Nearly 100 firms met HISD’s Jan. 15 deadline to submit their qualifications to take part in the architectural and engineering phase of the 2012 bond program to repair or replace 40 schools across the city.

District officials accepted proposals up until the advertised deadline of 2 p.m., logging each submission and labeling it with a time stamp.

“We are very pleased that we received so much participation in this important RFQ,” said Chris Gross, general manager of the Procurement Department. “The district will now be moving forward to select the most qualified companies to design our schools.”

The selection process will begin Jan. 18, when district officials across departments will start reviewing the submissions. At least eight meetings are scheduled before the end of January.

The RFQ was designed to allow district officials to evaluate a firm’s qualifications, by looking at everything from its experience with school projects to its specific expertise in LEED green building design, also known as “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.”

The district also asked each firm to turn in a plan for participation by Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises.

To help ensure a selection process that is fair and transparent, HISD has set up a committee of six voting members to score each proposal. In addition, there is a non-voting advisory committee and a non-voting oversight committee to augment that review.

The goal is to select finalists, who may be asked to come in for interviews, during the first week of February. A recommendation could be sent to the Board of Education for its consideration later that month.