Bid Process

KCDA advertises, analyzes and awards approximately 90 bids per year. The bids are listed on the bid schedule which is posted on the KCDA website. The path to the bid schedule is www.kcda.org, Pending Bids, Bid Schedule. The bid schedule contains the bid name in alphabetical order, bid number, bid advertising dates, bid opening date and time, board write up date, board meeting date and Purchasing Agent name. The bid categories include those products our customers have expressed interest in. Some bids are annual with renewals, some bids are only annual.

The bid process is as follows which complies with Washington State Bid Laws:

  • Advertise in one paper of general circulation (we use DJC-Seattle and DJC-Oregon) for two consecutive weeks.
  • Bids are posted on our website under Pending Bids.
  • The bid advertisement is posted when it is received from the paper(s) which is approximately 3 weeks after the bid advertisement request is sent to the papers. The reason why the delay is because the paper releases the advertisement twice (2 weeks) and then sends the advertisement which takes approximately 3-4 days to receive. We then post the advertisement & affidavit on the website.
  • Depending on the complexity of the project or the number of items bid, we allow vendors approximately 1 month to respond to a bid.
  • Most of our bids are electronically posted on eschoolmall and we require vendors to respond electronically. Some of our bids are circulated locally and we do not post on eschoolmall. When this option happens, we open the bids at the KCDA office location in Kent.
  • After bids are electronically opened or manually opened, the bid is closed. The evaluation process begins.  Approximately 2 months is allowed for this process generally because we have 200-600 items on a bid and need the time to receive samples, ask questions, receive responses, etc.
  • Bids are recommended for award by the individual Purchasing Agents responsible for the category with the approval of the Purchasing Manager.
  • Bid award recommendations are submitted to the KCDA Board of Directors for final approval.

Public Works Procedures

  1. KCDA holds the bid but the contract is between the member and the awarded contractor. It states in our bid that this is a prevailing wage job.  The contractor and all subcontractors will send the Intents to Pay Prevailing Wage and Affidavits of Wages Paid to the district and copy KCDA.  If you don’t get them, contact us and we can send you copies.
  2. Payment and Performance Bonds are required and paid for by the member either as a line item or embedded in the price of the job.  The contractor will acquire the bond and send it to the member prior to the beginning of work.
  3. Certificates of Insurance are required.  The contractor will acquire the certificate and send it to the member prior to the beginning of work.
  4. As KCDA receives invoices from the contractor, we will contact the district to make sure that the job is complete or that a progress payment is agreed to.  We will then pay the contractor withholding retainage.  KCDA will send an invoice to the member with the same amount of retainage withheld.
  5. When the job is completed and all of the Affidavits of Wages Paid have been certified, the member files a Notice of Completion with the Department of Revenue and Labor & Industries.
  6. If there is other paperwork that is required by the member, we ask that you forward them to KCDA as soon as the job is complete and we will forward to the contractor.
  7. KCDA will contact the member in 45 days to see if release letters from Dept. of Revenue, Employment Security and Labor and Industries and any other paperwork required by the member have been received.  Note:  KCDA does not get a copy of these letters, they are to be retained by the member for auditing purposes.
  8. If all is complete, KCDA will pay the contractor and invoice the district for the retainage.