NASCIO Awards

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

2007 Awards: Digital Government: Government to Business (G to B)

RECIPIENT:
Washington
Enterprise Business Portal Initiative

“The Next Washington” outlines Governor Gregoire’s Open for Business approach to keeping Washington businesses competitive in the world by reducing barriers and improving efficiency. One component of this approach is the Enterprise Business Portal Initiative (www.business.wa.gov) which provides a clear and easy way to navigate the online systems for state and local licensing, tax, and regulatory filings. The Business Portal initiative has already improved access to government services and regulatory functions by placing many routine business processes and necessary information in one spot. This approach helps ensure that businesses and environmental permit applicants can “get it right the first time” when they deal with government. In the longer term, the Business Portal will provide even more personalized and integrated services to save time and money for Washington businesses. "In July, Forbes magazine ranked Washington as number 5 among the Top States for Business. Reasons for this ranking include reduced red tape and assistance from the Governor's Office of Regulatory Assistance to individuals and businesses in sorting through the many layers of government regulation all in one place-the Business Portal. This initiative has been a highly collaborative effort involving business and technical staff from 24 state and local agencies and associations. Washington has successfully worked across organizational boundaries to better serve the business community."
Gary Robinson, CIO, State of Washington

In 2006 the project successfully launched four releases on schedule. A fifth release launched June 21, 2007. Today the website is:

Easier to find with a new web address, www.business.wa.gov
Easier to navigate with:
- Information reorganized into categories business people intuitively understand
- Simplified and clarified language
- Improved and established clear links to and from the websites of partner agencies
And more comprehensive with:
- Links to more online information and services provided by state and local agencies
- New step-by-step instructions for starting a business
- New interview capability to help business owners answer the question, “Do I need to register with the state?”
- An improved online process to change an address with four state agency programs
- Ability to apply online for the state’s master business license and simultaneously apply for city business licenses in 12 cities
- New information on business licenses and taxes in all 278 cities in Washington

The project team reached out to business leaders, organizations supporting businesses, and 22 state and local government agencies to gather input and save them time and effort. These outreach efforts are ongoing and the homepage of www.business.wa.gov now offers a short survey for users on the services provided by the portal so improvements can continue to be made.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Delaware
Delaware's One Stop Business Registration and Licensing

District of Columbia
Washington, DC LSDBE Online

NOMINATIONS:
Click on the link to download program submission.

California
CA Department of Insurance - Enterprise Information Portal

Idaho
Trucking.Idaho.gov

Kentucky
Kentucky Certificate of Birth, Hearing, Immunization and Lab Data (KY-CHILD)

Montana
Montana Temporary Registration Permits

Oklahoma
Oklahoma State Treasurer's Electronic Trading System

Utah
EJOBS: Utah's Online Job Connection

Virginia
E-Forms Center, Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, Division of Gas and Oil

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