The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announces new enhancements to the Professional Services Contracting System (PSCS) Portal Letter of Interest System (LOIS) windows that will be in production soon. At this time, it is proposed we have the enhancements in production for the May RFP 2105. These enhancements include INDOT's efforts to automate the Business Enterprise (BE) goal validation process for advertised RFP items.
When a Business Enterprise (BE) goal is set for an RFP item, INDOT's Economic Opportunity Department validates the sub-consultants selected as part of each team in the Letter of Interest System (LOIS) are:
- A Business Enterprise (BE) sub-consultant
- Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)
- Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
- Women's Business Enterprise (WBE)
- Indiana Veteran Owned Small Business Enterprise (IVOSB)
- Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (KYTCDBE)
- The applicable BE type meets the advertised BE goal (i.e., DBE/MBE/WBE/IVOSBE)
- Providing the applicable prequalification work type
- If a DBE/KYTCDBE sub-consultant is selected, validate the DBE/KYTCDBE sub-consultant has the applicable NAICS code listed in the DBE Directory for the services being provided.
Now, PSCS will be validating some of the Business Enterprise (BE) goal information provided by the submitting firms for RFP items utilizing the information provided by submitting firms during the LOI submittal process. Starting with the May 11, 2021 advertisement of RFP 2105, submitting firms will see the following changes to the LOIS windows:
The submitting firm will click the Edit 
icon as in the past to define their own percent of work and prequalification work types but submitting firms will notice more written guidance information offered in the newly designed Select Firm window.
After the submitting firm completes the required information for their firm and clicking the 
button, the submitting firm is returned to the LOI Submittal window and the firm selects the Add 
icon to add a new sub-consultant to their team for the RFP item.
Firm names can be searched, by typing in the first few letters of a firm name and click the 
button. Then, the results of firm names containing those letters appear.
Select the 
next to the sub-consultant firm name the submitting firm would like to add to the team. Then, enter the applicable information about the sub-consultant.
- Indicate if the firm is a KYTCDBE firm.
- Percentage of Work on Item.
- Other Services (if relevant).
- Select applicable prequalification work type(s) this firm will provide.
- Click the checkbox for, “Is Lead Firm”, when applicable.
If a desired firm does not appear in the search results, the submitting firm has the option to add a firm. If the firm is not found in the Firm Name search field, Select the 
button.
Enter the sub-consultant firm name the submitting firm would like to add to the team. Then, enter the applicable information about the added sub-consultant.
- Indicate if the firm is a BE Type(s), if applicable.
- Percentage of Work on Item.
- Other Services (if relevant).
- Select applicable prequalification work type(s) this firm will provide.
- Click the checkbox for, “Is Lead Firm”, when applicable.
Click the button returning the submitting firm back to the LOI Submittal window. Submitting firms continue to build their team until the Total Estimated % of Contract area displays 100%.
Please remember, even if you are done building your team and click the checkbox next to the question, “Are you done building your team” and try to submit, the application will turn off the checkbox indicator and the application will display a warning message requiring you to reach the 100% Total Estimated % of Contract.
As a submitting firm builds their team, the submitting firm should be working towards fulfilling the:
- 100% for Total Estimated % of Contract.
- Meeting/exceeding the BE goal.
After a submitting firm believes they have completed building their team, the submitting firm shall click the “Are you done building your team” checkbox.
As firms who are part of the team associated with an LOI are being added, PSCS will be validating the information of those firms on the team. PSCS will now validate:
- Prequalification work types.
- BE Types.
- Percentage of work.
- The lead firm for each work type.
- NAICS information.
When a DBE sub-consultant and their prequalification work type is selected in Step 3, PSCS will verify the selected prequalification work type, along with the corresponding NAICS matches the sub-consultant’s approved prequalification work type(s) in the PSCS Prequalification Portal and NAICS are found in the INDOT DBE Directory.
If at any time, the submitting firm’s team information does not pass these validation checks, a comment will be required. The submitting firm can still submit not passing the BE validation checks, but comments are required so the comments can be manually reviewed bypassing the automated validation checks.
If DBE firms are unsure of their own approved prequalification work types in the PSCS Portal or their own approved NAICS in the INDOT DBE Directory, DBE firms may:
- Log into the Portal to view their approved prequalification work types.
- Visit the INDOT DBE Directory at: https://entapps.indot.in.gov/DBELocator/.
Firms interested in achieving DBE goals are encouraged, prior to RFP advertisements to start identifying sub-consultants to add to their team to build their LOI submittals. Firms submitting LOIs may view potential sub-consultant team member information by visiting the links below to validate approved prequalification work types and NAICS information for the potential sub-consultant team members:
- INDOT Consultant Prequalification website at: https://www.in.gov/indot/2732.htm to view a firm’s:
- INDOT approved prequalification work type information.
- BE statuses.
- Visit the INDOT DBE Directory at: https://entapps.indot.in.gov/DBELocator/
If your firm plans to submit for items on the upcoming RFP 2105 with the target advertisement date of May 11, 2021, please plan ahead. We plan to confirm this information but wanted to provide advance notice for your own planning.
Please send all questions about this anticipated automation effort to contractsRFP@indot.in.gov. Thank you!