Verifying Employment Security (ESD) Number for Bidders

The Employment Security Department (ESD) number is the only number required by Washington State Law (RCW 39.04.350) that is not available online for verification as part of ensuring that a bidder meets the mandatory bidder responsibility criteria.

ESD will not verify the number or provide any information about a bidder without a public disclosure request that can take a long time.

I recommend one of two options for how a public agency can deal with the requirement to ensure that a bidder has a current ESD number:

1) Ask the bidder for the number on the bid form and trust that it is accurate.

2) Ask the bidder to provide documentation from ESD that the bidder has a current ESD number.

The Capital Projects Advisory Review Board (CPARB) has adopted Suggested Guidelines for Bidder Responsibility that provides information on this and a variety of other issues in implementing the new bidder responsibility legislation. The Suggested Guidelines are available online at: http://www.ga.wa.gov/CPARB/.