30 ILCS 537/ Design-Build Procurement Act.

(30 ILCS 537/1)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Design-Build Procurement Act.

(Source: P.A. 94-716, eff. 12-13-05.)

(30 ILCS 537/5)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 5. Legislative policy. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the State construction agency be allowed to use the design-build delivery method for public projects if it is shown to be in the State's best interest for that particular project. It shall be the policy of the State construction agency in the procurement of design-build services to publicly announce all requirements for design-build services and to procure these services on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualifications and with due regard for the principles of competitive selection.

The State construction agency shall, prior to issuing requests for proposals, promulgate and publish procedures for the solicitation and award of contracts pursuant to this Act.

The State construction agency shall, for each public project or projects permitted under this Act, make a written determination, including a description as to the particular advantages of the design-build procurement method, that it is in the best interests of this State to enter into a design-build contract for the project or projects. In making that determination, the following factors shall be considered:

(1) The probability that the design-build procurement method will be in the best interests of the State by providing a material savings of time or cost over the design-bid-build or other delivery system.

(2) The type and size of the project and its suitability to the design-build procurement method.

(3) The ability of the State construction agency to define and provide comprehensive scope and performance criteria for the project.

No State construction agency may use a design-build procurement method unless the agency determines in writing that the project will comply with the disadvantaged business and equal employment practices of the State as established in the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act and Section 2-105 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.

The State construction agency shall within 15 days after the initial determination provide an advisory copy to the Procurement Policy Board and maintain the full record of determination for 5 years.

(Source: P.A. 102-1119, eff. 1-23-23.)

(30 ILCS 537/10)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"State construction agency" means the Capital Development Board or, in the case of a design-build procurement for a public institution of higher education, the public institution of higher education.

"Delivery system" means the design and construction approach used to develop and construct a project.

"Design-bid-build" means the traditional delivery system used on public projects in this State that incorporates the Architectural, Engineering, and Land Surveying Qualification Based Selection Act (30 ILCS 535/) and the principles of competitive selection in the Illinois Procurement Code (30 ILCS 500/).

"Design-build" means a delivery system that provides responsibility within a single contract for the furnishing of architecture, engineering, land surveying and related services as required, and the labor, materials, equipment, and other construction services for the project.

"Design-build contract" means a contract for a public project under this Act between the State construction agency and a design-build entity to furnish architecture, engineering, land surveying, and related services as required, and to furnish the labor, materials, equipment, and other construction services for the project. The design-build contract may be conditioned upon subsequent refinements in scope and price and may allow the State construction agency to make modifications in the project scope without invalidating the design-build contract.

"Design-build entity" means any individual, sole proprietorship, firm, partnership, joint venture, corporation, professional corporation, or other entity that proposes to design and construct any public project under this Act. A design-build entity and associated design-build professionals shall conduct themselves in accordance with the laws of this State and the related provisions of the Illinois Administrative Code, as referenced by the licensed design professionals Acts of this State.

"Design professional" means any individual, sole proprietorship, firm, partnership, joint venture, corporation, professional corporation, or other entity that offers services under the Illinois Architecture Practice Act of 1989 (225 ILCS 305/), the Professional Engineering Practice Act of 1989 (225 ILCS 325/), the Structural Engineering Licensing Act of 1989 (225 ILCS 340/), or the Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act of 1989 (225 ILCS 330/).

"Evaluation criteria" means the requirements for the separate phases of the selection process as defined in this Act and may include the specialized experience, technical qualifications and competence, capacity to perform, past performance, experience with similar projects, assignment of personnel to the project, and other appropriate factors. Price may not be used as a factor in the evaluation of Phase I proposals.

"Proposal" means the offer to enter into a design-build contract as submitted by a design-build entity in accordance with this Act.

"Public institution of higher education" has the meaning ascribed in subsection (f) of Section 1-13 of the Illinois Procurement Code.

"Request for proposal" means the document used by the State construction agency to solicit proposals for a design-build contract.

"Scope and performance criteria" means the requirements for the public project, including but not limited to, the intended usage, capacity, size, scope, quality and performance standards, life-cycle costs, and other programmatic criteria that are expressed in performance-oriented and quantifiable specifications and drawings that can be reasonably inferred and are suited to allow a design-build entity to develop a proposal.

(Source: P.A. 102-1119, eff. 1-23-23.)

(30 ILCS 537/15)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 15. Solicitation of proposals.

(a) When the State construction agency elects to use the design-build delivery method, it must issue a notice of intent to receive requests for proposals for the project at least 14 days before issuing the request for the proposal. The State construction agency must publish the advance notice in the official procurement bulletin of the State or the professional services bulletin of the State construction agency, if any. The agency is encouraged to use publication of the notice in related construction industry service publications. A brief description of the proposed procurement must be included in the notice. The State construction agency must provide a copy of the request for proposal to any party requesting a copy.

(b) The request for proposal shall be prepared for each project and must contain, without limitation, the following information:

(1) The name of the State construction agency.

(2) A preliminary schedule for the completion of the contract.

(3) The proposed budget for the project, the source of funds, and the currently available funds at the time the request for proposal is submitted.

(4) Prequalification criteria for design-build entities wishing to submit proposals. The State construction agency shall include, at a minimum, its normal prequalification, licensing, registration, and other requirements, but nothing contained herein precludes the use of additional prequalification criteria by the State construction agency.

(5) Material requirements of the contract, including but not limited to, the proposed terms and conditions, required performance and payment bonds, insurance, and the entity's plan to comply with the utilization goals for business enterprises established in the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act, and with Section 2-105 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.

(6) The performance criteria.

(7) The evaluation criteria for each phase of the solicitation.

(8) The number of entities that will be considered for the technical and cost evaluation phase.

(c) The State construction agency may include any other relevant information that it chooses to supply. The design-build entity shall be entitled to rely upon the accuracy of this documentation in the development of its proposal.

(d) The date that proposals are due must be at least 21 calendar days after the date of the issuance of the request for proposal. In the event the cost of the project is estimated to exceed $10 million, then the proposal due date must be at least 28 calendar days after the date of the issuance of the request for proposal. The State construction agency shall include in the request for proposal a minimum of 30 days to develop the Phase II submissions after the selection of entities from the Phase I evaluation is completed.

(Source: P.A. 100-391, eff. 8-25-17.)

(30 ILCS 537/20)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 20. Development of scope and performance criteria.

(a) The State construction agency shall develop, with the assistance of a licensed design professional, a request for proposal, which shall include scope and performance criteria. The scope and performance criteria must be in sufficient detail and contain adequate information to reasonably apprise the qualified design-build entities of the State construction agency's overall programmatic needs and goals, including criteria and preliminary design plans, general budget parameters, schedule, and delivery requirements.

(b) Each request for proposal shall also include a description of the level of design to be provided in the proposals. This description must include the scope and type of renderings, drawings, and specifications that, at a minimum, will be required by the State construction agency to be produced by the design-build entities.

(c) The scope and performance criteria shall be prepared by a design professional who is an employee of the State construction agency, or the State construction agency may contract with an independent design professional selected under the Architectural, Engineering and Land Surveying Qualification Based Selection Act (30 ILCS 535/) to provide these services.

(d) The design professional that prepares the scope and performance criteria is prohibited from participating in any design-build entity proposal for the project.

(Source: P.A. 94-716, eff. 12-13-05.)

(30 ILCS 537/25)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026

Sec. 25. Selection committee.

(a) When the State construction agency elects to use the design-build delivery method, it shall establish a committee to evaluate and select the design-build entity. The committee, under the discretion of the State construction agency, shall consist of at least 5 but no more than 7 members and shall include at least one licensed design professional and 2 members of the public. Public members may not be employed or associated with any firm holding a contract with the State construction agency. Within 30 days of receiving notice, one public member shall be nominated by associations representing the general design or construction industry and one member shall be nominated by associations that represent minority or female-owned design or construction industry businesses. If either group fails to nominate a suitable candidate within the 30-day period, the State construction agency shall nominate an appropriate public member.

(b) The members of the selection committee must certify for each request for proposal that no conflict of interest exists between the members and the design-build entities submitting proposals. If a conflict is discovered before proposals are reviewed, the member must be replaced before any review of proposals.

If a conflict is discovered after proposals are reviewed, the member with the conflict shall be removed and the committee may continue with only one public member.

If at least 5 members remain, the remaining committee members may complete the selection process.

(Source: P.A. 98-572, eff. 1-1-14.)

(30 ILCS 537/30)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 30. Procedures for Selection.

(a) The State construction agency must use a two-phase procedure for the selection of the successful design-build entity. Phase I of the procedure will evaluate and shortlist the design-build entities based on qualifications, and Phase II will evaluate the technical and cost proposals.

(b) The State construction agency shall include in the request for proposal the evaluating factors to be used in Phase I. These factors are in addition to any prequalification requirements of design-build entities that the agency has set forth. Each request for proposal shall establish the relative importance assigned to each evaluation factor and subfactor, including any weighting of criteria to be employed by the State construction agency. The State construction agency must maintain a record of the evaluation scoring to be disclosed in event of a protest regarding the solicitation.

The State construction agency shall include the following criteria in every Phase I evaluation of design-build entities: (1) experience of personnel; (2) successful experience with similar project types; (3) financial capability; (4) timeliness of past performance; (5) experience with similarly sized projects; (6) successful reference checks of the firm; (7) commitment to assign personnel for the duration of the project and qualifications of the entity's consultants; and (8) ability or past performance in meeting or exhausting good faith efforts to meet the utilization goals for business enterprises established in the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act and with Section 2-105 of the Illinois Human Rights Act. The State construction agency may include any additional relevant criteria in Phase I that it deems necessary for a proper qualification review.

The State construction agency may not consider any design-build entity for evaluation or award if the entity has any pecuniary interest in the project or has other relationships or circumstances, including but not limited to, long-term leasehold, mutual performance, or development contracts with the State construction agency, that may give the design-build entity a financial or tangible advantage over other design-build entities in the preparation, evaluation, or performance of the design-build contract or that create the appearance of impropriety. No proposal shall be considered that does not include an entity's plan to comply with the requirements established in the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act, for both the design and construction areas of performance, and with Section 2-105 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.

Upon completion of the qualifications evaluation, the State construction agency shall create a shortlist of the most highly qualified design-build entities. The State construction agency, in its discretion, is not required to shortlist the maximum number of entities as identified for Phase II evaluation, provided however, no less than 2 design-build entities nor more than 6 are selected to submit Phase II proposals.

The State construction agency shall notify the entities selected for the shortlist in writing. This notification shall commence the period for the preparation of the Phase II technical and cost evaluations. The State construction agency must allow sufficient time for the shortlist entities to prepare their Phase II submittals considering the scope and detail requested by the State agency.

(c) The State construction agency shall include in the request for proposal the evaluating factors to be used in the technical and cost submission components of Phase II. Each request for proposal shall establish, for both the technical and cost submission components of Phase II, the relative importance assigned to each evaluation factor and subfactor, including any weighting of criteria to be employed by the State construction agency. The State construction agency must maintain a record of the evaluation scoring to be disclosed in event of a protest regarding the solicitation.

The State construction agency shall include the following criteria in every Phase II technical evaluation of design-build entities: (1) compliance with objectives of the project; (2) compliance of proposed services to the request for proposal requirements; (3) quality of products or materials proposed; (4) quality of design parameters; (5) design concepts; (6) innovation in meeting the scope and performance criteria; and (7) constructability of the proposed project. The State construction agency may include any additional relevant technical evaluation factors it deems necessary for proper selection.

The State construction agency shall include the following criteria in every Phase II cost evaluation: the total project cost, the construction costs, and the time of completion. The State construction agency may include any additional relevant technical evaluation factors it deems necessary for proper selection. The total project cost criteria weighing factor shall be 25%.

The State construction agency shall directly employ or retain a licensed design professional to evaluate the technical and cost submissions to determine if the technical submissions are in accordance with generally accepted industry standards.

Upon completion of the technical submissions and cost submissions evaluation, the State construction agency may award the design-build contract to the highest overall ranked entity.

(Source: P.A. 100-391, eff. 8-25-17.)

(30 ILCS 537/35)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 35. Small projects. In any case where the total overall cost of the project is estimated to be less than $10 million, the State construction agency may combine the two-phase procedure for selection described in Section 30 into one combined step, provided that all the requirements of evaluation are performed in accordance with Section 30.

(Source: P.A. 94-716, eff. 12-13-05.)

(30 ILCS 537/40)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 40. Submission of proposals. Proposals must be properly identified and sealed. Proposals may not be reviewed until after the deadline for submission has passed as set forth in the request for proposals. All design-build entities submitting proposals shall be disclosed after the deadline for submission, and all design-build entities who are selected for Phase II evaluation shall also be disclosed at the time of that determination.

Proposals shall include a bid bond in the form and security as designated in the request for proposals. Proposals shall also contain a separate sealed envelope with the cost information within the overall proposal submission. Proposals shall include a list of all design professionals and other entities as defined in Section 30-30 of the Illinois Procurement Code to which any work may be subcontracted during the performance of the contract. Any entity that will perform any of the 5 subdivisions of work defined in Section 30-30 of the Illinois Procurement Code must meet prequalification standards of the State construction agency.

Proposals must meet all material requirements of the request for proposal or they may be rejected as non-responsive. The State construction agency shall have the right to reject any and all proposals.

The drawings and specifications of the proposal shall remain the property of the design-build entity.

The State construction agency shall review the proposals for compliance with the performance criteria and evaluation factors.

Proposals may be withdrawn prior to evaluation for any cause. After evaluation begins by the State construction agency, clear and convincing evidence of error is required for withdrawal.

(Source: P.A. 94-716, eff. 12-13-05.)

(30 ILCS 537/45)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 45. Award. The State construction agency may award the contract to the highest overall ranked entity. Notice of award shall be made in writing. Unsuccessful entities shall also be notified in writing. The State construction agency may not request a best and final offer after the receipt of proposals. The State construction agency may negotiate with the selected design-build entity after award but prior to contract execution for the purpose of securing better terms than originally proposed, provided that the salient features of the request for proposal are not diminished.

(Source: P.A. 94-716, eff. 12-13-05.)

(30 ILCS 537/46)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 46. Reports and evaluation. At the end of every 6 month period following the contract award, and again prior to final contract payout and closure, a selected design-build entity shall detail, in a written report submitted to the State agency, its efforts and success in implementing the entity's plan to comply with the utilization goals for business enterprises established in the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act and the provisions of Section 2-105 of the Illinois Human Rights Act. If the entity's performance in implementing the plan falls short of the performance measures and outcomes set forth in the plans submitted by the entity during the proposal process, the entity shall, in a detailed written report, inform the General Assembly and the Governor whether and to what degree each design-build contract authorized under this Act promoted the utilization goals for business enterprises established in the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act and the provisions of Section 2-105 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.

(Source: P.A. 100-391, eff. 8-25-17.)

(30 ILCS 537/50)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 50. Administrative Procedure Act. The Illinois Administrative Procedure Act (5 ILCS 100/) applies to all administrative rules and procedures of the State construction agency under this Act except that nothing herein shall be construed to render any prequalification or other responsibility criteria as a "license" or "licensing" under that Act.

(Source: P.A. 94-716, eff. 12-13-05.)

(30 ILCS 537/53)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 53. Federal requirements. In the procurement of design-build contracts, the State construction agency shall comply with federal law and regulations and take all necessary steps to adapt their rules, policies, and procedures to remain eligible for federal aid.

(Source: P.A. 94-716, eff. 12-13-05.)

(30 ILCS 537/90)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 90. Repealer. This Act is repealed on January 1, 2026.

(Source: P.A. 102-1016, eff. 5-27-22; 102-1119, eff. 1-23-23.)

(30 ILCS 537/95)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 95. Severability. The provisions of this Act are severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.

(Source: P.A. 94-716, eff. 12-13-05.)

(30 ILCS 537/99)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.

(Source: P.A. 94-716, eff. 12-13-05.)