(1) The contracting unit shall either appoint a licensed and prequalified design professional, or designate an employee of the contracting unit licensed to provide architectural, engineering, or surveying services, to provide technical advice, construction review services, and professional expertise on behalf of the contracting unit;

(2) The contracting unit shall develop, with the assistance of the design professional or designated employee, performance criteria and a scope of work statement that defines the project and provides prospective design-builders with sufficient information regarding the contracting unit’s requirements. The statement shall include: evaluation factor criteria and preliminary design documents, general budget parameters, and general schedule or delivery requirements to enable the design-builders to submit proposals which meet the contracting unit’s needs. When the design-build selection procedure is used and the contracting unit contracts for development of the scope of work statement, the design-builder shall contract for architectural or engineering services as defined by and in accordance with R.S.45:3-1 et seq., P.L.1938, c.342 (C. 45:8-27 et seq.), and all other applicable licensing statutes;

(3) Once the contracting unit has developed a scope of work statement which adequately defines the contracting unit’s requirements for the project or projects, the contracting unit shall solicit proposals of qualification from design-builders. The contracting unit shall solicit proposals of qualification in accordance with the requirements of the applicable public procurement laws of the State of New Jersey.

(4) The contracting unit shall establish a technical review committee, which shall consist of a representative of the contracting unit, the contracting unit’s project manager, and the contracting unit’s authorized design professional. The contracting unit’s attorney may advise the technical review committee. The technical review committee shall have the responsibility to evaluate bids based on rating and scoring proposals, and shall evaluate design-builders based on their qualifications. A member of the technical review committee shall not have a personal or financial interest in any of the design-builders submitting proposals.

b. The factors used to evaluate proposals of qualification shall be stated in the solicitation and shall include, but not be limited to: specialized experience and technical competence, training certification of professional and field workforce, principal location of the company, capability to perform, safety modification rating, past performance of the individual members of the design-builder’s team in their respective capacities, including the architect-engineer and construction members of the team, and other appropriate technical and qualification factors as determined by the Secretary of Higher Education, where applicable. Each solicitation for proposals of qualification shall establish the relative importance assigned to the evaluation factors and sub-factors to be considered.

c. A solicitation for proposals of qualification shall state the maximum number of design-builders that are to be selected to submit second proposals. The maximum number specified in the solicitation shall be at least two and shall not exceed six.

d. The contracting unit may offer a stipend, based upon the project size and type, which shall not exceed three percent of the project’s estimated cost, to any design-builder providing design, construction information, or materials presented in response to a request for second proposals. This stipend is intended to encourage the submission of proposals and to increase competition.

e. On the basis of the proposal of qualification, the technical review committee shall select the most highly qualified number of design-builders specified in the solicitation and request the selected design-builders to submit a second proposal and sealed bid. Each solicitation for second proposals shall establish the relative importance assigned to the evaluation factors to be considered.

f. The technical review committee shall evaluate each second proposal based on the technical submission for the proposal, including design concepts or proposed solutions to requirements addressed within the scope of work, and the evaluation factors, including a minimum of 50 percent consideration based on the cost of the bid.

g. The contracting unit shall separately evaluate the submissions described above, and award the contract in accordance with section 24 of P.L.2021, c.71 (C. 18A:64A-25.24g).

L.2021, c.71, s.20.