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UPDATE

New RFP portal for design consultant services is now live

KDOT has officially made the switch to now use Bid Express® for all request for proposal (RFP) solicitations for design and consulting services. More information is included below in 3. Solicitations and RFPs.

KDOT has developed a courtesy calendar of anticipated RFP releases and proposal submission deadlines in 2024. To access it, click this link, open the file, and click “Import” to put these events on your personal Outlook calendar. Alternatively, click “Open as New” if you prefer to have it added to Outlook as a separate calendar that can be turned on and off in your calendars view.

Note that all dates are subject to change. Please check Bid Express regularly to access RFPs and verify proposal submission deadlines.

INFORMATION FOR DESIGN CONSULTANTS

KDOT’s workflow when doing business with design consultants is below. Clicking the gray horizontal bars below the graphic will provide a summary of the step, resources, and links to relevant reference materials.

Workflow for Design Consultants

KDOT has established a qualifications-based selection (QBS) process in order to engage the most highly qualified consultants based on demonstrated competence to provide engineering and other technical services for its projects. Following the process depicted in the graphic above, KDOT's Division of Engineering and Design Contracts Section manages the consultant procurement process by: 

  • Pre-qualifying eligible firms 
  • Publicly announcing all requirements for engineering and related services 
  • Developing agreements as the contractual basis for qualified firms to provide services required at fair and reasonable fees 
  • Maintaining and providing links to standards and requirements for consultant use while providing services 
  • Managing the payment request and invoicing process 

    Pre-qualification Categories (Blue Book) - Prior to being selected for any KDOT project, companies providing Engineering or Technical services must be pre-qualified in the category(ies) specified on the project RFP. Category definitions are provided in the Blue Book. New or updated pre-qualification information can be submitted on the 1050 Form for consideration with a proposal.

    KDOT 1050 Form - To become pre-qualified, consultants must submit a PDF copy of the KDOT 1050 Form and other documentation as described in the form to KDOT.DesignContracts@ks.gov. KDOT encourages consultants to submit new or updated 1050 forms anytime. The review process for this typically involves at least two (2) reviewers for each category and takes about two (2) weeks. Reviews will be expedited when necessary if a consultant needs approval in a new category when submitting a proposal.

    All firms who are already pre-qualified must re-submit this form annually (or every other year if no significant organizational changes occur from one year to the next). At least six (6) weeks in advance of the annual expiration, consultants are required to re-submit the 1050 Form and associated documentation to the email address noted above.

    Current Pre-qualified Consultants 

    Certified Inspection & Testing (CIT) and Superpave Certification Info

    Request for Proposal Opportunities

    KDOT regularly seeks qualified consulting firms to provide professional services (survey, planning studies, design, construction inspection, etc.). Current and past Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Notices to Consulting Firms can be found on the Kansas Register website. The Kansas Register is published weekly and can be searched for the latest Request for Proposals.

    Tips for accessing KDOT notices and requests for proposals in the Kansas Register online:

    • Scroll down the page to “Register Search”
    • Search for “Notice to Consulting”
    • Review the list of notices and select the link to any notice of interest
    • If desired, print the individual notice by selecting the printer icon (upper right corner)

    As of February 2023, KDOT releases RFP solicitations a single date each month and communicates via the ACEC of Kansas Newsletter a list of RFPs it anticipates soliciting each month. RFPs will typically be advertised in the Kansas Register on the second Thursday of each month. Please note, while every effort will be made to hit these dates and align what is published in the newsletter with what is advertised each month, last-minute changes will occasionally be necessary. Watch the Kansas Register and for the most accurate solicitation information.

    Submitting for Proposal Opportunities 

    KDOT has officially made the switch to now use Bid Express® for all request for proposal (RFP) solicitations for design and consulting services. 

    Sign up now for a FREE vendor* account on Bid Express.   

    • Every individual who might want to see KDOT RFPs needs to sign up for their own account (it is not a single account for each company).   
    • After signing up and logging in to your personal account, vendors/consultants must enable free “follower notifications” from KDOT’s Bid Express landing page to receive notifications each time a solicitation is advertised, addenda of any kind are issued (including Q&A), or if an advertisement is withdrawn from view.  
    • Note: KDOT is sponsoring the cost of this tool. Therefore, signing up and responding to KDOT RFQs or RFPs is free. 
    • “Vendor” is the term Bid Express uses and, when KDOT is discussing Bid Express, it should be generally understood to mean “Consultant”.
    • Find answers to frequently asked questions.

    At this time, KDOT plans to continue soliciting on-call service requests via email through the end of 2023 and will switch to using Bid Express for on-calls in 2024. 

    *Vendor is the term Bid Express uses and, when KDOT is discussing Bid Express, it should be understood to mean “Consultant.”

    Special Attachments: Consultants are required to submit the following contract special attachments with every proposal.

    RFP for FY28 Priority Bridge Replacement Program Projects: RFP and associated reference documents can be found here.

    Construction Inspection RFPs: A list of current and upcoming construction inspection RFPs can be found here.

    Consultants selected to provide professional services must submit a scope, labor hour estimate and KDOT Exhibit B during contract negotiations for their firm and any subconsultants. KDOT will negotiate the contract terms in the following order:

    • Negotiate and agree upon scope
    • Negotiate and agree upon labor hours and schedule
    • Negotiate and agree upon fees, including fixed fees (for Cost Plus Fixed Fee contracts)

    Once negotiations are complete, the consultant (and all subconsultants) shall sign and return finalized Exhibit B documents (for prime consultant and Exhibit B documents signed by each subconsultant). Once the assigned KDOT Project Manager has signed the prime consultant’s Exhibit B, she/he will forward the finalized Exhibit B to the Contracts Section.

    The Contracts Section will then prepare an Agreement for Engineering and Technical Services. After initial review by KDOT Legal, KDOT will electronically send to the prime consultant for execution. The consultant shall submit PDFs of the signed Agreement and all necessary attachments to  KDOT.DesignContracts@ks.gov. After one more review by KDOT Legal, the Agreement goes to the State Transportation Engineer for execution.

    Upon receiving the fully executed Agreement, a CMS number will be generated and the Contracts Section or KDOT Project Manager will issue to the prime consultant a Notice to Proceed (NTP). In some cases, where project schedule is critical, an advanced NTP can be issued once the three steps of negotiation are complete. KDOT is solely responsible for determining if an advanced NTP is warranted. KDOT will not reimburse the consultant (or subconsultants) for any effort prior to NTP. The CMS number will be required on payment requests.

    On-call Projects: Upon selection to perform work associated with On-call services requests, a signed copy of the On-call Services Form (KDOT Exhibit B) must be submitted to KDOT.DesignContracts@ks.gov.

    For specific design policy information, go to KART. KART is KDOT's storehouse for important guidance documents for those who are providing professional services for the Department. Types of documents which can be found on KART include:

    • Design manuals
    • Traffic engineering policies
    • Other design and policy documents

    Each KDOT Division and Bureau may have additional resources on their respective KDOT webpages:

    Consultants must submit a completed Payment Request form and summary justifying the charges to KDOT.ConPR@ks.gov with each payment request. Consultants working on projects managed by the PMC should review the FAQ below for guidance on how to submit invoices for associated efforts.

    Additional information is available for the following subjects:

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION


    Information Regarding Data Required for FAR Audit


    Additional Resources

    QUESTIONS? CONTACT THE CONTRACTS SECTION

    Kansas Department of Transportation
    Division of Engineering and Design, Contracts Section
    Dwight D. Eisenhower State Office Building
    700 SW Harrison Street
    Topeka, KS 66603

    Email: KDOT.DesignContracts@ks.gov.

    FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) FOR DESIGN CONSULTANTS

    Now that KDOT has officially made the switch to use Bid Express® for all request for proposal (RFP) solicitations for design and consulting services, we have put together a list of answers to frequently asked questions.

    Yes. In ONE email to KDOT.ConPR@ks.gov:

    • Please submit consultant’s monthly, complete (non-redacted) invoice AND
    • As a separate file attached to the same email, please submit a separate cover sheet with numbers redacted or removed from the form as (redacted - example).
    • KDOT Contracts will then forward the redacted cover sheet to the appropriate IKE PMC PM for them to review and approve the progress claimed by the consultant. This process is the most efficient way to achieve timely processing and payment. It is also consistent with best practices for keeping consultants’ proprietary information confidential.

    No. Cost for services for different project numbers must be billed on separate invoices.

    Depending on how your agreement reads, KDOT will begin to withhold retainage upon spending 95% of the agreed funding. See the Fixed Fee Payout Procedures for Cost Plus Fixed Fee Contracts memo for more information.

    Send these questions/concerns to KDOT.ConPR@ks.gov.

    When you explicitly receive written “Notice to Proceed” or “NTP” from a KDOT Project Manager or Contracts Section representative.

    INFORMATION FOR CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS

    Thanks to passage of IKE, KDOT is delivering a significant number of improvements to Kansas’s transportation system, and the Program Management Consultant (PMC) approach is enabling KDOT to move these projects through the process faster than ever before – putting more project work on the streets for our design and contracting partners and bringing transportation improvements to Kansans more quickly. The following resources will help our partners stay up to date on upcoming opportunities and current project statuses.

    Information for Highway Contractors: Detailed letting information and instructions for becoming a pre-qualified contractor

    Monthly Bid Letting Report: Most recent information about upcoming bid lettings

    For all other questions, please email IKE@ks.gov.

    Have Questions?

    Do you have a question, comment, suggestion or concern? Contact us by emailing IKE@KS.gov or by using the message fields located at the bottom of every page. You can also find out more about how we put your ideas to good work with our local consult process here.

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