objectives of this work include the following:

1. 2.1. Develop a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategic Plan
   1. Agency Level DEI Strategic Plan that include the development of goals, objectives and strategies that:
      1. Integrate DEI into the internal processes and systems in the agency;
      2. Integrate DEI into our externally facing work.

 2.2. Develop a DEI Training Plan

1. Identify training gaps in the agency;
2. Develop an accessible and usable training plan the agency can continue with, that include the following topics:
   1. Building a common language and shared knowledge about DEI;
   2. Understanding implicit bias;
   3. Recognizing structural inequalities

Read the full Request for Proposals