The Professional Services Selection Committee (PSSC) reviews and selects consultants for contracted work.
Architects, landscape architects and engineers who plan to submit expressions of interest to work on Baltimore County projects must pre-qualify and be licensed by the State of Maryland. The required annual pre-qualification period extends from August 1 to July 31. The PSSC periodically advertises projects to be assigned on the County's website as well as via E-Maryland Marketplace Advantage.
The County prequalifies firms annually and sends out email prequalification notifications reminding consulting firms to establish or renew their prequalification for the coming Prequalification Cycle, which runs from August 1 to July 31 of the following year. Prequalification submittals are valid only for the particular cycle during which they were submitted. Consultants may also prequalify for a specific project prior to the project's submittal date.
If you wish to receive a reminder email, subscribe to our email distribution list.
The County only considers prequalified firms (prime, sub-consultant or joint venture) for professional engineering, architecture and landscape architecture services. A firm that is not prequalified may submit prequalification forms up to, and including, the deadline for submittal for a specific project.
You may obtain physical copies of the required forms from our office, or download the electronic versions below. You must submit:
A standard form SF254 (Architect-Engineer Qualification) with original signatures
A copy of the appropriate Maryland professional licenses
The above forms make up the prequalification packages that must be mailed to our office (faxed copies are not accepted) or emailed to Bobbie Rodriguez at brodriguez@baltimorecountymd.gov by the time and date identified in the advertisement.
Irregular submittals are sent a courtesy letter for correct information needed, as long as the prequalification submittal is not with a specific project submittal.
The required hard copy should follow by mail within a week of the deadline. No exceptions will be made.
Procedure to Submit
Firms must submit prequalification forms separately from project submittals. Firms that submit prequalification forms with a project submittal run the risk of being eliminated from the project due to an incorrect prequalification submittal. We strongly suggest early prequalification.
About the Process
The entire process from advertisement to start of design is approximately eight months to a year, depending upon workload.
Respond to current solicitations via email to Lauren Buckler at lbuckler@baltimorecountymd.gov by the time and date identified in the advertisement. The required two hard copies should follow by mail within a week of the deadline. No exceptions will be made.
Important Notice: Late submittals will be considered nonresponsive and will not be evaluated or considered.
For Sub-Consultants
Sub-consultants specializing in engineering, architecture and landscape architecture must prequalify. Sub-consultants who do not specialize in those disciplines do not need to and cannot prequalify. All sub-consultants specialties must be clearly stated in the SF255 form, block six.
Projects of sub-consultants are not to be included in item eight unless otherwise noted.
For Joint Ventures
All firms within a joint venture must be prequalified.
An evaluation report is generated by County Staff and includes a description of each consultant's experience in various categories associated with the type of work solicited and a tabulation (matrix) of qualifications.
Another table, examining prior work fees, is generated to list those firms and fees awarded in new agreements or addenda by County Council in the previous year from the date the expressions of interest were due. The amount of prior work can be a factor in the selection.
The Professional Services Selection Committee (PSSC) members review this report and at the next PSSC meeting, use the qualification matrix along with the work table to select the number one firm (for design projects) or multiple firms (for on-call projects). Alternate firms are selected in case an agreement cannot be negotiated with the first choices.
All firms submitting are notified of the selections.
The Chief of Design will then proceed along with the project manager to negotiate a fee for the project, which will be sent to County Council and become prior work.
Debriefings may be scheduled by special appointment, as time permits, by calling the Chief of Design at 410-887-3788.
Minority and Women's Business Enterprises Requirements
It is the policy of Baltimore County, Maryland, that minority business enterprises and women-owned businesses shall have the maximum opportunity to participate in performance of contracts financed in whole or part by County funds for all projects. Twenty percent any combination for minority persons—defined as an individual who is African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, American Indian or disabled—or for women exclusively, regardless of race or ethnicity, pursuant to Baltimore County's Minority and Women's Business Enterprise Program.
Certification
Minority and women business firms must be certified to be counted toward the goal. They may be certified by either:
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) minority business certification program
To be used as part of a consultant team for a County professional services contract, the firm must still be prequalified with the Baltimore County Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT). View the requirements of minority- and women-owned businesses.