Author: Jakob Fischer, Brandenburg University of Technology

The tender for structural engineering services for the new youth center building is an essential part of the procurement process. Following the award of the building design contract (see also episode 1 and episode 2 of this blog series), applicants were able to bid for the structural engineering services for the new building at the end of 2025. Here, too, there was a 4-week publication phase during which incoming bidder questions were answered by the client (the city of Hohenmölsen).

Procedural conditions (Part A)

Apart from the award procedure, the procedural conditions (Part A of the tender documents) essentially cover the same content as those for the object planning ( Episode 1). In contrast to the award procedure for the object planning, there is no two-stage process for the structural design. This means that the documents to be submitted also include the binding offer prepared by the bidder. A separate invitation to tender and the evaluation by means of so-called selection criteria are therefore not required. Further significant differences can mainly be found in Appendix A01: Suitability criteria. These are described below.

Suitability criteria

Of the nine suitability criteria established and to be fulfilled by the company or the bidding consortium, three criteria have minimum requirements:

1. Annual turnover

• self-declaration of total turnover in the years 2022 to 2024 and separately for services in the field of structural engineering with at least average requirements in accordance with fee zone II (according to Appendix 14 to § 51 (5), 52 (2) HOAI 2021)

2. Reference services Planning

• self-declaration regarding the subject matter of comparable previous contracts
• minimum requirements:
  • at least one comparable reference service (each completed after January 1, 2022)
  • eligible costs of the reference object (cost groups 300 to 400) at least €500,000 (gross)
  • at least service phases 1-4 of the service description for structural design ($51 HOAI) must have been completed
  • the reference object must have a gross floor area of at least 250 m²
  • the references must have used precast reinforced concrete elements as load-bearing components

3. Reference services for planning and execution

• self-declaration regarding the subject matter of comparable previous contracts
• minimum requirements:
  • the comparable reference services must have been completed after January 1, 2008
  • chargeable costs of the reference project (cost groups 300 to 400) at least €500,000 (gross)
  • at least service phases 1-6 of the service description for structural design ($51 HOAI) must have been completed
  • the reference object must have a gross floor area of at least 250 m²
  • the references must include the use of precast reinforced concrete elements as load-bearing components

4. Staff

• specified as the annual average for the years 2022 to 2024
• specified according to positions in the company (e.g. owner, architect, technician, etc.)

5. Project management

• information on the project manager and deputy (name, qualifications, and professional experience in years)
• minimum requirements:
  • proof of professional certification as an architect or engineer in accordance with state law for the project manager and his/her deputy
  • the project manager must have at least 10 years of professional experience and be authorized to submit building documents
  • the deputy project manager must have at least 5 years of professional experience

6. Information on the use of subcontractors
7. Legal grounds for exclusion (within the meaning of Sections 123, 124, and 125 of the German Act against Restraints of Competition (GWB))
8. Self-declaration regarding the lack of Russian connection of the services
9. Self-declaration regarding collective bargaining agreements, minimum hourly wages, and equal pay (Section 11 TVergG LSA)

Award criteria

The structural engineering services were awarded in a single stage, i.e., after suitability had been determined, the bids were directly subjected to so-called award criteria in order to then determine the most economical bid according to the number of points achieved.

A bid can achieve a maximum total score of 1000 by fulfilling all criteria. Two criteria were used, each with two sub-criteria.

1. Fee parameters

1.1. Total fee (450 points)

1.2. Hourly rates for additionally commissioned services (150 points)

2. Concept for project implementation

2.1. Project management (200 points)

2.2. Planning concept (200 points)

To calculate the score for the subcriterion “total fee,” the bid with the lowest bid price automatically receives the highest score. All other/higher bids receive a lower score according to a specific formula. The points for the subcriterion “hourly rates” are awarded according to the same principle.

For the “project implementation concept,” bidders had to use presentation materials to illustrate the approaches and methods they would use to effectively implement the structural engineering requirements. The evaluation was carried out by a committee appointed by the client.

When evaluating project management (criterion 2.1), the employer (the city of Hohenmölsen) attaches particular importance to the structural design being managed by individuals who “[…] personally have comprehensive knowledge and relevant practical experience in the design and construction of buildings using, ideally reusing, precast reinforced concrete elements.” In addition, if the above condition applies, this criterion also evaluates which personal reference project was ideally carried out by the project management in relation to “circular construction.” Furthermore, it is considered particularly positive if the project management already has experience with reused reinforced concrete elements in planning. It is also considered positive if the overall design was planned with load-bearing precast reinforced concrete elements. Relevant additional qualifications are also taken into account in the evaluation.

The sub-criterion “project management” is evaluated according to the expected degree of target achievement.

The sub-criterion “planning concept” is evaluated, among other things, on the basis of how convincingly the bidder can present its planning approach in a comprehensible manner and demonstrate how the integration of reusable precast concrete elements is taken into account in the planning and construction, including coordination with the object planner and structural engineer. Potential difficulties and possible solutions should also be presented.

Another key criterion for ReCreate is the integration and presentation of the communication concept with scientific support, represented here by the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg. The client attaches great importance to effective and targeted information exchange.

The sub-criterion “planning concept” is evaluated according to the expected degree of target achievement.