Consultant Needed for WA Saves

The Washington Saves Governing Board announced Wednesday that it is seeking to hire a consultant to support Washington Saves, the state’s retirement savings program.

The program will enroll private sector workers whose employers do not offer retirement plans at a default contribution rate between 3% and 7% of wages. A 15-member governing board will design, develop, implement, maintain and oversee Washington Saves.

The law creating Washington’s program, based on automatic enrollment in individual retirement accounts, passed in 2024.The request for proposals, available to registered vendors via Washington’s bid calendar, states that the consultant will support the program by providing technical and administrative expertise for program development, compliance, procurement and vendor selection. Duties include supporting the drafting of regulations, advising on governance, assessing vendor performance, monitoring industry trends and delivering training under the program manager’s direction.

Bids close on October 15, according to the posting.

Washington Saves is scheduled to debut in 2027, joining similar programs in other states requiring retirement plans to be available for private sector workers. In 2024, Washington became the 19th state to enact legislation expanding retirement coverage. On June 30, the Massachusetts state legislature passed an auto-IRA provision as part of its fiscal 2026 appropriations bill, and Governor Maura Healey signed the bill on July 4.