Content.
Changes from the previous edition
Synopsis.
AIA Document A305–2020 replaces A305-1986, a standard form contractor’s qualification statement. An owner preparing to request bids or to award a contract for a construction project often requires a means of verifying the background, references, and financial stability of any contractor being considered. Contractors can use A305 to provide a sworn, notarized statement and appropriate attachments and exhibits to elaborate on important aspects of the contractor’s qualifications. Also, while A305 is styled as a “contractor’s” qualification statement, it can be used by subcontractors and suppliers.
A305 is a one-page document with five optional exhibits that the contractor can attach as needed:
• Exhibit A – General Information
• Exhibit B – Financial and Performance Information
• Exhibit C – Project-Specific Information
• Exhibit D – Past Project Experience
• Exhibit E – Past Project Experience (Continued)
A305 must be used with at least one of the exhibits above. In most instances, Exhibit A, General Information should be attached to A305 in order to supply the contractor’s most basic qualifications such as the contractor’s full legal name, legal status, and references.
Exhibit B should be attached if the contractor intends to provide qualifications regarding its financial information and information about disputes or disciplinary actions to which the contractor is a party.
Exhibit C should be attached if the contractor intends to provide qualifications it has that pertain to a specific project under consideration.
Exhibits D and E should be attached as necessary to provide information about past projects that the contractor has completed.
If the parties intend for any of the information contained in the A305 or its exhibits to be held confidential, they should execute a separate confidentiality agreement.
For use and execution of a document, see its instructions »
Related Documents.
A305-2020 is not specifically coordinated with any other AIA Contract Documents, but a contractor can use A305 to communicate its qualifications before execution of nearly any owner/contractor agreement, including the AIA’s standard form owner/contractor agreements.
Changes from the previous edition.
Format Changes
A305-2020 is formatted in a considerably different manner than A305-1986. Whereas A305-1986 was a one-part document, A305-2020 consists of one main document with five optional exhibits. A key reason for this formatting change is due to the fact that contractors may need to complete a qualification statement for different purposes, depending on their circumstances. If a contractor is completing A305 to be pre-qualified for a range of potential projects, it may be enough to complete just the main document and Exhibit A General Information. However, if the contractor is completing A305 to pursue a particular project, it may be necessary to complete both Exhibit A General Information and Exhibit C Project-Specific Information. Also, if a potential client wants to receive the contractor’s financial information as part of a qualification statement, Exhibit B Financial and Performance Information could be added. This modular approach of adding exhibits to the main A305 document allows the contractor to provide an appropriate amount of information for each situation.
Substantive Changes
A305-2020 contains many of the same substantive qualification topics as A305-1986, albeit with some updates. For example, A305-2020 still allows the contractor to include its qualifications regarding its organizational structure, legal status, experience, references, and financial information. A305 also includes several new categories of information that the contractor can complete to provide the owner with further qualifications. For example, Exhibit C contains several project-specific qualifications that are not present in A305-1986, including information about insurance and bonds, safety program and records, office out of which the project will be performed, key personnel and subcontractors who will perform work on the project, and work that the contractor will self-perform.