- (a) Prior to the initiation of the formal procurement process that occurs when an RFQ is released for a D-B project, the Arkansas Department of Transportation may consider releasing a solicitation of interest (SOI) or request for letter of interest requesting a letter of interest (LOI) from interested industry firms.
- (b) The information provided with the SOI is limited to a brief project description, history, and information concerning the intended procurement process and a general procurement timeline.
- (c) The SOI should inform the industry that the Arkansas Department of Transportation has committed to the procurement process for the project and is continuing to work towards releasing an RFQ with the intention of following with an RFP.
(d)
- (1) The LOI provided by the respondents is limited and nontechnical based on the information provided in the SOI and, as such, is an independent, nonbinding document separate from the DBA.
- (2) While the LOI is nonbinding, it can be informative to the Arkansas Department of Transportation, indicating what level of interest exists in the industry in pursuing involvement in all or a portion of the project.
- (e) The SOI should require that the LOI be delivered to the department project office (DPO) or, if one has not been established, the project director (PD).