(1) A contract may be entered into by requests for proposals. Requests for proposals may be used for the procurement of professional services. The executive director may provide by rule that it is neither practicable nor advantageous to the state to procure specified types of supplies, services, or construction by an invitation for bids.

(2) Proposals shall be solicited through a request for proposals.

(3) Adequate public notice of the request for proposals shall be given in the same manner as provided in section 24-103-202 (3).

(4) Repealed.

(5) The request for proposals shall state evaluation factors.

(6) As provided in the request for proposals and pursuant to rules, discussions may be conducted with responsible offerors who submit proposals determined to be reasonably susceptible of being selected for an award for the purpose of clarification to assure full understanding of, and responsiveness to, the solicitation requirements. Offerors shall be accorded fair and equal treatment with respect to any opportunity for discussion and revision of proposals, and such revisions may be permitted after submissions and prior to award for the purpose of obtaining best and final offers. In conducting discussions, there shall be no disclosure of any information derived from proposals submitted by competing offerors.

(7) The award shall be made to the responsible offeror whose proposal is determined in writing to be the most advantageous to the state, taking into consideration the price and the evaluation factors set forth in the request for proposals. No other factors or criteria shall be used in the evaluation. The contract file shall contain the basis on which the award is made. No property interest of any nature shall accrue until the contract is awarded and signed by both parties.

(8) The procurement official, or his or her designee, shall negotiate, in the case of procurement of professional services, with the highest qualified offerors and in that negotiation shall take into account, in the following order of importance, the professional competence of the offerors, the technical merits of the offers, and the price for which the services are to be rendered.