5-APSD Insurance Broker Services RFSQ 2026.pdf

Aspen Peaks School District | Insurance Broker Services for Benefits Consulting RFSQ 1

759 East Pacific Drive, American Fork, UT 84003 phone (385)579-6000

REQUEST FOR STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS (RFSQ)

Insurance Brokerage Services for Benefits Consulting

October 2026

SOLICITATION# APSD10152026

Insurance Broker Services for Benefits Consulting RFSQ 2

PURPOSE OF REQUEST FOR STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS (RFSQ)

Aspen Peaks School District (APSD) is requesting Statements of Qualifications from qualified insurance brokerage firms to assist the District with planning, developing, designing, consulting, negotiating, and monitoring employee benefit programs. The selected firm may be requested to provide services on an as-needed basis and as further defined in the Scope of Work.

BACKGROUND

Aspen Peaks School District offers partially self-funded insured group health and welfare benefit programs to eligible employees of the District on a contributory basis. Aspen Peaks School District will employ approximately 3,000 insurance eligible employees.

SUBMITTAL DEADLINE

All responses must be submitted electronically through the solicitation portal identified as EUNA, Bonfire, and/or Utah Public Procurement Place (U3P). Responses delivered by email, mail, courier, or hand delivery will not be accepted. If the portal uses more than one of these names, firms should rely on the event link and instructions posted with this solicitation. https://utah.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities SOQ Due Date: 2:00 PM, Thursday, October 15th, 2026 MST RFSQs received after the deadline will be considered late and ineligible for consideration. Submittals should be concise and address the specific requirements listed in this RFSQ and the solicitation portal. The reference number for this solicitation is APSD10152026 and must be used on all responses, correspondence, and documents related to this RFSQ.

QUESTIONS AND ADDENDA

All questions must be submitted through the solicitation portal. Responses and any addenda will be posted in the same portal. Firms are responsible for monitoring the portal for all addenda before submitting a response. Contact with district employees, board members, or evaluation committee members regarding this solicitation outside the official portal process may result in disqualification.

ANTICIPATED CONTRACT TERM

The initial term of this Agreement shall be one (1) year. Following the initial term, this Agreement shall automatically renew for successive one-year renewal terms, for up to four (4) additional years, unless either party provides written notice of non-renewal in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. Renewal shall be subject to satisfactory performance, continued need for the services, and availability of funding. No separate renewal action or written renewal agreement shall be required for the Agreement to continue into an applicable renewal term.

Following the initial term and the four (4) additional one-year renewal terms, the District may, at its sole discretion, elect to continue the Agreement for one additional renewal term of up to five (5) years. The additional five-year renewal shall be subject to satisfactory performance, continued need for the services, availability of funding, and mutual written agreement of the parties.

The District may terminate or elect not to renew this Agreement in accordance with the termination and non-renewal provisions contained herein. Unless terminated earlier or otherwise extended in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Agreement shall remain in effect through the applicable renewal period.

This solicitation does not guarantee any minimum number or value of transactions, assignments, hours, or compensation. The District may procure specialized services separately when it determines that doing so is in its best interest.

https://utah.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

Insurance Broker Services for Benefits Consulting RFSQ 3

SCOPE OF WORK

Services will be requested on an as-needed basis and will work in coordination with APSD Human Resources and other District representatives. Services may include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Audit the District's Audit the District’s benefit plans for compliance.

2. Provide ongoing, detailed data analysis of the District’s benefit plans.

3. Assist with annual benefit renewals, including providing renewal projections, obtaining renewal estimates from carriers and/or administrators, evaluating renewal proposals, providing findings and recommendations, and negotiating renewal terms when appropriate.

4. Consult and assist with the development and design of self-funded plans.

5. Market the District’s group benefit plans when necessary, including preparing RFPs, identifying and evaluating appropriate carriers and/or administrators, analyzing proposals, making recommendations, and assisting with contract negotiations.

6. Conduct an annual review of the District’s employee benefit package to evaluate the quality of benefits, cost effectiveness, competitiveness, and plan administration, and to determine whether current providers and plan designs are meeting the District’s needs. Recommend alternative providers or plan designs when appropriate to help control current and future plan costs.

7. Monitor ongoing contracts to ensure compliance with contract terms.

8. Analyze claims history and insurance utilization on a monthly basis.

9. Provide guidance regarding employee benefit issues, industry trends, and proposed or new legislation.

10. Assist with the development of employee benefit communications and participate in benefit fairs and the annual enrollment process.

11. Provide a designated primary contact to answer questions, resolve issues, and meet with District administrative staff regarding employee benefits and contract administration.

12. Provide other related benefits consulting services as requested by the District.

13. Assist with compliance related to IRS forms, legislative updates, FMLA regulations, employee communications, and other required legal reports.

14. Provide health and wellness recommendations.

15. Assist with the administration of flexible spending accounts (FSA) and health savings accounts (HSA).

16. Assist the District with health, pharmacy, vision, dental, and life insurance bids and proposals.

17. Attend and assist with organizing employee benefit fairs.

18. Assist the District with obtaining excess reinsurance.

19. Provide actuarial services, as needed, to determine the actuarial value of self-funded health plans.

20. Provide information regarding administrative tools offered by the firm, including benefits management systems, enrollment systems, and 1095-C/1094-C preparation and management systems, including implementation requirements and timelines.

21. Provide detailed information regarding the firm’s ability to provide a benefits management system, including examples. The system must provide online open enrollment benefit selection, ongoing benefits management, and regular data feeds to carrier partners. Finalists may be required to demonstrate the system.

MINIMUM MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

A response that fails to demonstrate compliance with any mandatory requirement may be rejected as nonresponsive. The firm must:

• Be properly licensed to practice as an insurance broker in the State of Utah.

• Be able to provide all services described in this RFSQ and meet the District's scheduling and communication needs.

• Provide proof of the firm’s present level of professional liability insurance coverage, including errors and omissions insurance. The insurance coverages of the firm, including errors and omissions insurance; must be insurable to a minimum of $1,000,000 annual aggregate limit.

Insurance Broker Services for Benefits Consulting RFSQ 4

• Be independent and not affiliated with any insurance company, third-party administrative agency, or provider network.

• Have a minimum of five (5) years of experience providing brokerage services to public-sector employers with at least 2,000 employees.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS AND RESPONSE FORMAT

All Statements of Qualifications must include the following information. Firms should organize their responses using the sections below and provide concise responses and should not exceed 25 pages, excluding a cover page, table of contents, required licenses, insurance evidence, and requested forms.

1. Schedule ‘A’ Certification of Proposal Form

• Complete and sign the District's Certification of Proposal form, if provided with the solicitation.

2. Schedule ‘B’ Please respond to each of the items below and indicate the number next to reach response.

Keep responses brief and concise. (Submittal must address/respond to each item “1 through “7”)

1. FIRM PROFILE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Provide the firm's name, principal place of business, office locations, age of the firm, and total number of employees.

• Describe the firm's history and range of services offered.

• Describe the firm's experience providing benefits brokerage and consulting services to public-sector employers, including school districts or similar entities.

• Identify experience serving public-sector employers with at least 2,000 employees.

2. Qualifications of Proposed Team

• Identify personnel assigned to APSD and describe their roles, qualifications, education, licensing, training, and relevant experience.

• Describe availability of key personnel and how the firm will manage staffing and workload.

• Identify the primary contact responsible for the District's account.

3. Approach to the Scope of Work

• Describe the firm's approach to providing the Scope of Work and coordinating with Human Resources and District administration.

• Explain the firm's approach to benefits analysis, renewals, carrier negotiations, compliance, claims/utilization analysis, employee communications, and ongoing support.

• Describe benefits management, enrollment, reporting, or administrative systems the firm provides, including implementation requirements and timelines.

4. Past Performance and References

• Provide at least five (5) client references, including at least two (2) public-sector or school-district clients with similar scope and size. Reference information must include the name, title, organization, address, telephone number, email address, and description of services provided. APSD reserves the right to contact listed or other references.

5. Insurance and Licensing

• Provide evidence of current Utah insurance broker licensing.

• Provide proof of applicable professional liability/errors and omissions insurance. Any minimum coverage requirement specified in the solicitation must be met before services are provided.

Insurance Broker Services for Benefits Consulting RFSQ 5

6. Debarment, Litigation, and Compliance

• Certify that neither the firm nor its principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from soliciting work by any governmental department or agency.

• Disclose material litigation, arbitration, or other alternative dispute resolution proceedings involving the firm and a client or owner during the past ten (10) years that may affect the firm's ability to perform the services.

7. Other Information

• Provide any other pertinent qualifications, performance data, service capabilities, or information the firm believes will assist APSD in evaluating its qualifications.

Note: Successful vendor must submit and pay for background checks for any employee that will be working at a District site. (See enclosed document).

EVALUATION PROCESS

An evaluation committee will evaluate each Statement of Qualifications in accordance with the Utah Procurement Code and applicable rules and policies using the criteria stated in this RFSQ. The committee will score and rank all responsive submissions based on those criteria.

The District will then enter into direct negotiations with the highest-ranked vendor. If negotiations are unsuccessful, the District will proceed to the next highest-ranked vendor and continue the process until an agreement is reached. As part of the evaluation process, the District may verify information, contact listed or unlisted references, request written clarifications, and conduct interviews or presentations.

Technical Evaluation Criteria Points

Firm qualifications and experience 200

Strength of proposed team, qualifications, experience, and individual references

Firms approach to the Scope of Work 225

Past performance and references, particularly with school districts and similar entities

Experience and ability to provide required benefits consulting and brokerage services

TOTAL TECHNICAL SCORE 1,000

NO FEES should be submitted with this RFSQ. Following the evaluation and ranking of qualifications, the District will enter fee negotiations with the highest-ranked firm. If the District and the highest-ranked firm are unable to agree upon fair and reasonable compensation and contract terms, the District may terminate negotiations and proceed with the next highest-ranked firm. This process may continue until a fair and reasonable agreement is reached.

DISCUSSIONS, INTERVIEWS, AND PRESENTATIONS

The District may conduct discussions, interviews, or presentations at its discretion. Any scored interview or presentation questions will be applied consistently to the firms under consideration and will be scored within the published technical criteria. Firms are responsible for their own presentation and related costs.

Insurance Broker Services for Benefits Consulting RFSQ 6

CONTRACT AND GENERAL CONDITIONS

• The District reserves the right to reject any or all Statements of Qualifications, cancel the solicitation, or decline to make an award.

• Submission of an SOQ does not guarantee a contract award or any minimum amount of work.

• District may advance fewer than three firms if fewer than three responsive firms meet the mandatory requirements and minimum score, or cancel and reissue the solicitation,

• Services, compensation, contract terms, and other conditions will be established in the resulting agreement and/or subsequent procurement process, as applicable.

• All proposal preparation costs and associated activities are the sole responsibility of the proposing firm.

• The successful firm must comply with all applicable District requirements, including insurance, licensing, confidentiality, and any required background checks for personnel working at District sites.

NOTICE

By submitting a response, the firm acknowledges that it has reviewed and understands the requirements, scope of work, submission instructions, and evaluation process. Any protest or objection regarding the solicitation must be submitted in accordance with applicable Utah law and the instructions posted in the solicitation portal.