Mississippi Administrative Code
Title 12 - Finance and Administration
Part 3 - Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property Management
Chapter 2 - Rules for the Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property Management
Rule 12-3-2.1 - Policies and Procedures
Section 12-3-2.1-400 - CODES AND POLICIES
Section 12-3-2.1-400.12 - CONTRACTOR PREQUALIFICATION POLICY

1. Advertisement for Prequalifications: Once the Construction Documents have been approved, the Bureau will prepare and issue an Advertisement for Prequalifications published in the legal section of a newspaper published in the county or municipality in which such agency or governing authority is located. The Advertisement will run once each week for two (2) consecutive weeks with responses being opened not less than fifteen (15) working days after the last notice is published. The Mississippi Contract Procurement Center, Inc., will also be notified. [Mississippi Code 1972, Annotated, Section 31-7-13-c ]

2. Request for Prequalifications: The Request for Prequalifications document, which will identify required documentation to be submitted and criteria for scoring, minimum score required, along with Construction Documents for the Project, will be made available to all interested Contractors. Contact and deposit information will be as identified in the Advertisement for Prequalifications.

3. Response: Any Contractor desiring to respond to the publication and become prequalified for a Project must give the Bureau written notification of interest. This response must be received at the Bureau's office on, or before, the date established in the public notice. Additional required documentation to establish Contractor's knowledge and experience in historical restoration, preservation and renovation, other than the letter indicating project interest, will be listed in the Request for Prequalifications document. Such documentation shall include, but not be limited to, qualifications of the Contractor's key personnel to be assigned to project and those of key entities proposed by Contractor for performance of required preservation trades.

4. Short List: A Preselection Committee will review all letters of interest and related data or information submitted. The Committee selects from all the submissions a short list for consideration. The short list shall consist of all responsive Contractors meeting the minimum score established in the Request for Prequalifications document. The Preselection Committee is composed of the following representatives:

5. Attendance: A minimum of four (4) Committee members must be present for the Preselection process. The Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property staff members are responsible for eliminating all submissions not meeting the project qualifications prior to the Preselection Committee's meeting. This process may be handled by committee meeting, conference call, or telephone poll.

6. Notification: After a short list has been established by the Preselection Committee, those selected for interviews will be notified by the Bureau.

7. Selection: The Prequalification Committee composed of the following voting members, may choose to prequalify Contractors directly from the short list without benefit of interviews, or they may hold separate interview with each Contractor on the short list.

8. Scoring: Following interviews, if held, Contractors shall be re-scored. No less than two (2) and no more than five (5) Contractors receiving the highest scores shall be prequalified for bidding of the project.

9. Interviews: Interviews, if held, are open to other representatives of the Institution, Agency, or Department for which the project is being administered; however, they will not participate in the scoring.

10. Delegation of Scoring: Any scoring member of the Prequalification Committee previously noted in 7a, 7b, or 7c may designate another party to submit their scores. This Designee may be a representative of a local or non-traditional public entity or a party having a special expertise regarding the scope of the project. The Prequalification Committee Member will request that the records of the proceedings state that their scoring has been designated and indicate the Designee.

11. Omitting Interviews: If the formal interview process is omitted, one or more of the following should take place prior to selection:

12. Motion to Reconsider: The Director of the Bureau of Building may, at his discretion, rule that the Prequalification Committee's decision will be held on a motion to reconsider and reconvene the Prequalification Committee normally within five (5) working days after the Prequalification Committee's decision. At this reconvened meeting, the Prequalification Committee may allow the first vote to stand, or the Committee may throw it out and re-score.

13. Advertisement for Bids: Once Contractors have been prequalified in accordance with this policy, project will be advertised for bids, from said Prequalified Contractors, in accordance with Code 31-7-13(d)(iii) no earlier than fifteen (15) working days after bidders have been prequalified; and, in accordance with Section 600.37 and Code 31-7-13(c).