60-2-137. Design-build contracting process -- submission of proposals -- department's duties. (1) Once the commission, acting on a recommendation of the department, has identified a project for which the design-build contracting process will be used and the commission has approved selection criteria proposed by the department, the department shall prepare and advertise a request for qualifications.

(2) From the responders to the request for qualifications, the department shall prepare a short list of the responders that it believes are most qualified, not to exceed five responders on any single project.

(3) (a) The department shall announce the short list and issue a request for proposals to each of the prospective design-build contractors on the short list, who may then submit a technical and price proposal to the department.

(b) A technical and price proposal submitted in response to a request for proposals must contain detailed descriptions of the prospective design-build contractor's approach to designing, constructing, and managing the project in accordance with the design-build criteria package. The technical and price proposal must also include the prospective design-build contractor's conceptual design and construction sequence and schedule and the lump-sum price to complete the project.

(4) The department shall evaluate the technical and price proposals and make a written recommendation to the commission regarding the department's selection of the design-build contractor to be awarded the contract.

(5) The prospective design-build contractors who appeared on the department's short list but are not awarded the contract may be paid a stipend, in an amount determined by the commission, for costs incurred in submitting the response to the department's request for proposals.