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Construction Contracts

General Contractors

Pre-Qualification Process

Periodically, the PBC will issue a Request for Qualifications for General Construction ("RFQ") for bid opportunities upcoming within the next 6 to 12 months. All firms that wish to be considered for pre-qualification as general contractor for the construction projects indicated in the RFQ must submit its response on the date indicated in the RFQ.

Notices inviting firms to submit qualifications are published in a newspaper of general circulation and in other Chicago area newspapers. Notices are also posted on this web site. The pre-qualification submission schedule for general construction is also available in this web site under "Public Advertisements".

The PBC evaluates qualifications of General Contractors based on information submitted in response to the issued RFQ including experience on similar type construction projects, required attachments and performance references. Pre-qualification status for general construction means that the contractor has been placed on a notification list for the purpose of receiving Invitations for Bid on projects it has been pre-qualified.

The terms of the pre-qualification process are summarized below:

• Pre-qualification is based on categories of specific projects listed in the RFQ.
• General Contractor must submit the "Statement of Qualifications and Financial Condition for General Contractors" and any submittal requirements outlined in the RFQ and demonstrate acceptable performance.
• Evaluation will be performed based on four criteria, all of which must be met by contractor in order to pre-qualify. Criteria include 1) responsiveness, 2) technical competence and experience on projects of similar type, size and complexity, 3) past performance, and 4) financial capacity and stability.
• All firms are required to have a General Contractors license and all other required licenses for the type of work for which it wishes to be considered.

A team of evaluators review the submissions and determine, based on the criteria listed above, whether the General Contractor is to be considered pre-qualified and for which category of projects.

General Contractors deemed pre-qualified are notified of projects when bids are being solicited and invited to submit bids at that time.

Construction Bid Process

Once a construction project is ready for bid, all general contractors which have been deemed pre-qualified to bid on that particular project are issued an Invitation for Bid.

Bidders are required to provide the following in their bid:

• Bid Price
• M/WBE Participation Commitments
• Equal Employment Opportunity hiring plan
• Commitment to meet Community Hiring requirements
• General Contractor licenses
• Performance and Payment Bond and any required fees
• Affidavits - signed and notarized

Selection of the successful bidder is done in accordance with the Public Building Commission Act, 50 ILCS 20/20, awarding the contract to the lowest responsible bidder.

Sub Contractors

Sub-Contractors, selected by General Contractors, play a large role in building the new public facilities spearheaded by the Public Building Commission. The PBC plays no role in selecting sub-contractors, and therefore recommends that interested sub-contractors sign up for PBC Alerts to stay informed about upcoming projects. The PBC Alerts system, as well as the PBC Web site, will allow subcontractors to be aware of future PBC projects, monitor lists of general contractors pre-qualified to bid on the projects, attend pre-bid meetings, and possibly establish relationships with the general contractors which might translate into opportunities for sub-contracts.

Job Order Contracting

Among the tools the Public Building Commission of Chicago uses to carry out its projects with maximum professionalism and efficiency is the Job Order Contacting (JOC) system. The JOC system is a firm, fixed-price, fast track procurement system that utilizes a catalog of pre-priced work tasks. The JOC system provides to the PBC a group of on-call contractors to accomplish work quickly and at a fixed price.

The PBC periodically solicits qualifications from general contractors and other companies interested in site work and demolition, facilities renovation, remodeling and other work. Companies interested in pursuing opportunities under the Public Building Commission’s JOC program should sign up for PBC Alerts, through which they will be informed of opportunities being offered and of upcoming requests for qualifications.