New pilot to better assess resourcing of tender proposals for public sector construction consultancy tenders

At the Singapore Institute of Architects Design Awards 2026, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development, Ms Indranee Rajah announced that the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) will pilot a new Resourcing Evaluation Guide (REG) for selected public sector construction consultancy tenders from Q4 2026. The REG will support more resource-conscious tender evaluation by providing greater visibility of the manpower resources supporting tender proposals. Doing so will also discourage unsustainably low bids that may lead to overstretched project teams and poorer project outcomes.

This builds on the earlier recommendations of the Taskforce for Architectural and Engineering Consultants, to further promote quality-based procurement and reward consultants that deliver quality services. By encouraging fairer remuneration, the industry can invest more in talent development, capabilities and innovation to uplift the profession.

Currently, tenderers typically submit the fee proposal as a “lump sum”, with limited visibility of the expertise and manpower planned for a project. Under the REG pilot, tenderers will be required to provide a breakdown of their proposed manpower resourcing and corresponding rates as part of their tender submissions. Firms may also highlight more productive delivery approaches, such as digital solutions and artificial intelligence tools.

Government Procuring Entities (GPEs) will assess whether the proposed resourcing is commensurate with project requirements, alongside the prevailing Quality Fee Method (QFM). ^[1] Quality and fees of each proposal will continue to be evaluated separately under the QFM. The REG will also help GPEs better assess the reasonableness of the proposals.

The REG complements the Value Articulation Frameworks (VAFs) developed by the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) and the Association of Consulting Engineers Singapore (ACES). The VAFs set out key tasks undertaken by consultants and can help them plan the resources required to deliver their services when developing their fee proposals.

The REG will be piloted for selected public sector projects from Q4 2026. BCA will work closely with participating agencies and firms to gather feedback and refine the guide before considering wider implementation.

^[1] Currently, public sector construction-related consultancy services tenders are evaluated using the Quality Fee Method (QFM). The QFM framework considers both the quality and fee of the proposals submitted, with higher weightage placed on quality. The REG will complement the QFM framework by enhancing the basis and transparency of the manpower resourcing supporting the proposed consultancy fee.