What is MRSC Rosters?
MRSC Rosters is a Small Works, Consultant, and Vendor roster service of MRSC, a nonprofit organization that supports Washington local governments in efficiently procuring services and goods from businesses when using a roster contracting process. Businesses conveniently register with any or all of the participating public agencies with one, renewable application.
When can public agencies join MRSC Rosters?
Public agencies can join MRSC Rosters at any point throughout the year.
Do we have to have MRSC host both our Small Works and Consultant Rosters?
Yes. MRSC Rosters is a package service, so your membership would include the hosting of both your Small Works Roster and your Consultant Roster. We cannot maintain only one roster for a public agency because of the legal notice required language and the business registration process. Additionally, public agencies have the option to utilize the Vendor Roster component if they sign the Small Works/Consultant/Vendor Rosters Contract.
Can we continue using our current rosters after joining MRSC Rosters?
No. As part of your MRSC Rosters membership, MRSC hosts your official rosters, which means that your entire agency will exclusively use the hosted rosters in MRSC Rosters when using a roster contracting process and will discontinue use of previously maintained rosters. For example, signing the MRSC Rosters contracts means that both your public works department and purchasing department will use only the rosters hosted by MRSC Rosters; the purchasing department could not maintain its own rosters. This is because of the language in the legal notice MRSC posts on your behalf and the functionality of the business registration process in the MRSC Rosters database.
How do participating public agencies use the MRSC Rosters?
When a participating public agency has a project and they choose to use a roster process, it logs into its account, search by service category, and then generate a list of businesses who have registered with their agency and selected the category being searched. From there, the agency follows its contracting procedures to select businesses and, in most cases, it contacts businesses about the project opportunity via email. MRSC has no involvement in the business selection or the contracting process, and any project inquiries are directed to the public agency.
How do I filter businesses by my geographic location?
You cannot filter businesses by location because, as with any roster, businesses cannot be required to be located in the geographic location of an agency in order to register. Also, Washington State law likely does not allow a local preference in the selection of businesses with whom to contract. See AGO 61-62 No. 41
Can we search the entire MRSC Rosters database?
No. As with any roster process, businesses are required to register specifically with your agency and therefore you may contact only those businesses.
Why can’t I find the business I am looking for in my search?
The business will not appear in your search if it did not select your public agency, select the service category searched, and/or it did not meet the eligibility requirements.
If a business registers for my public agency after I send out the project solicitation, can I allow them to submit a bid/proposal?
To help ensure the fairness of the process, you should not allow the business to submit a bid/proposal unless you cancel the original solicitation, conduct a new search, and contact businesses from the newly-generated list.
A business told me that it is registered in MRSC Rosters, so why can’t I find it in my search?
The business either did not register with your specific agency, did not select the specific service category you searched, failed to complete and submit its application, failed to renew its account, and/or did not meet the eligibility requirements.
Why don’t all Washington local governments use MRSC Rosters?
Washington cities, counties, and special purpose districts have different contracting processes and project needs, so some agencies may determine that their internal resources are sufficient for maintaining their own rosters, they may simply choose to not maintain rosters, or their type of agency may not be authorized by statute to use a roster process.