ACEC of Minnesota Statement on the QBS Fix for Minnesota HF 4314/SF 4397

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 6, 2024 CONTACT: Kelly Smeltzer, kelly@acecmn.org

ACEC of Minnesota Statement on the QBS Fix for Minnesota HF 4314/SF 4397 March 6, 2024

St. Paul, MN – This week, the American Council of Engineering Companies Minnesota (ACEC – MN) joined a bipartisan group of legislators from both chambers to introduce legislation (HF 4314/SF 4397) that would direct the state to use Qualifications Based Selection (QBS) on the design services component for all State Agency projects starting in 2025.

QBS prioritizes qualifications and expertise for designer selections followed by an invitation to negotiate scope and cost with the State Agency. This ensures the most competent and skilled professionals are selected to design critical infrastructure projects, enhancing quality, promoting innovation, and ensuring public safety while the State Agency maintains complete control over costs.

Design services make up just one percent of a project’s total life-cycle costs. Prioritizing innovation and expertise at the start sets the stage for an efficient and cost-effective construction process and years of maintenance cost savings. Utilizing QBS gives State Agencies the certainty to meet schedules and control unforeseen costs throughout design and construction.

“Minnesota is a state known for our innovation,” said Jon Curry, Executive Director of ACEC-MN. “And QBS is crucial for fostering innovation in public projects by ensuring that selection processes prioritize expertise, experience, and the creative problem-solving abilities of all engineering firms of any size, including small or historically underutilized firms.’ Utilizing QBS ensures a strong, well-planned, and well-built infrastructure with higher quality outcomes and more efficient use of resources, which Minnesota taxpayers deserve.

Visit www.QBSMinnesota.com to learn more and Take Action, today!