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for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments, and in a manner that <br />provides full and open competition between contractors and suppliers. <br /> <br />In general, the Northstar Corridor Rail Project will be covered under the following three contract <br /> <br />categories: <br /> <br />Professional Services; <br /> <br />Construction Services; and <br /> <br />Equipment/Materials. <br /> <br />The manner in which these items are procured can vary according to the category, the estimated <br />dollar value of the contract, schedule, and unusual circumstances. <br /> <br />2.1.4 Contracting Methods <br /> <br />There are several contracting methods that Mn/DOT may employ to obtain the necessary services <br />and products for designing, building, and administering the Northstar Corridor Rail Project. <br />They represent the current industry practices from the perspective of the public agency-owner, <br />and include contracts resulting from proposals, competitive bids, and sole-sources. <br /> <br />2.1.4.1 Proposals <br /> <br />Competitive proposal procurements are used for negotiated contracts, including professional and <br />personal services contracts and rail vehicle acquisitions. "Requests for Proposals" (RFPs) are <br />advertised to maximize competition. <br /> <br />Professional consulting services are obtained through a best value procurement where <br />negotiations are subject to fair and reasonable compensation and limited only to the most <br />technically qualified firm. <br /> <br />Highly specialized equipment also may be procured through a process where price is not the only <br />consideration. This type of procurement may be handled through an RFP process where <br />technical qualifications are determined by ranking responses against published criteria, along <br />with cost as another, but not sole, consideration. <br /> <br />2.1.4.2 Bids <br /> <br />A sealed-bid procurement is obtained through an Invitation for Bid (IFil) process. This requires <br />advertising with complete and explicit contract documentation for the services and materials <br />desired, such as plans and specifications for furnishing materials and/or construction services. <br />Contract award is typically made to the lowest responsible bidder. <br /> <br />Where it is not possible to fully detail the scope or quantity of the services or goods to be <br />obtained, competitive proposals are typically requested, as discussed in Section 2.1.4.1 above. <br /> <br />Northstar Corridor Preliminary Engineering <br />Volume III - June 1, 2001 <br /> <br />Procurement Plan <br /> Page 4 <br /> <br /> <br />