Talking Points Re HR 2750

H.R. 2750 the Design-Build Efficiency and Jobs Act of 2013 Talking Points

 Please co-sponsor H.R. 2750 the Design-Build Efficiency and Jobs Act of 2013

 H.R. 2750 will increase government efficiency, reduce government costs, and ensure opportunities for small and large businesses alike to compete for federal construction contracts.

 H.R. 2750 does this by encouraging better use of the preferred two-step design-build federal project delivery procedures and limiting the use of single-step procedures.

 Design-build is an integrated approach that delivers design and construction services under one contract with a single point of responsibility. Compared with other contracting methods, Design- build is proven to provide less administrative burden, faster delivery, cost savings and better quality.

 Federal regulation allows the use of design-build project delivery, including both a single-step process and a two-step process. The two-step process is vastly superior.

 Due to the high up-front costs of a single-step process – often reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions – many companies decide not to apply since their chances of final selection are so low. Small businesses in particular do not have the luxury to spend limited resources to apply for a project when the chance of being chosen may be less than ten percent.

 The two-step process is focused initially on the qualifications of the design-build teams. If done right the initial response is a simple statement of qualification used to create a short list of three to five of the most qualified respondents that then put together detailed proposals. This procedure is not only good for American businesses of all sizes, it also benefits the American taxpayer who can be sure the most qualified firms were not scared away from a project simply due to the costs of applying.

 To limit single-step procedures and improve two-step procedures we support H.R. 2750 which would:  Limit the use of single-step design-build to federal projects that are less than $750,000, and  Require federal agencies to better justify why they short-list more than five finalists in the two-step process, and put in place related reporting requirements.

 Please contact Emily Murphy, Senior Counsel for the Committee on Small Business, at (202) 225- 5821 to co-sponsor the bill.

 If you or your staff have any questions feel free to contact me or Louis Jenny at the Design-Build Institute of America, [email protected], 202-454-7507.