BEAD Broadband Engineer

The Washington Department of Commerce is soliciting proposals for a third-party broadband engineering firm to provide final inspection services for approximately 180 BEAD project areas across Washington State and tribal lands. The selected contractor will perform physical audits, including visual field checks of utility poles, central offices, and customer drop locations, to verify that deployed networks match approved engineering designs and meet federal and state performance standards. Key deliverables include the submission of photos, redlines, and issue logs to support project closeout, with a requirement to execute inspections within three weeks of notification. The contract is tentatively scheduled to run from December 2026 through December 31, 2030, with the possibility of two one-year extensions. The total budgeted amount for all contracts awarded under this solicitation is not to exceed $3,073,294.63, with payments made on a reimbursement basis for accepted deliverables and allowable expenses. To be eligible, firms must be licensed in Washington, maintain professional engineer certification, and possess at least five years of experience in broadband engineering and inspections, along with three years of OSP construction knowledge. Proposals are due by December 4, 2026, and will be evaluated based on a weighted score consisting of technical capabilities (80 points), management approach (20 points), and cost. Additional scoring incentives are available for firms that certify they do not require employees to sign individual arbitration clauses.