To register with MRSC Rosters, businesses must meet specific minimum criteria, which are automatically verified through L&I. MRSC Rosters no longer conducts manual verifications.
Please be aware these criteria apply exclusively to registration with MRSC Rosters. Individual public agencies may have additional requirements for businesses to be eligible to bid on or be awarded contracts, as discussed later on this page.
MRSC Rosters Requirements
MRSC maintains three distinct rosters; the requirements vary depending on the roster type.
- Small Works Roster (construction)
- Vendor Roster (goods and services, including maintenance)
- Consultant Roster (professional and technical services)
Below are the minimum requirements necessary for a business to sign up for MRSC Rosters:
| Information | Small Works Roster | Vendor Roster | Consultant Roster |
|---|---|---|---|
| WA Unified Business Identifier (UBI)1 | Required | Required | Required |
| Active L&I registration, general contractor’s license, or specialty registrations2 | Required | In some cases | Professional licensing may be required |
| Workers’ Compensation Account (if you have employees)3 | Required | Required | Required |
1 The UBI is a 9-digit number, issued by the Washington State Department of Revenue (DOR), which allows a business to operate in the state. For more information, see DOR: Open a Business. To register your business with the Secretary of State (SOS), see Checklist for opening a business (wa.gov).
2 All construction contractors must register with the state Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). See L&I: Register as a Contractor. L&I also has several specialty registrations and licenses that are required to be awarded certain specialty scopes. Any contractor that is debarred by L&I will not be allowed to register on the statewide small works roster. You can confirm you have no strikes or are not debarred by visiting L&I’s strike and debar list.
3 If your business has employees, you must get a workers’ compensation account. For more information, see L&I: How to Get a Workers’ Compensation Account.
OMWBE Certification
During registration, MRSC Rosters collects data directly from the state Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) to identify all businesses with one (1) or more of the six (6) state certifications. OMWBE-certified businesses receive preferences for small public works (construction) “direct contracting” opportunities under a new state law that took effect July 1, 2024.
If your business is small, women owned, minority owned, or minority-women owned, you may be eligible for a state certification through OMWBE. For more information, see OMWBE: State Certification.
Agency-Specific Requirements
Each public agency you register with will most likely have additional criteria to:
- Be eligible to bid/propose, and/or
- Be eligible to be awarded a contract.
These are often referred to as “responsibility criteria.” These criteria often appear in a solicitation. While we do not have a complete list of all criteria, we have summarized some common criteria below.
General Business Registrations
- Registration in the federal System of Awards Management (SAM). Public agencies may require your business to have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) registration in SAM. There may be an additional requirement to have an active SAM registration that shows no active exclusions. More information on how to get registered can be found at SAM.gov: Get Started with Registration and the Unique Entity ID.
- Registration with the State of Washington as a vendor. State agencies will require your business to be registered with the State as a vendor to be paid. The Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) maintains a central vendor file for Washington State agencies to use for processing vendor payments. This allows you, as a vendor, to receive payments from all participating state agencies. This also allows you to receive payments by direct deposit, the state’s preferred method of payment. See OFM’s vendor registration page.
Small Works Roster Contracts (construction)
- Bidder Responsibility Criteria. Small works contracts are small public works projects. Public agencies may not award a “small works project” to a contractor unless the contractor meets the public works bidder responsibility criteria in RCW 39.04.350. See the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business to check your L&I account for accuracy.
- Evidence of Ability to Provide Contractor’s Bond. We recommend small works contractors be prepared to present a performance and payment bond (also known as a “contractor’s bond”) for each project being solicited/bid. See chapter 39.08 RCW. Small works legislation does provide the option for public agencies to reduce performance and payment bond amounts at their discretion. Many public agencies also require a bid bond (bid security) to protect the bid and provide evidence of the company’s ability to provide a performance and payment bond. For more information about small contractor support in bonding please, see Integrity Surety.
- Evidence of Insurance. Most public agencies require contractors to provide evidence of insurance coverage for commercial general liability (CGL) and automobile liability. The amount of coverage varies by public agency, but most require a minimum of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate coverage. To look up insurance agents and brokers registered with the state you can use the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner: Find an agent, agency or company.
- Experience and Past Performance. Although less common, some public agencies will use “supplemental” bidder responsibility criteria under RCW 39.04.350(3), which may include required documentation of specific experience or past performance on similarly scoped projects. Contractors are encouraged to keep public agency contact information and project documentation for all completed public works projects so they may be easily referenced if requested by a public agency. Please note, RCW 39.04.350(3) allows public agencies to consider the experience and past performance of the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.
Vendor Roster Contracts (goods & services, including maintenance)
- Certifications, Contractor’s Licensing, and Specialty Licensing. For businesses providing maintenance and services – such as janitorial services, tree trimming, landscaping, and similar services – you may be required to have a contractor’s registration, license, or certification with L&I to propose or be awarded contracts, particularly for contracts requiring prevailing wages. For a description of work by trades which requires the payment of prevailing wages, please see chapter 296-127 WAC.
- Capabilities Statements. Although not typically a requirement, public agencies find it very helpful to have a summary of your company’s capabilities including experience, certifications, licenses, type of contracts you are looking for, etc. A professional, well-written capabilities statement, with key terms highlighted, can help public agencies find you faster. Capabilities statements can be attached to your company’s account and are searchable within MRSC Rosters.
Consultant Roster Contracts (professional and technical services)
- Professional Licensing. Some consultant scopes will require a professional license both for the business and from the individual being proposed/selected to perform consultant services. Washington Department of Licensing (DOL) issues and tracks the bulk of these licenses. You can prepare to respond to public agencies Requests for Proposals (RFP) by confirming your professional licenses are in good standing through the DOL website: Look up a business or professional license. For engineering-related licenses and requirements, you can contact the Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BRPELS).
- Professional Liability Insurance. Businesses offering consultation services, whether they need to be professionally licensed, are often required to have professional liability insurance or errors and omissions insurance coverage. Businesses registered on the consultant roster are encouraged to secure professional liability insurance prior to being solicited by a public agency. It may take several weeks to place the coverage.
- Capabilities Statements. Although not typically a requirement, public agencies find it very helpful to have a summary document that outlines a company’s core competencies, past performance, differentiators, and key information such as the number of professional employees and staffing capabilities, certifications, specialty licensing, accolades, and contact details. A professional, well-written capabilities statement, with key terms highlighted, can help public agencies find you faster. Capabilities statements can be attached to your company’s account and are searchable within MRSC Rosters.
A capabilities statement is like a resume for a business, while a statement of qualifications is a focused summary of an individual’s or company’s key qualifications for a specific opportunity. A statement of qualifications should be developed as a direct response to a request for qualifications (RFQ) or request for proposal (RFP). Both a capabilities statement and a statement of qualifications should be tailored to their respective audiences to effectively communicate suitability and strengths of the business.