Title 40Public Buildings, Property, and WorksRelease 119-73

§1103 Selection procedure

Title 40 › Subtitle SUBTITLE I— - FEDERAL PROPERTY AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES › Chapter CHAPTER 11— - SELECTION OF ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS › § 1103

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

When an agency head hires architects or engineers, they must follow a set process. They must ask firms to send, once a year, a short summary of their qualifications and past work. For each project, the agency must review the summaries it already has and any new statements about that project. The agency must talk with at least 3 firms to discuss ideas and ways to do the work. After those talks, the agency must pick at least 3 firms, ranked by preference, that it thinks are best qualified, using criteria the agency head has set and made public.

Full Legal Text

Title 40, §1103

Public Buildings, Property, and Works — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)These procedures apply to the procurement of architectural and engineering services by an agency head.
(b)The agency head shall encourage firms to submit annually a statement of qualifications and performance data.
(c)For each proposed project, the agency head shall evaluate current statements of qualifications and performance data on file with the agency, together with statements submitted by other firms regarding the proposed project. The agency head shall conduct discussions with at least 3 firms to consider anticipated concepts and compare alternative methods for furnishing services.
(d)From the firms with which discussions have been conducted, the agency head shall select, in order of preference, at least 3 firms that the agency head considers most highly qualified to provide the services required. Selection shall be based on criteria established and published by the agency head.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 110340:543.June 30, 1949, ch. 288, title IX, § 903, as added Pub. L. 92–582, Oct. 27, 1972, 86 Stat. 1279. In subsection (b), the words “engaged in the lawful practice of their profession” are omitted as unnecessary because of the definition of “firm” in section 1102 of the revised title. In subsection (c), the words “compare alternative methods for furnishing services” are substituted for “the relative utility of alternative methods of approach for furnishing the required services” to eliminate unnecessary words.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Architectural and Engineering Services Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title XIV, § 1427(b), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1670, as amended by Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title XVII, § 1702(l)(8), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2161, provided that: “Architectural and engineering services (as defined in section 1102 of title 40, United States Code) shall not be offered under multiple-award schedule contracts entered into by the Administrator of General Services or under Governmentwide task and delivery order contracts entered into under section 3403 and 3405 of title 10, United States Code, or section 303H and 303I of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 ([former] 41 U.S.C. 253h and 253i) [now 41 U.S.C. 4103, 4105(a) to (c)(1), (d) to (i)] unless such services— “(1) are performed under the direct supervision of a professional architect or engineer licensed, registered, or certified in the State, territory (including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico), possession, or Federal District in which the services are to be performed; and “(2) are awarded in accordance with the selection procedures set forth in chapter 11 of title 40, United States Code.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

40 U.S.C. § 1103

Title 40Public Buildings, Property, and Works

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73