DES Statewide Contracting and WEBS Goals and Measures

DES oversees statewide contracts for goods and services used by all state agencies, as well as the state’s electronic vendor registration system called Washington's Electronic Business Solution (WEBS).

We're working to:

  • Boost availability of small businesses in WEBS.
  • Increase the number of small, diverse, and veteran businesses on statewide contracts.
  • Help businesses find opportunities to bid on statewide contracts.

Boost availability of small businesses in WEBS

RCW 43.19.725 requires DES to focus on increasing the number of small businesses registered in Washington’s Electronic Business Solution (WEBS), the state’s enterprise vendor registration and bid notification system. DES does this by providing technical assistance through partnerships with grassroots organizations that can reach small and diverse businesses selling what the state is buying and working with these partners to get businesses registered in WEBS. Learn more about state purchasing from small businesses.

A bar chart showing: 1) New WEBS registrations that were OMWBE certified: 2022 had 127, 2023 had 184, and 2024 had 324. 2) Total active OMWBE-certified businesses in WEBS: 2022 had 860m 2023 had 940, and 2024 had 1059. 3) New WEBS registrations: 2022 had 3,299, 2023 had 4,424, and 2024 had 5,943. 4) WA small business WEBS registrations: 2022 had 8,173, 2023 had 9,670, and 2024 had 12,246. 5) Total WEBS registrations: 2022 had 19,142, 2023 had 20,247, and 2024 had 23,382.

*DES does not certify women- and minority-owned businesses. However, we do monitor how many certified businesses register in WEBS.

Increase small and diverse businesses on statewide contracts

Under DES-090-06 agencies are required to take specific steps to ensure they give Washington state small, diverse, and veteran-owned businesses equitable access to goods and services contracts. One area of focus for DES is increasing the number of small businesses available on the statewide contracts that all agencies use. Spending on statewide contracts makes up about 14% of overall state agency spending . DES unbundles all new and renewed statewide contracts to the extent possible. Breaking larger contracts into smaller portions promotes opportunities for small and diverse businesses. In Fiscal Year 2024, 45 statewide contracts were put in place , and all of them were unbundled. DES also works with partner organizations to help small businesses learn how to bid with the state, and posts bidding opportunities 12 months in advance.

Active businesses on statewide contracts by fiscal year

For fiscal year 2022, of the 215 OMWBE certified businesses, 72 were minority-owned, 47 were minority women-owned, and 96 were women-owned. For fiscal year 2022, of the 462 self-identified businesses, 183 were minority-owned, 92 were minority women-owned, and 187 were women-owned. Total number of businesses in fiscal year 2022 was 1,819. For fiscal year 2023, of the 156 OMWBE certified businesses, 57 were minority-owned, 37 were minority women-owned, and 62 were women-owned. For fiscal year 2023, of the 413 self-identified businesses, 181 were minority-owned, 90 were minority women-owned, and 142 were women-owned. Total number of businesses in fiscal year 2023 was 1,680. For fiscal year 2024, of the 172 OMWBE certified businesses, 61 were minority-owned, 49 were minority women-owned, and 62 were women-owned. For fiscal year 2024, of the 490 self-identified businesses, 219 were minority-owned, 112 were minority women-owned, and 159 were women-owned. Total number of businesses in fiscal year 2024 was 1,913.

Newly awarded businesses on statewide contracts by fiscal year

A bar graph that shows newly awarded businesses on statewide contracts by fiscal year. In 2022, there were: 248 new businesses awarded, 80 small businesses awarded, 24 awards to Office of Minority & Women's Business Enterprises-certified businesses, and 50 self identified businesses awarded. In 2023, there were: 127 new businesses awarded, 29 small businesses awarded, 1 award to Office of Minority & Women's Business Enterprises-certified businesses, and 31 self identified businesses awarded. In 2024, there were: 435 new businesses awarded, 179 small businesses awarded, 51 awards to Office of Minority & Women's Business Enterprises-certified businesses, and 145 self identified businesses awarded.

Businesses notified of opportunities to bid on statewide contracts

In fiscal year 2024 (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023) DES put 45 statewide contracts in place with 435 businesses awarded to the contracts.

  • 6,360 small businesses were notified of bidding opportunities.
    • 945 were OMWBE certified.
    • 253 OMWBE-certified businesses downloaded bidding opportunities.
  • A total of 323 businesses bid
    • 213 were small businesses
    • 89 were OMWBE certified

DES activities are designed to support building availability of small and diverse businesses who are equipped and available to do business with the state. Focus areas include:

  • Connecting with the community.
  • Building capacity.
  • Supporting agencies in applying supplier diversity best practices.

Connecting with community

Objectives:

  • Help DES better connect with small and diverse business communities and build a better pipeline of businesses available for statewide contracts.
  • Gain input and recommendations from small and diverse businesses on ways to reduce barriers to participate in state goods and services contracts.

DES Business Diversity Advisory Group (BDAG)

Goal: Prioritize 40 BDAG recommendations, include top 3 in the PIE strategic plan:

Results FY 24: The following items are in the PIE strategic plan

  • Improve transparency and eliminate bias in bid evaluations
  • Priority points for micro and mini-businesses
  • Help to bring value to the OMWBE certification

Learn more about BDAG activities.

DES State Contracts Assistance Network (SCAN)

Goal: Establish network and form at least 30 partnerships.

Results FY 24: 33 partnerships formed

Learn more about the SCAN network.

Business diversity updates bulletin (monthly newsletter)

Goal: Grow subscribers, achieve above average engagements.

Results FY 24:

  • Subscriber growth: 1,159-2,288. Started bulletin in August 2022 with 32 subscribers.
  • Engagement rate: 41% (above average rate of 18.6%).

Broaden our reach to the business community

Goal: Leverage partnerships to achieve broader reach

Results FY 24:

  • Contributed monthly to OMWBE Supplier Diversity Newsletter and ORIA Economic Resilience Newsletter. Through these contributions we reach more than 500,000 subscribers.
  • Notify SCAN partners and do outreach through BDAG about opportunities on statewide contracts in addition to WEBS notifications, who in turn distribute this information via their respective newsletters and social networking systems.

Building capacity

Objective: Provide information to small and diverse businesses who may want to work with the state

Goal: DES Procurement Inclusion and Equity Program connects with goods and services businesses through events and outreach.

Results FY 24:

  • Attended 152 events and presented at 73.
  • 34 Community Engagements
  • 29 General Partner’s Meetings (e.g. Tabor, NAMC, Black Collective)
  • 45 Networking Events
  • 22 Technical Assistance Events
  • 22 Agency Program Events

Language/Bilingual Events

  • Korean: 8
  • Spanish: 12

Goal: Share information on upcoming public works contracting and training opportunities across the state:

Results FY 24 – events in Eastern and Western Washington as well as Oregon.

Fiscal Year 24 showing diverse business events on a map of Washington State: North Puget Sound Contracting Conference in Everett, City of Seattle's Reverse Tradeshow in Seattle, Regional Contracting Forum in Auburn, Alliance Northwest 2024 in Tacom, AWMB 2nd Annual NW Contractor's Dayu 2024 in Tacoma, Doing Business with Government & Industry in Spokane., and the 36th Annual OAME Entrepreneurship Tradeshow in Portland, Oregon.

Supporting agencies in applying supplier diversity best practices

Objective: Support agencies in implementing Enterprise Supplier Diversity Policy practices and find small and diverse businesses on statewide contracts

Community of Practice

Goal: Form community of practice, with primary focus on agencies with more than $100M in spend

Results FY 24:

  • Community of Practice membership growth: from 20 to 260.
  • Representation
    • All 28 state agencies that spend more than $100 million
    • 7 higher education institutions/political subdivisions
    • 43 executive branch agencies, 10 other types of members
  • Average monthly meeting attendance: 72

Contracts Connection newsletter

Goal: increase subscribers and engagement

Results FY 24:

  • Subscriber rate has grown from 16,205 in FY23 to 19,510 in FY24
  • Engagement: 32% (above the average rate of 18.6%).

Terms used

  • Community of practice – A group set up to share knowledge, reinforce best practices and learn from one another.
  • Fiscal year (FY) – Washington state’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30 every year. The fiscal year is named after the year in which it ends (e.g., fiscal year 2023 is from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023).
  • OMWBE certified – A business certified by the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises. OMWBE certifies small businesses owned and controlled by minority, women, and socially and economically disadvantaged persons.
  • Registered in WEBS – The number of businesses registered in the state’s online businesses notification system called Washington’s Electronic Business Solutions (WEBS). Businesses register in WEBS to receive notice of bidding opportunities.
  • Self-identified minority – A business that has identified itself as minority owned in the WEBS system.
  • Small business – A business that has self-certified in WEBS that it qualifies as a small business under RCW 39.26.010 or a business that is OMWBE-certified.
  • Spending on statewide contracts – Calculated based on 2019 Washington State Disparity Study data.
  • Statewide contracts – Contracts competitively bid by DES that all state agencies use. Agencies, other government entities like cities and towns and tribes can purchase directly from the contracts. These contracts generally make up about 14% of state agency spending.
  • Unbundling – Breaking a large contract into smaller components. Breaking larger contracts into smaller portions promotes opportunities for small, diverse, and veteran businesses and can raise their participation.
  • Veteran certified – A business certified by the state Department of Veteran Affairs as veteran-owned.

More information

Want to learn more about how we spend our money with diverse businesses as a single agency? View diverse spending at DES.