2025 Insurance Agency of Record RFP.pdf

Request for Proposals

Insurance Agent of Record

High Desert Education Service District 2804 SW Sixth Street Redmond, OR 97756

Due Date April 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM

High Desert Education Service District Page 1 Request for Proposals – Insurance Agent of Record Services

GENERAL INFORMATION

High Desert Education Service District (“District”) is seeking written proposals from qualified Insurance Agencies (“Agency/Agent”) to serve as the Agent of Record for insurance services including property and casualty coverage, worker’s compensation and cybersecurity. The District utilizes the insurance benefits of PACE for property and casualty coverage, crime and auto; and SAIF for worker compensation.

The Agent of Record will have the authority and access to obtain competitive quotes from reputable insurance carriers or risk facilities operating in the State of Oregon for each type of risk or risk financing structure. The agent should be prepared to provide extensive services and support in the areas listed for a minimum of three (3) years with an option to extend for an additional two (2) years at the District’s discretion.

This is a qualified bid process so while overall costs are a major factor, agents who can provide the most experience and scope of services requested will receive higher marks. The District invites interested agents to complete and submit a proposal.

High Desert Education Service District must receive the proposal by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 18, 2025. Proposals must be received by email to mbewley@jcesd.k12.or.us. Proposals received after the designated deadline will not be considered.

Proposals should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of proposer’s capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the RFP. Special bindings, colored displays, promotional materials, etc. are not encouraged. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of the content.

Proposals shall be firm for a period of sixty (60) days after the closing date. Each responding proposer may withdraw their proposal if it has not been accepted within sixty (60) days from the RFP closing date.

The award of this contract will be made by the District on the basis of the proposal which, in the District’s sole and absolute judgment, will best serve the interest of the District. The District may choose to award Property/Casualty, Workers’ Compensation and Cybersecurity services in separate appointments. The District reserves the right to accept or reject any or all the proposals, and waive any informalities and irregularities in said proposals.

All proposers must respond to the questions that follow. Respondents must follow the format of the questions using additional sheets prepared in similar format if necessary. Failure to respond to any or all part of the questionnaire may result in disqualification by the District.

Questions, interpretations or clarifications of this RFP must be requested in writing. All questions should be directed to Martha Bewley at mbewley@jcesd.k12.or.us.

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Prospective proposers who wish to protest any aspect of the Request for Proposals or the procedure for evaluating proposals and selecting a contractor must deliver a written protest to the District no later than March 31, 2025. Proposers who wish to protest the results of the evaluation of proposals must submit a written protest to the District not later than five business days after being notified of the committee's recommendation regarding award of a contract.

Protests will be reviewed based upon written documents submitted by the protester, and the District's response will be in writing. The District may award a contract while a protest is pending.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS/DATES

Request for Proposals Issued March 17, 2025

Proposal Due Date April 18, 2025

Proposal Evaluation Period April 18 ‐ April 30, 2025

Interviews (if necessary) May 5‐9, 2025

Board Review and Award May 13, 2025

Contract Start Date July 1, 2025

SPECIFICATIONS

The proposing agent shall be responsible for preparing an effective, clear, and concise proposal.

The proposals must include the following minimum information:

I. Cover letter addressed to Martha Bewley and signed by a person legally authorized to bind the applicant to its proposal. The cover letter must include the name of the agency, broker and/or agent of record, address, telephone and fax numbers of the agency and email address of the person(s) who are authorized to represent the proposer. The letter should also include that the agent has made no agreements with any company that places it as the sole agent for such company.

II. Proof of licensure in the State of Oregon;

III. Profile of Agency that includes articulation of experience with public sector accounts of similar size and scope of service;

IV. Name, title, and qualifications of proposed broker(s) with a minimum of five (5) years’ experience in public sector accounts of similar size and scope of service;

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V. Name(s), titles, and qualifications of proposed key personnel with experience in public sector accounts of similar size and scope of service;

VI. Describe the proposed fee structure offered by your firm, including travel charges and any other costs that may be passed on to District.

VII. Articulate plan and ability to provide service delivery and support to meet the following scope of work, including examples of reports, if applicable:

A. Routine and emergent consultation relating to insurance‐related issues;

B. Analysis of District’s risk exposure and potential solutions;

C. Analysis of retention and transfer of risk;

D. Provide routine and emergent review and consultation of any liability insurance program concerns;

E. Provide ongoing risk management consultant services including safety and loss control;

F. Assist in timely reporting and settlement of claims;

G. Advocate for the District in marketing and retaining property and casualty insurance, Worker’s Compensation, excess insurance and related coverages;

H. Assist with other insurance matters as required;

I. Present reports regarding approach to Risk Management including updates on regulations, condition of insurance marketplace, new legal requirements, and other applicable changes or duties;

J. Provide consultation in the area of insurance requirements in contracts/agreements that the District may enter into or request;

K. Assist with property/casualty loss control;

L. Provide cybersecurity consultation, including risk assessments, recommendations, incident response support, and guidance on emerging threats.

VIII. Client References

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MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The District‘s Insurance Agent of Record shall meet the following minimum qualifications:

I. Any proposer must be licensed to provide insurance services in the State of Oregon;

II. Authorized to work with PACE and SAIF as insurance providers and have current experience and connections to/with these providers;

III. Demonstrated experience in servicing public sector accounts of equal size, complexity, and scope;

IV. Current provider of cyber insurance brokerage and risk advisory services to at least one similarly‐sized client. Must be able to provide the client name, address, contact, and number of years services have been rendered by your organization to this client.

SELECTION PROCESS

I. Each proposal received will be evaluated to determine if it meets the stated requirements. Failure to meet these requirements will be cause for eliminating the proposal from further consideration. Responses must indicate which services (property and casualty coverage, worker’s compensation or cybersecurity) the proposal includes.

II. The District reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive any technicalities, informalities and irregularities, to accept or reject all parts of the proposal, and to be the sole judge of the suitability of the proposals offered.

III. Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:

A. Qualifications of the agency (20 points)

B. Qualifications of assigned agency staff (10 points)

C. Ability to meet scope of work and service required (20 points)

D. Fees charged and cost effectiveness of the proposed services (20 points)

E. Interview and presentation (if necessary) (5 points)

F. Local community involvement (5 points)

G. Reference checks & experience with similarly sized entities (20 points)

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IV. All submittals in response to this RFP are public records and available for inspection and copying upon request. Any portions of the RFP submittal marked as confidential will not be made public without consent of the consultant prior to the award of the contract

V. A review committee of qualified professionals will be appointed by the Superintendent or his designee. The proposals received will be evaluated by the review committee. The review committee will submit a recommendation to the Superintendent.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

I. Term of Agreement: The District anticipates selecting the Agent of Record to commence services in July of 2025 and continue for at least three (3) years unless terminated earlier in accordance with the provision of the Agreement. Upon satisfactory performance by the Agent of Record, the parties may choose to extend the term Service Agreement for additional two (2) one‐year terms and shall do so by executing a renewal agreement annually.

II. Withdrawal of RFP: Proposals may be withdrawn before the RFP submittal deadline by submitting a written request to Martha Bewley. Re‐submittal before the RFP submittal deadline can be made, however, they may not be re‐ submitted after the deadline.

III. RFP Costs: All costs incurred in the preparation and presentation of the RFP shall be the responsibility of the responding party to the RFP. All documents submitted as part of the RFP will become property of the District. Requests for specific material to be returned will be considered.

Any material submitted that is confidential must be clearly marked as such.

IV. District Contacts: The designated individual responsible for coordination of the RFP is Martha Bewley. Any questions relating to this RFP should be directed to Martha Bewley at mbewley@jcesd.k12.or.us only.

V. Proposers who wish to protest the results of the evaluation of proposals must submit a written protest to the District no later than five business days after being notified of the committee’s recommendations regarding award of a contract. Protests will be reviewed based upon written documents submitted by the protester, and the District’s response will be in writing. The District may award a contract while a protest is pending.