Apparent Successful Bidder (ASB) notification changes in Washington's Electronic Business Solutions (WEBS) for customers
Why is this happening?
On April 28, 2021, an Apparent Successful Bidder (ASB) notification enhancement was rolled out to government agency customers. This was a required enhancement in order to comply with RCW 39.26.160(7), which states:
“The procuring agency must enter into the state's enterprise vendor registration and bid notification system the name of each bidder and an indication as to the successful bidder.”
Review the earlier communication.
Since the April 28 rollout, we have run into a few situations requiring an exemption to the required ASB notification.
What's different?
On July 27, the ASB notification section will be open to all agencies - whether they are required to send an ASB notification through WEBS or not. In addition, there will now be a bypass button for government customers whose solicitations fall under one of the following exempt categories:
- RFI posting
- Courtesy posting
- Procurement falls under RCW 39.80 for Engineering and Architectural Services
- Procurement falls under RCW 28B.10.029(1)(a) for Higher Education
You will see a check box that reads “This solicitation does not require apparent successful bidder notification for the following reason.” If your procurement falls in one of the above categories, and you would not like to send an ASB announcement through WEBS, you may check that box. You must check the box, select a reason, and then “save” the changes before moving forward. After these steps, the ASB section will not be available for the solicitation, and the “award” section will unlock allowing you to award and archive the solicitation.
 Resources
DES held a Zoom meeting to demo the original ASB enhancement on April 15, 2021, for agency customers. If you are an exempt customer, but would still like to utilize the ASB section, these resources may aid you with the enhancements:
Questions?
If you have questions, please contact WEBS Customer Service or call (360) 902-7400.
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