Tendering
There are a number of procurement processes to choose from. Your architect will advise you as to the best alternative.
- Design Bid Build. This model segregates design and construction responsibilities by awarding them to an independent private architect/engineer and a separate private contractor. By doing so, design-bid-build separates the delivery process into three linear phases: 1) Design, 2) Bid, and 3) Construction.
- Design Build: In this model, you select a contractor to hire all the consultants. This contractor will deliver a "turnkey" building at a fixed price. This includes the architect. So it is only a viable option as long as the quality of the project is clearly defined and enforced because the architect is working for the contractor and may not be as accountable to the users.
- Construction Management is where you select a general contractor who works on a fixed fee and hires sub trades on your behalf.
Choosing the right procurement process is one of the major decisions that can have far- reaching implications on the quality of the project.
The project can be advertised in an open public tender or depending on funding requirements and the scale of the project, the contractors can be pre-qualified in advance of the tender. The selection process must be open, fair and transparent. In conjunction with the architect/project manager, you will develop selection criteria and an evaluation process. All contractors who meet the eligibility requirements must be invited to submit a bid.
You will then receive and review all bids from prospective bidders and will evaluate them in conjunction with your architect/project manager.