City / Town & Other Awarding Authority (OAA) Prequalification Form
Check All Funding Program(s) that apply:
Chapter 90 Program Complete Streets Program Municipal Small Bridge Program
Utility Grants Program Mass-Works Program Municipality Funds
Other _________________________________________________________________________________________
Name of
City/Town or OAA: ________________________________________________________________________
Description of Work: ______________________________________________________________________________
Class of Work (determined by MassDOT Prequalification Committee):
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Project Value: ____________________________________________________________________________________
Bid Opening Date: _________________________________________________________________________________
Award Date: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Start Date: _______________________________________________________________________________________
End Date: ________________________________________________________________________________________
Contact Person: ___________________________________________________________________________________
Telephone #: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Email: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Required Attachments:
Legal Advertisement or Central Registry Advertisement
Engineer’s Bid Estimate Items, Quantities & Values / Alternates or Optional extensions (Total Prequal. Project Costs)
Detailed Scope of Work
State Funding Approval Form or Letter
For MassDOT Use Only
Please email or fax completed forms to:
Email: prequal.r109@dot.state.ma.us
SAE Signature & Date
Fax: (857) 368-0643
Main line: (857) 368-8660
In accordance with
M.G.L. c. 81, §8B, any Contractor or Prospective Bidder proposing to bid on any work, excepting the
construction, reconstruction, repair, or alteration of buildings, to be awarded by the Department of Conservation and
Recreation, aggregating $50,000 or more, must be prequalified by the Highway Division of the Massachusetts Department of
Transportation pursuant to 720 CMR 5.01, et seq. (cite 320 CMR 17.00, 17.02) in the specified class of work with a single
contract class limit greater than or equal to the advertised project value.
Please notify MassDOT of any changes of contact information, bid dates, project value(s), addendums, etc.
Rev 1/2019
1
click to sign
signature
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s
sachusetts State Seal, Charles D. Baker, Governor Karyn E. Polito, Lieutenant Governor Stephanie Pollack, Secretary & CEO, Jonathan L. Gulliver, Highway Administrator, MassDOT Highway Division Logo
January 1, 2019
To: Massachusetts Cities / Towns & Other Awarding Authorities (OAA)
Re: Massachusetts Horizontal Construction Prequalification Process, per 720 CMR 5.00
Dear Colleagues:
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation through its Office of Construction Prequalification / Records &
Procedures is providing this reminder of Horizontal Construction Prequalification requirements for publically bid projects in
Massachusetts:
(1) That involves the use of State funds where the cost exceeds $50,00
0;
(
2) That involves work on State numbered roads & highways; o
r
(
3) That includes MassDOT Prequalification, as a requirement of the Advertisement and or bid documents, regardless o
f
f
unding sources
.
(
4) Requires MassDOT Prequalification as a condition for State Funding Reimbursement
.
T
o eliminate confusion on future projects, we are providing this information so that all Awarding Authorities are aware of
MassDOT’s Horizontal Construction Prequalification process and the potential reasons for MassDOT to inquire into a
City/Town or Other Awarding Authority (OAA) project advertised in the Central Register and either 100% or partially
Funded by “OTHER” state funds such as the Chapter 90 Program, Complete Streets Program, Municipal Small Bridge
Program, Utility Grants Program and Mass-Works Program.
The following criteria are routinely checked when performing project Prequalification reviews and/or sending Central
Register (CR) Inquiries:
1. Project Advertised (Central Register) requiring MassDOT Prequal. If, regardless of funding sources, a City/Town or OAA
el
ects to make MassDOT Prequalification a requirement of its procurement, then MassDOT will apply its same proce
ss
a
s any other project requiring MassDOT prequalification. This includes review of documentation to determine class o
f
work, determination of the “Total Project Value (including any added Alternates & Extension Option costs)”, and
i
ssuance of approved prequalified Contractor lists for each contract advertised within 1 week of receiving the requir
ed
d
ocumentation
.
W
hen City/Town or OAA projects are advertised as requiring MassDOT Prequalification, please be aware tha
t
C
ontractors seeking waivers to bid on such projects must be allowed to submit them to MassDOT’s Prequal. Committ
ee
a
t least 1 week prior to the bid date to afford them the opportunity to appeal such decision
s.
2.
W
ork on State Roads- We confirm whether the work is being performed on state roads. Work on state roads trigger
s
t
he Prequalification requirement, regardless of funding source; moreover, a District Access Permit to perform the wor
k
s
hould be available with the bid documents. (see IG web-site reference below
)
3.
S
tate Funded Projects If 100% or partially funded by “OTHER” state funds such as, but not limited to, the 1. Chapte
r
90 Pr
ogram (need approved copy of Ch. 90 Form), 2. Complete Streets Program (need copy of approval letter),
3.
M
unicipal Small Bridge Program (need copy of approval letter), 4.Utility Grants Program (need copy of approval; and 5
.
M
ass-Works Program( need copy of approval letter
)
4.
C
entral Register (CR) weekly review of projects advertised - We perform weekly reviews of the Central Register fo
r
projects that may have been inadvertently advertised requiring Prequal, when in fact it is not required; moreover, that
m
ay have not been advertised correctly and are “potential Prequal. Projects” meeting at least one of criteria 1 thru
4
ab
ove. We must inquire about these potential projects to confirm whether they in fact do or do not need MassDO
T
Ten Park Plaza, Suite 4160, Boston, MA 02116
Tel: 857-368-4636, TTY: 857-368-0655
www.mass.gov/massdot
prequalification before bids are opened, as we have found several occurrences of both instances in the past 6 months
that have prompted bid protests.
Note that the Office of the Inspector General has released a useful guide on public procurement. The full guide can be
found at the following link, which also includes discussion of the prequalification requirements:
https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/07/13/Procurement%20Charts%202018.pdf?_ga=2.148160116.291473291.1
536681180-1497554904.1536681180
Procurement/ Prequalification requirements for projects >$50, 000 under M.G.L. c. 30, § 39M, or M.G.L. c. 30B, §5
PUBLIC WORKS (NON-BUILDING) CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS (WITH LABOR):
“7. Although M.G.L. c. 30, § 39M, does not mandate a contractor prequalification process, prequalification of bidders by the
Massachusetts Department of Transportation is required for contracts of $50,000 or more (1) if the awarding authority
receives State Aid funds under M.G.L. c. 90, § 34; or (2) the work is on a state road, regardless of whether the awarding
authority receives State Aid funds under M.G.L. c. 90, § 34.”
Many Cities, Towns and OAA presently utilize MassDOT’s prequalification process. There have been instances where
consultants have requested “un-officialprequalification contractor lists, without submitting the required documentation
prior to bids, which should never be used for awards. In other instances consultants have requested prequalified lists after
bid opening, which are not advisable and problematic as it may result in a potential bid protest; furthermore, it may identify
Prequalification violations. Note that all qualified bidders must have a fair opportunity to bid on such projects.
In order for MassDOT to issue a list of prequalified bidders prior to bid, the following forms or approvals are required:
1. City/Town or OAA applicatio
n
2. Detailed Scope of work
3.
Engineers Bid Estimate items with quantity & value / duration of project to arrive at Total Project Cos
t
4. L
egal advertisemen
t
5
. Approved State Funding Source docume
nt
Once we receive this packet, our office will then determine the work classification & email a list of eligible bidders to you.
Please forward all documentation to prequal.r109@dot.state.ma.us. Below is the link to our website for your convenience.
https://www.mass.gov/how-to/citytown-and-other-awarding-authorities-prequalification-process
We hope this provides more clarification to our process, what is required and by when.
Should you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact the PREQUALIFICATION HOT LINE at 857-368-
8660 or me directly at 857-368-8784.
Isidoro DeJesus Perez
Director - Office of Construction Prequalification / Records & Procedures
Prequalification Committee Chairperson, MassDOT Construction Engineering
CC: Prequal Committee, M. McGrath, R109, T. Ward