2-UPD26003 UPD Benefits Consultant Broker RFP.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

UNIFIED POLICE DEPARTMENT

FOR

BENEFITS CONSULTANT/BROKER

RFP UPD #26003

Date of Issue: September 2026

Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. BACKGROUND 3

2. SCOPE OF WORK 4

3. QUALIFICATION OF OFFERORS 5

4. ACCEPTANCE 5

5. SELECTION PROCESS & RFP COSTS 5

6. CONTENTS 6

7. EXAMINATION OF DOCUMENTS 6

8. WRITTEN AGREEMENT REQUIRED 6

9. CONTRACT TERM 6

10. QUESTIONS 6

11. DEADLINE FOR BID SUBMISSION 6

12. BID ADDENDA 7

13. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS 7

14. TO SUBMIT A BID 8

15. EVALUATION AND SCORING CRITERIA 9

16. CONTRACT AND PROPOSAL INFORMATION 9

17. COSTS/FEES 11

18. COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS 11

19. INSURANCE 11

20. INDEMNIFICATION 12

21. TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE 12

22. TERMINATION FOR CAUSE 12

23. INDEPENDENT OFFEROR 12

24. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY 13

25. SEVERABILITY AND AMENDMENT 13

26. GOVERNMENTAL IMMUNITY 13

27. NON-FUNDING CLAUSE 13

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL UPD #26003

BENEFITS CONSULTANT/BROKER

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1.0 BACKGROUND:

Unified Police Department (UPD) is soliciting competitive sealed proposals from qualified Offerors (i.e., consulting firms or brokers) to assist UPD on an on-going basis, for a three-year period (with an option for two (2) one-year renewals), with designing, maintaining, and/or modifying current/future employee insurance plans and benefit programs (i.e., Health, Dental, Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance, Long-term Disability (LTD) programs, Health Savings & Flexible Spending Accounts, COBRA administration, etc.).

Offerors will also be responsible in assisting UPD with statistical analysis, policy analysis, program coordination and administrative support in relation to employee insurance plans and benefit programs. The Offeror shall conduct a thorough review and analysis of UPD’s current employee insurance plans and benefit programs and make recommendations regarding adjustments, changes or enhancements to those plans and programs. Offeror shall be required to assist UPD in any RFP process that may concern any benefits associated with UPD. Offeror will be required to assist with contract negotiations between UPD and their vendors and to act as a liaison between UPD and any contracted vendors.

UPD is a large police agency in Utah with over 300 full-time employees, and over 250 part-time employees.

Insurance plans are offered to all full-time and appointed employees of UPD, and their dependents.

UPD currently offers three (3) health plans (PPO’s & HSA’s), a dental plan, a vison plan, life and AD&D insurance, Long Term Disability, VOYA, COBRA and Health Savings & Flexible Spending Accounts from several different providers.

UPD currently has a contract with a separate provider to handle the Employee Assistance Program.

UPD operates on a July 1- June 30 fiscal year.

Health, dental and vision insurance plan years are also July 1- June 30.

The Health Savings currently operates on a calendar year from January 1 – December 31, and Flexible Spending Accounts currently operate on fiscal year from July 1 – June 30.

2.0 SCOPE OF WORK:

The scope of services covered in this RFP is to assist UPD on an on-going basis, for a three (3) year period, with designing, maintaining, or modifying current/future employee insurance plans and benefit programs (i.e., Health, Dental, Life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D), Insurance, Long-term disability, Employee Assistance Program, COBRA administration, etc.).

It is expected that the offerors will be able to provide a comprehensive set of services including but not limited to:

a. Conduct a thorough review and analysis of UPD’s current employee insurance plans (including the plans provided for the early retiree (those who retired prior to age 65) employees) and related benefit programs.

b. Analyze utilization trends and associated costs to identify areas for improvement and potential savings.

c. Provide advice, guidance, and recommendations regarding contract renewals, emphasizing strategic decision-making.

d. On behalf of UPD, as recommended, negotiate and contract for third party administrative services and/or insurance.

e. Offer comprehensive analysis and recommendations regarding the possibility of self-funding versus fully insured or level funded options. This includes financial risk assessment, claims experience evaluation, stop-loss coverage analysis, and projected savings and overall cost implications.

f. Review plan documents to ensure compliance with appropriate laws and regulations and notify of any necessary plan document amendments.

g. Proactively develop strategies to reduce overall healthcare costs, going beyond mere renewal management. This includes in-depth analysis of claims and utilization patterns, evaluation of plan design, vendor performance, and pharmacy costs, and identification of cost-saving opportunities across all aspects of the benefits program.

h. Provide UPD with consulting services concerning cost, liability, benefit structure, and contracts with providers for current or future insurance plans or benefit programs.

i. Recommend adjustments, changes or enhancements to employee insurance plans or benefit programs to meet the objectives of UPD and the needs/interests of its employees.

j. Assist UPD in containing costs and maximizing effectiveness with regards to employee insurance plans or benefit programs.

k. Work with UPD to assist with contract negotiations between UPD and their vendors and to act as a liaison between UPD and any contracted vendors.

l. Develop specifications for RFPs for employee insurance plans or benefit programs.

m. Provide notification and updates on changing laws, regulations, and administrative or judicial ruling which relate to benefits programs.

n. Assist UPD on a regular basis and in a timely manner to provide guidance to technical problems that may arise.

o. Assist in the development of a central website to act as a portal for employees to access their benefit information.

p. Available to meet as needed and at least on a quarterly basis to review reports and discuss opportunities for improving UPD’s insurance costs and positions.

3.0 QUALIFICATION OF OFFERORS:

Offerors will not be considered unless they meet the following requirements:

A. All work as defined in the proposal content must be completed without the need for additional requests for proposal or bids from the Offeror.

B. Offerors must be able to complete a review of existing insurance plans and be able to complete necessary contracts for changing any of those plans to coincide with the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2027.

4.0 ACCEPTANCE

A. Any proposal received shall be considered an offer, which may be accepted by UPD based upon initial submission without discussions or negotiations.

B. By submitting a proposal in response to this Request, Offeror agrees that any proposal it submits may be accepted by UPD at any time within ninety (90) days from the date of submission deadline.

C. UPD reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive minor technicalities and irregularities in proposals received, and/or to accept any portion of the offer if deemed in the best interest of UPD. Failure of Offeror to provide, in its proposal, any information requested in the RFP may result in rejection for non-responsiveness.

D. UPD may accept all or part of any offer and may make multiple awards. Offeror shall identify any discount if UPD accepts one offer for all services.

5.0 SELECTION PROCESS & RFP COSTS

a. Proposals which meet the criteria established in the RFP will be reviewed to determine the best qualified firms. Based on this review, interviews may be scheduled prior to making the final selection. Failure to provide any of the requested information shall be ample cause for rejection.

b. Unified Police Department reserves the right to accept the proposal considered to be the most advantageous to the Department and reject any and all proposals.

c. Unified Police Department will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Consultant in preparation of a proposal submitted in response to this RFP, in conduct or a presentation, or any other activities related to responding to this RFP.

d. Unified Police Department reserves the right to cancel or reissue the RFP in whole or part, prior to execution of a contract.

6.0 CONTENTS:

If any portion or specification in the “Request for Proposal (RFP)” is ambiguous or is disputed by an offeror, the offeror must notify the Unified Police Department Purchasing Division prior to the opening of the bids. No dispute or protest concerning the ambiguity of these bid specifications or provision of this RFP shall be received following opening of the bids. All other protests shall be submitted in writing within seven (7) days after notifications are made to the offerors. The Unified Police Department may reject any or all bids if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the Unified Police Department.

7.0 EXAMINATION OF DOCUMENTS

All offerors are expected to thoroughly read all documents contained in this package including all and any attachments.

8.0 WRITTEN AGREEMENT REQUIRED

The selected Offeror must be willing to enter into a written agreement with Unified Police Department. A binding agreement between the UPD and offeror will be dependent upon the negotiation, preparation, and execution of a formal contract. If your firm wishes to alter any of the conditions present in this RFP, Attachments, any Addendums issued, or the attached sample agreement that item must be specifically called out in the proposal, with a reasonable alternative presented.

9.0 CONTRACT TERM:

The contract resulting from this solicitation will become effective on January 1, 2027, for a term of three (3) years and may be automatically renewed for two (2) one-year periods unless either party requests termination with 60 days’ notice prior to the end of the contract.

10.0 QUESTIONS

Written questions shall be submitted electronically through UP3/Bonfire, the State of Utah’s Purchasing Platform, by the due date and time posted. Changes to the specifications will be released in an addendum to the “Request for Proposal.” If an offeror does not have UP3/Bonfire, they may email questions to awatrous@unifiedpoliceut.gov.

Emailed questions will also be posted on UP3/Bonfire by UPD, with the answer, so that all offerors can see all questions and answers. Questions will not be accepted after Friday, September 11th, 2026, at noon MST.

11.0 DEADLINE FOR BID SUBMISSION

Bids must be submitted via UP3/Bonfire by Tuesday, September 15th, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. MST. No responses will be accepted after the closing date and time.

mailto:awatrous@updsl.org

12.0 BID ADDENDA

If any changes are to be made to the specifications provided with this Request for Proposal, they will be published through UP3/Bonfire. An addendum will be issued if changes are to be made in the specifications. Bids that are submitted based upon any other information other than the information contained in these specifications do so at their own risk.

13.0 PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

a) A description of what services the Offeror can provide that are unique, creative, nationally trending, and forward thinking, providing the UPD with effective strategies to curtail rising costs in health insurance premiums, dealing with the regulations of the ACA, encouraging employee involvement and ownership in overall health understanding and utilization.

b) A description of reports, statistical analysis or other methodologies that are provided to the UPD on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. Explain how these resources enable the UPD to strategically optimize employee utilization of benefit programs.

c) A description of the specific methodology for reviewing existing insurance plans and benefits programs and for suggesting revisions or additions to those plans and programs, including a proposed timeline and a description of how Offeror expects to be compensated.

d) A description of all services the Offeror will be able to provide on an ongoing basis over the three-year period, including a description of expected compensation associated with said services. NOTE- UPD acknowledges that compensation could be a flat fee, a combination of fees paid directly to Offeror by UPD, and/or commissions provided by the providing agency/vendor.

Transparency in this process is an important factor in selecting an Offeror.

e) A description of the Offeror, including legal form (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation/state of incorporation), date of founding, location, number of employees, etc.

f) A description of any special qualifications or credentials possessed by the

Offeror, particularly those that distinguish the Offeror from others: i.e., self-insurance, private exchange experience, etc.

g) A list of relevant other consulting engagements completed, with month and year the work was performed, name or other description of the clients, and descriptions of the work performed. At least three recent (within 12 calendar months) client references for the Offeror, including name of firm, address, telephone number and contact person as well as a summary of services provided to those clients.

h) Resume(s) of the person(s) who will perform the work directly with the UPD.

i) A specific description of what documents and physical resources (e.g., office space, equipment) beyond what is offered in this RFP would be required from UPD or other sources in order to complete the work.

j) A declaration of any exceptions to, or deviations from, the scope of work or any other requirements of the RFP.

k) Include information about how the offeror has helped other clients evaluate or transition from fully insured to self-funded or alternative funding models.

Highlight specific cost savings or cost avoidance achieved for similar clients.

l) Detail the approach taken to analyze claims and utilization, along with the types of reports generated. Describe any experience working with public sector employers.

m) Clarify all forms of compensation received by the offeror, such as commissions, overhead, incentives, and vendor compensation, and whether any accepted commissions are credited back to the client as a fee offset. This transparency will help identify any potential conflicts of interest in the recommendations. Do not mention specific dollar amounts or percentage rates.

14.0 TO SUBMIT A BID

Proposals must include:

• A cover letter: The bid shall have a cover letter indicating the business firm’s willingness to enter into an agreement with Unified Police Department. An officer of the company who has the authority to commit their firm to the proposed project must sign this letter. Bids will include the full name, legal status (corporation, state of incorporation, partnership, proprietorship, etc.), business address of the Offeror, email address, and telephone number.

• The response to the RFP should not be more than 25 pages in length (not including attachments contained in this RFP).

• Completed Proposed Pricing/Costs/Fees Section.

Bids must be submitted via U3P/Bonfire by Tuesday, September 15th, 2026, at 4:00 PM MST. No responses will be accepted after the closing date and time.

15.0 EVALUATION AND SCORING CRITERA

Committee members individually score the proposals. Proposals will be ranked 1,2,3, etc. according to total scores. The following point system is utilized for each category and weighed based on the evaluation criteria:

Excellent (5): The proposal offer has a high probability of success.

Good (4): The proposal offer has a very good probability of success.

Acceptable (3): The proposal offer has a reasonable probability of success.

Poor (1-2): The proposal offer falls short of expectations.

Unacceptable (0): The proposal offer completely fails the requirement.

Evaluation criteria with assigned weights are as follows:

40% Overall technical approach, including proposed methodology, level of services provided, understanding of the scope of work and the proposal requirements

35% Qualifications/Experience/References/Results

25% Proposed Pricing/Costs/Fees

UPD uses a relative pricing score formula to evaluate the pricing component:

Offeror Score = ( Lowest Proposed Total Cost

Offeror's Proposed Total Cost ) ×Maximum Available Points

A proposal that contains a price that is more than double (200%) the lowest proposed price will receive no points.

The cost the Offeror proposes to the UPD for performance of the services is required under the solicitation. This must be attached separately and clearly marked. Fees must not be included in your proposal except for this separate attachment.

A select number of Offerors may, if it is in the best interest of UPD, be invited for an interview. UPD reserves the right to request a best and final offer.

16.0 CONTRACT AND PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Submitting a proposal acknowledges your firm has read, understands, and agrees to be bound and fulfill the requirements and terms and conditions of this solicitation. The UPD reserves the right to reject all proposals.

A. Firm Pricing: All prices, quotes, or proposals are to remain firm for 120 days after the closing date, unless a different period is stated in the UPD’s RFP. Any proposal that does not offer to remain firm for the required period may be considered non-responsive.

B. Conflict of Interest: Any officer, employee, agent, representative or member of the board, of the UPD must disclose any interest or conflict they have in their proposal as required by the Utah Public Officer’s and Employee’s Ethics Act, Utah Code Ann.

67-16-1, et seq., the UPD Officers and Employees Disclosure, Utah Code Ann. 17- 16a-1, et seq.

C. Licensing: All applicable federal, state, and local licenses must be acquired before the contract is entered. Licenses must be maintained throughout the entire contract period.

Persons doing business as an Individual, Association, Partnership, Corporation, or otherwise shall be registered with the Utah State Division of Corporations and Commercial Code. NOTE: Forms and information on registration may be obtained by calling (801) 530-4849 or toll free at 877-526-3994, or by accessing:

www.commerce.utah.gov.

D. Public Domain: Offerors are advised that Utah law and UPD ordinances provide that, upon full execution of a contract subsequent to an RFP, the contents of the awarded proposal accepted by the UPD shall be subject to public disclosure and may become public records subject to examination by any interested parties in accordance with the Government Records Access Management Act (GRAMA), Utah Code Ann.

63G-2-101 et seq. and UPD ordinance. Trade secrets and proprietary information, recognized by the UPD as such, may be protected from public disclosure if the Offeror clearly identifies in writing any part of their proposals that they claim to be proprietary information, trade secrets or other commercial information, or non-individual financial information that may be protected under GRAMA. Proposals in total will not be considered proprietary. All materials submitted by an Offeror in response to the UPD’s RFPs will become the property of the UPD upon delivery and will be managed in accordance with GRAMA.

E. Inquiries: All inquiries relating to the specifications or proposal procedure should be directed to Amanda Watrous, Procurement Administrator in the Finance Division of the Unified Police Department: awatrous@unifiedpoliceut.gov. Do not contact the agency, division, department, or other UPD officers or employees.

F. Costs: All costs associated with the preparation of the proposal, as well as any other related materials and delivery will be borne by the Offeror. All proposals become the property of the Unified Police Department. The UPD will not be responsible for said costs in any event, including but not limited to, termination of the project in whole or in part rejection of the proposals as non-responsive, or rejections of the proposal as non-responsible.

G. Notice to Retirees of Utah Retirement Systems (URS): UPD is a URS “participating employer.” Entering into an agreement with UPD may affect a URS retiree’s retirement benefits including, but not limited to, cancellation of the retiree’s “retirement allowance” due to “reemployment” with a “participating employer” pursuant to UCA §49-11-504 to 505. In addition, offeror is required to notify UPD immediately if a retiree of URS is the offeror, or an owner, operator, or principal of the offeror.

Offeror may refer the URS retiree to the URS Retirement Department at 801-366-7770 for all questions about post-retirement employment regulations.

17.0 COSTS/FEES

Compensation shall include all costs associated with the performance of the services specified, including materials, supervision, labor, transportation, delivery, and related costs. No other charges shall be allowed. Payment will only be made for services already rendered.

Invoices shall be emailed to upd-ap@unifiedpoliceut.gov and/or mailed to Unified Police Department Finance Division, 1330 E. Chambers Ave., Suite 220, Salt Lake City, UT 84106. The UPD will have 30 days to make payment upon receipt of a correct invoice.

18.0 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS

Each party agrees to comply with all federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations in the performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement. Any violation by Offeror of applicable law shall constitute an event of default under this Agreement and Offeror shall be liable for and hold the UPD harmless and defend the UPD from and against any and all liability arising out of or connected with the violation, to include all attorney fees and costs incurred by the UPD as a result of the violation. Offeror is responsible, at its expense, to acquire, maintain and renew during the term of this Agreement, all necessary permits and licenses required for its lawful performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement.

The offeror shall comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances of the UPD now in force or thereafter prescribed and promulgated by the authority of law, specifically including all fire codes and security regulations.

19.0 INSURANCE

Offeror shall secure and maintain the following minimum insurance coverage at their own cost:

a) Professional Liability Insurance sufficient to cover all Offeror’s employees pursuant to Utah State statutes. The certificate and policy shall provide that coverage and shall not be cancelled or reduced without at least thirty (30) days prior written notice to UPD.

b) Offeror shall furnish Certificates of Insurance, acceptable to UPD, verifying the foregoing concurrent with the execution hereof and thereafter as required.

c) All policies of insurance provided shall be issued by insurance companies licensed to do business in the State of Utah and shall be either:

i. Currently rated A- or better by A.M. Best Company; and

ii. Listed in the United States Treasury Department’s current Listing of

Approved Sureties (Department Circular 570), as amended.

mailto:upd-ap@unifiedpoliceut.gov

20.0 INDEMNIFICATION

Offeror agrees to indemnify, hold harmless, and defend the UPD, its officers, agents, and employees from and against any and all actual or threatened claims, losses, damages, injuries, and liabilities of, to, or by third Parties, including Offeror, its sub-contractors, or the employees of either, including claims for personal injury, death, or damage to personal property or profits and liens of workmen and material men (suppliers), however allegedly caused, resulting directly or indirectly from, or arising out of, Offeror’s breach of this Agreement or any acts or omissions of or by Offeror, its agents, representatives, officers, employees, or sub-contractors in connection with the performance of this Agreement.

Offeror agrees that its duty to defend and indemnify the UPD under this Agreement includes all attorney’s fees, litigation and court costs, expert witness fees, and any sums expended by or assessed against the UPD for the defense of any claim or to satisfy any settlement, arbitration award, or verdict paid or incurred on behalf of the UPD.

21.0 TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE

UPD reserves the right to terminate this contract, in whole or in part, at any time during the term or any additional terms whenever UPD determines, in its sole discretion, that it is in the UPD’s interest to do so. If UPD elects to exercise this right, UPD shall provide written notice to the offeror at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of termination. Upon such termination, the offeror shall be paid for all services up to the date of termination.

Offeror agrees that the UPD’s termination for convenience will not be deemed a termination for default nor will it entitle the offeror to any rights or remedies provided by law or this contract for breach of contract by the UPD or any other claim or cause of action.

22.0 TERMINATION FOR CAUSE

The UPD reserves the right to cancel the contract upon written notice to the offeror for unauthorized substitution of product, excessive delays in filling orders, poor quality or failure to perform as outlined in the specifications of this solicitation for material breach of any term or condition of this contract, or other event of default. Termination for cause may be immediate; or alternatively, the UPD may provide written notice of the default with a period in which the offeror may cure the default.

23.0 INDEPENDENT OFFEROR

The relationship of UPD and awarded offeror shall be that of an independent offeror status. Each party shall have the entire responsibility to discharge all of the obligations of an independent offeror under federal, state and local laws, including but not limited to, those obligations relating to employee supervision, benefits and wages; taxes;

unemployment compensation and insurance; social security; worker’s compensation;

disability pensions and tax withholdings, including the filing of all returns and reports and the payment of all taxes, assessments and contributions and other sums required of an independent offeror.

24.0 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Offeror, and all persons acting on its behalf, shall comply with all federal, state and UPD laws, rules and regulations governing discrimination and employment and shall not discriminate in the engagement or employment of any person or in the application for employment of any person in violation of any of the applicable laws.

25.0 SEVERABILITY AND AMENDMENT

If any provision of this contract or the proposal specifications is declared by a court to be illegal or in conflict with any law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity or prohibition, without invalidating the remainder of such provision or the remaining provisions of this contract. This contract shall not be modified or amended except in writing signed by the UPD and offeror.

26.0 GOVERNMENTAL IMMUNITY

The UPD is a body corporate and politic of the State of Utah, subject to the Governmental Immunity Act of Utah (the “Act”), Utah Code Ann. § 63G-7-101 to -904. The Parties agree that UPD shall only be liable within the parameters of the Governmental Immunity Act.

Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed in any way, to modify the limits of liability set forth in that Act or the basis for liability as established in the Act.

27.0 NON-FUNDING CLAUSE

UPD intends to request the appropriation of funds to be paid for the services provided by Contractor under this Agreement. If funds are not available beyond June 30 th of any effective fiscal year of this Agreement, UPD’s obligation for performance of this Agreement beyond that date shall be null and void.

In the event no funds, or insufficient funds, are appropriated and budgeted in any fiscal year by the UPD for payment due under this agreement or in the event there is a reduction in appropriations by the UPD, due to insufficient revenue, resulting in insufficient funds for payment due, or about to become due, under this agreement shall create no obligation on the UPD as to current or succeeding fiscal year, and shall terminate and become null and void on the last day of the fiscal year for which funds were budgeted and appropriated; or, in the event of a reduction in appropriations, on the last day before the reduction became effective, except as to those portions of payment agreed upon for which funds shall have been appropriated and budgeted.

Said termination shall not be construed as a breach or default under this agreement and said termination shall be without penalty, additional payment, or additional expense to the UPD of any kind whatsoever, and no right of action for damages or other relief shall accrue to the benefit of the contractor, its successors or assignees, as to this agreement, or any portions thereof, which may be terminated and become null and void.

Offeror Score = ( Lowest Proposed Total Cost Offeror's Proposed Total Cost ) × Maximum Available Points