Request for qualifications
How a board screens who is capable before anyone talks price.
A request for qualifications, or RFQ, asks contractors, architects, or engineers to prove they can do the work, licensing, experience, similar projects, before anyone talks price. Boards send it first when they don't already know which firms are capable, then invite the qualified firms into a request for proposal or a bid.
Qualifications first, price later
An RFQ is not a bid. It does not ask a firm what it would charge, it asks whether the firm can do the job at all. That distinction is the whole point of the document.
An RFQ "is an essential tool used in the construction industry to invite contractors, architects, subcontractors, and consultants to submit qualification statements," used to ensure "that only qualified professionals are considered for the next stages of the project, such as bidding or contract negotiation."
Source: Request for Qualifications, what are they used for, American Institute of Architects, AIA Contract Documents
A qualification statement typically shows licensing status, comparable projects the firm has actually completed, and who on the firm's team would do the work. It narrows a long list of names to a short list before anyone spends time pricing a job the firm was never going to get.
RFQ, then RFP
The usual order is: RFQ first to build a short list of capable firms, then a request for proposal to that short list to get price and approach. Sending an RFP to a dozen unknown firms wastes everyone's time on pricing work from firms the board was never going to hire.
No industry standard requires a board to run both steps. It is a common construction-industry practice a board can adopt, not a legal obligation, and a small project may skip straight to an RFP or a bid if the board already knows the field.
What to ask for
Boards commonly ask each firm to submit its license status and standing with the state licensing board, see contractor licensing, a short list of comparable projects completed in the last several years, who on the team would actually be assigned, and contactable references. None of that is a fixed checklist from a standard-setter, it is practice a board can shape to the size of the project.
Check yourself
Answer before you read the explanation, recalling it is what makes it stick.
The board has never worked with any of the three engineering firms in town and wants to narrow the field before pricing a roof project. What does it send first?
A firm responds to the board's request for qualifications with a stipulated sum, a construction schedule, and a proposed approach, but no resumes or project history. What did the firm actually submit?
The board wants RFQ responses to eliminate unqualified firms before anyone discusses price. What should the RFQ ask each firm to submit?
Sources
- Request for Qualifications, what are they used for, American Institute of Architects, AIA Contract Documents
- Florida Statutes, section 720.3055 (HOA competitive bidding), The Florida Senate
- Florida Statutes, section 718.3026 (condominium competitive bidding), The Florida Senate
Related elsewhere in the Academy
Capital Projects
Ready to compare responses? See comparing bids for what happens after the qualified firms are on your short list.
Whether your state requires competitive bidding at all, and whether contracts with architects, engineers, and similar professionals are exempted from that requirement, varies by state and by your governing documents. Check your state statute and CC&Rs before assuming an RFQ satisfies any bidding rule.