Industrial symbiosis is an innovative approach to infrastructure and economic development in which one facility’s waste streams—energy, water, materials and residuals—become valuable inputs for other businesses. By advancing what is known as circular economy solutions, industrial symbiosis supports Washington’s climate and sustainability goals while driving economic growth.
Commerce is now requesting proposals from those who wish to provide technical assistance (TA) to communities who want to develop industrial symbiosis projects, including:
- Material and energy flow mapping
- Process redesign for resource efficiency
- Integration of symbiotic exchanges
- Technology and infrastructure assessment
- Feasibility and risk analysis
- Regulatory and standards compliance
This TA supports the development of industrial symbiosis park proposals statewide, emphasizing projects that identify overburdened communities for HEAL and CCA investments, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and benefit local economies. The TA provider will also develop educational materials for Washington communities about Industrial symbiosis and the broader circular economy. In summary, the TA provider(s) will produce the following deliverables:
- Community identification process
- Industrial symbiosis project proposals
- Community education and engagement materials
Funding
About $2,425,000 is available from the Industrial Symbiosis Technical Assistance (TA) Program. Commerce intends to award one or more contracts to provide the services described in this RFP. Funding for the TA program is made possible by the Climate Commitment Act, in the Capital Budget for the biennium 2025-2027.
Eligibility
Proposals must meet the following minimum criteria:
- Licensed to do business in Washington or submit a statement of commitment that it will become licensed in Washington within 30 calendar days of being selected as the Apparent Successful Contractor.
- Five years of experience coordinating industrial symbiosis projects with clients, stakeholders, or community partners including:
- Material and energy flow mapping
- Process redesign for resource efficiency
- Integration of symbiotic exchanges
- Technology and infrastructure assessment
- Feasibility and risk analysis
- Regulatory and standards compliance
- One year of experience assessing international best practices and fostering collaborations with direct impact in Washington state.
How to apply
Proposals must be submitted electronically via the online proposal submission portal.
To be responsive, proposals must contain (in order):
- Letter of submittal
- Certifications and assurances (Exhibit A to this RFP)
- Technical proposal
- Management proposal
- Cost proposal
- Diverse Business Inclusion Plan (DBIP) (Exhibit B to this RFP)
- Workers’ Rights Certification (Exhibit C to this RFP)
- Small or Veteran-Owned Business Certification (Exhibit D to this RFP)
The proposal must be received by the RFP Coordinator no later than 4:00 p.m. on March 9, 2026. Proposals must be submitted electronically via the online proposal submission portal. Further details are available within the RFP document.
Timeline
- Attend the MSTeams pre-proposal conference on January 27 at 10:00 a.m. This virtual meeting is not mandatory and is open to all who wish to join.
- Meeting ID: 254 441 809 959 67
- Passcode: C4y42XQ3
- Question and answer period: Closes February 11, 2026
- Closing date: March 9, 2026, 4:00 p.m.
Important links
- Online proposal intake form
- Downloadable RFP document (PDF)
- Downloadable Exhibit A (PDF) – Certifications and Assurances
- Downloadable Exhibit B (PDF) – Diverse Business Inclusion Plan
- Downloadable Exhibit C (PDF) – Workers’ Rights Certification
- Downloadable Exhibit D (PDF) – Small or Veteran-Owned Business Certification