DBIA Releases New Federal QBS Blueprint for Design-Build Projects
New Deeper Dive helps federal Owners apply qualifications-based selection principles within the current FAR framework
The challenge in federal procurement is turning guidance into a strategy that works for a specific project in a specific agency context. This Deeper Dive helps federal Owners make that connection.”
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, June 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) has released Qualifications-Based Selection Blueprint for Federal Design-Build Projects: A Design-Build Done Right® Deeper Dive, a new resource designed to help federal agencies better understand and apply qualifications-based selection principles in design-build procurement.— David Triplett, DBIA, Federal Markets Committee
As federal agencies increasingly explore Progressive Design-Build (PDB) and other collaborative delivery approaches, the new Deeper Dive offers a practical path for using a qualifications-based selection (QBS) procurement process within the current federal acquisition environment. The resource comes amid growing federal momentum around PDB, including expanded authority under Section 2809 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorized the Department of Defense to use accelerated design-build and progressive design-build procedures for military construction projects.
The Deeper Dive is intended primarily for government agencies, with a particular focus on federal Owners navigating the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), recent FAR reform efforts and expanded authority for collaborative, qualifications-based procurement models in complex federal project environments.
Federal Owners are seeking practical ways to align procurement strategy with project complexity, market realities and the collaborative nature of design-build. This Deeper Dive provides agencies with a practical framework for applying QBS within the existing FAR structure, including through Highest Technically Rated with a Fair and Reasonable Price (HTR-FRP) and Phased Acquisition approaches, while supporting better project outcomes and protecting the public interest.
“The federal construction community has no shortage of policy documents, best practice guides and procurement frameworks,” said David Triplett, DBIA, Federal Markets Committee member and a lead author of the paper. “The challenge is turning that guidance into a procurement strategy that works for a specific project in a specific agency context. This Deeper Dive is designed to help federal Owners make that connection, because the gap between policy and practice is often where procurement reform stalls.”
The resource also addresses contract structure, risk allocation, preconstruction services, pricing milestones and the use of Fixed Price Incentive (Successive Targets) contracts. It highlights key practices that support successful federal design-build procurement, including early planning, internal alignment, effective collaboration and a clear understanding of the Owner’s role throughout the project lifecycle.
In addition to the written resource, DBIA is developing a companion AI tutorial to help federal agencies better understand and apply the concepts outlined in the Deeper Dive. The tutorial is designed to explain FAR nuances in plain language, connect related authorities and help practitioners see how the guidance may apply in specific agency and project contexts.
The Qualifications-Based Selection Blueprint for Federal Design-Build Projects is part of DBIA’s expanding library of Design-Build Done Right® resources supporting Owners, practitioners and policymakers as design-build continues to grow across federal, state and local markets.
The Deeper Dive is available now for free in the DBIA Bookstore.
Hear more from Triplett and Laura Stagner, FAIA, NAC, DBIA, in the latest Design-Build Delivers Podcast episode.
Erin Looney
Design-Build Institute of America
elooney@dbia.org
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