Pet Wellness & Insurance RFP 8.27.2026.pdf

Cherelle L. Parker, Mayor Candi Jones, Chief Human Resources, Office of Human Resources

The City of Philadelphia

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR

PET WELLNESS AND PET INSURANCE

WORK SUMMARY:

The City of Philadelphia (“the City”) is soliciting proposals from qualified “Applicant(s)” to provide voluntary benefits for Pet Wellness and Pet Insurance Benefits on behalf of all City’s active employees. There are approximately 6,400 eligible active employees.

PROPOSED COMPENSATION:

Contract will state maximum compensation including all expenses.

RFP ISSUE DATE:

August 28, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE:

No later than 5 pm Philadelphia Time on September 18, 2026. A complete proposal must be submitted by this time to be considered. Proposals in-process are incomplete.

PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING:

A pre-proposal meeting will be held on September 2, 2026, at 2:00pm, Philadelphia Time. It is highly recommended that all proposers attend.

Method: Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85813243555?pwd=tdz0UXryaVkVRcyoaC1y4tmZiVvUyS.1

Meeting ID: 858 1324 3555 Passcode: 948363

OFFICIAL RFP CONTACT:

Desiree Hamilton Contract Administrator Desiree.Hamilton@phila.gov

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

All proposals must be submitted electronically to the correct contract opportunity established for this RFP (identified by opportunity number) through eContract Philly at https://philawx.phila.gov/econtract/

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Values

1.2 Contracting with the City of Philadelphia

1.3 Contacting Us

1.4 Feedback about this RFP

2. THE OPPORTUNITY

2.1 Summary

2.2 Background

2.3 RFP Schedule

2.4 Outcome Goals

2.5 Award Terms

3. SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 Description of Services

3.2 Performance Metrics, Contract Management & Payments

4. HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR RESPONSE

4.1 What You Must Include in Your Proposal

4.2 How To Submit Your Application

4.3 Proposal Binding

5. HOW WE CHOOSE

6. GENERAL RULES GOVERNING RFPs/PROPOSALS

6.1 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

6.2 Special Rules Applicable to Joint Ventures

6.3 Mandatory Political Contribution Disclosures and Penalties

6.4 Political Contribution Limits for City Contractors

6.5 City Employee Conflict Provision

6.6 Reservation of Rights

6.7 Confidentiality and Public Disclosure

APPENDICES

Appendix A – General Provisions

Appendix A-1 - Exceptions to General Provisions for Insurance Requirements………………….

Appendix B - City of Philadelphia Tax and Regulatory Status and Clearance Statement .. 26

Appendix C - Confidential Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)……………………………………………

Appendix 1 - OEO Participation Range Memo…………………………………………………………………..

Appendix 2 – Solicitation & Participation Form…………………………………………………………………

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Values

The City of Philadelphia is committed to ensuring all businesses have access to contracting opportunities with the City and seeks to promote the economic development of small and local businesses.

1.2 Contracting with the City of Philadelphia

Consistent with our values, the City requires that all contractors and subcontractors comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and policies, including:

Please closely review the City’s contract attachments including the standard terms and conditions found in the General Provisions under Appendix A of this RFP. Any contract resulting from this RFP will incorporate and be governed by these documents.

IF ELIGIBLE, YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO:

Apply for Local Business Entity (LBE) certification with City’s Procurement Department. If you provide your LBE status and/or promise to have a Local Impact, this must be used by the contracting department as a positive factor in evaluation and potential selection.

Additionally, some opportunities are exclusively reserved for LBE certified businesses.

Get Paid Faster! Enroll on the Vendor Payment Portal to effortlessly submit electronic invoices and monitor payment progress 24/7. The process of submitting invoices through the Vendor Payment Portal is user-friendly, efficient, and free.

CITY BUSINESS

LICENSES AND

PERMIT

REQUIREMENTS

PAYMENT OF CITY

BUSINESS TAXES

OR OTHER

INDEBTEDNESS

OWED TO THE CITY

CHAPTER 17-1300.

PHILADELPHIA 21ST

CENTURY MINIMUM

WAGE AND BENEFITS

STANDARD

1 2 3

1.3 Contacting Us

For technical assistance with the eContract Philly website, email eContractPhilly@phila.gov or call

(215) 686-4914.

Please note the phone number provided is not a live helpline.

Allow for two (2) business days prior to any application deadline to receive a response to your request. The City will not extend a deadline even if it has not responded to your question or request.

All other questions regarding the RFP, including substantive questions, must be submitted in accordance with Section 2.3. Applicants are otherwise prohibited from contacting City representatives concerning this RFP or related matters.

1.4 Feedback about this RFP

The City recently updated the design of the RFP we use for Professional Services, and would like feedback from vendors. If you have feedback you would like to share, please complete this voluntary survey. Thank you.

2. THE OPPORTUNITY

2.1 Summary

The City of Philadelphia (hereafter referred to as “the City”) is soliciting proposals for Voluntary Pet Wellness and Insurance benefits for City employees. Proposals are due from interested Applicants by no later than September 18, 2026, 5:00 pm, Philadelphia, PA Local Time.

2.2 Background

Office of Human Resources – Health and Welfare Unit Overview

There are over 29,000 active City employees, inclusive of a union and non-union population. This RFP pertains primarily to active employees enrolled in the non-union City Administered Health Benefits Program (hereafter referred to as “the CAP”) 6,400 employees. Should certain union groups be interested in offering this benefit to their members we will open enrollment to their membership.

CAP health benefits consist of medical, dental, optical and prescription coverage; full-time permanent employees, retirees and their dependents are eligible for the City Flexible Benefits Program. Under the CAP, active employees and or their dependents must be covered by the health plan to be considered eligible for this benefit.

This RFP is being released by the City of Philadelphia’s Health and Welfare Unit. The Health and Welfare Unit is a division of the City’s Office of Human Resources and is responsible for all strategic, financial, and administrative decisions associated with health benefits for the CAP.

Project Background

The City of Philadelphia is seeking a voluntary benefits provider to offer Pet Wellness and Pet Insurance as standalone products to employees. The City is open to considering additional voluntary benefit offerings at this time. Pet Wellness and Pet Insurance will be 100% paid by the employee.

Through a voluntary Pet Benefit, City employees will have the opportunity to provide Pet wellness and or insurance to care for their family pets; thus, reducing the stress and concern related to the financial responsibilities associated with pet ownership.

2.3 RFP Schedule

RFP Posted August 28, 2026

Pre-Proposal Meeting

A pre-proposal meeting will be held on September 2, 2026, at 2:00pm, Philadelphia Time. It is highly recommended that all proposers attend.

Method: Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85813243555?pwd=tdz0UXryaVkVRcyoaC1y4tmZiVvUyS.1

Meeting ID: 858 1324 3555 Passcode: 948363

Receipt of Confidential Non- Disclosure Agreement

September 10, 2026, 5PM Philadelphia time, sent via email to Desiree.Hamilton@phila.gov. You can find the NDA on the opportunity listing under Appendix C.

Release of Encrypted Confidential Workbook

Encrypted information will be released within 1 business day

Applicant Questions Due

Applicants must submit questions regarding this opportunity by September 11, 2026, at 5pm Philadelphia time. All questions must be submitted via email to Desiree.Hamilton@phila.gov

Answers Posted on eContract Philly

September 15, 2026, 5pm Philadelphia time

Proposals Due September 18, 2026, 5pm Philadelphia time

Applicant Interviews, Presentations (City Discretion)

September 29, 2026

Applicant Selection

Week of October 5, 2026

Contract Execution

November, 2026

Commencement of Work January 1, 2027

The above dates are estimates only. Notice of changes in any pre-proposal meeting or site visit date, time or location, due date for Applicant questions, or proposal due date will be posted as a notice/Addendum with the original RFP on eContract Philly and will become a part of the RFP.

2.4 Outcome Goals

The City is seeking a Pet Wellness/Pet insurance provider appropriate to our employee population, who understands the importance of providing this valued benefit to employees who wish to protect the health and wellbeing of their Pets within the family unit.

The City is known for its innovation within the Health Benefits arena and is seeking providers who demonstrate this same creativity and flexibility in their product offerings. Providers should be willing to offer standalone offerings for both pet wellness and pet insurance. The City will not contract with more than one provider for Pet Wellness or Pet Insurance.

2.5 Award Terms

Term

The term of this contract is expected to start on or about January 1, 2027, and end on December 31, 2027.

The City may, at its sole option, amend the contract to add up to four additional terms, each not to exceed one year.

Compensation Contract will state maximum compensation including all expenses.

Cost Proposal Type This proposal is a fixed price.

Terms of Payment Payment for services will be made on a monthly basis.

Applicants are advised that the contract resulting from this RFP will require the approval of Philadelphia City Council prior to execution. By submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, Applicants acknowledge their understanding and agree that any proposed contract with the selected Applicant will be (i) submitted to City Council in the form of a proposed ordinance; (ii) subject to the customary process of public notice and hearing for the enactment of legislation by City Council; and

(iii) may not result in a final, executed contract unless the proposed contract, and all terms and conditions contained therein, receives a majority vote in favor of the contract.

3. SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 Description of Services

This Section 3.1, Description of Services includes the requirements for the project, including the services to be performed and the deliverables that must be met by the selected Applicant. The City reserves the right to change certain service requirements or deliverables based on changed circumstances, like a change in the business or technical environment or contract negotiations with Applicant(s) selected for negotiations, without issuing a revised RFP.

Applicants should read this section closely. An Applicant’s proposed scope of work must detail how they will meet the service requirements or achieve the deliverables described in this section.

Applicants may also propose additional or revised services or deliverables to achieve the outcomes described in Section 2.4 Outcome Goals of this RFP. However, Applicants must explain why each of these additional services or deliverables are necessary, and when and how they will be completed.

Pre-qualifications

All Applicants intending to submit a proposal on Pet insurance RFP must submit an executed Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement, (signed by an authorized company representative) attached as Appendix C. This document must be received by 5:00 PM Philadelphia time on September 10, 2026, to Desiree.Hamilton@phila.gov. Applicants who complete the Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement will receive the confidential census data needed to complete the required workbook (Appendix D) within one business day as part of the RFP process.

Each proposal must include confirmation of the organization’s ability to meet the Minimum Requirements and Service Requirements indicated below. Failure to respond to any request for information may result in rejection of the proposal, at the sole discretion of the City. In addition to these requirements, an Applicant’s complete proposal must include all the items listed in the Proposal Format section below:

Service Requirements

All providers must be open to accepting a wide variety of pet breeds at varying ages. All plans must include call center access Monday through Sunday with accessibility during non-business hours.

Enrollment for this benefit should reside on the carrier’s platform, the City will provide a link for employee navigation and elections.

Coverage should include:

Unlimited 24/7 virtual veterinary support

Low-cost prescription access Discounted veterinary network within geo-access to all

A website should be available for members to upload bills for reimbursement and the turnaround time for payment should be no more than 24-48 hours.

An appeal process for all coverage and/or payment disputes must be made available to enrolled members.

Our goal is to remove the element of surprise associated with the family pet’s health and wellbeing.

As this is the case, it is important for employees to understand the cost of services related to Pet Wellness and Insurance as a part of your submission. Please provide information about services and the reimbursement/payment schedule associated with each; as well as the average cost associated with prescription drug program.

General Requirements The City’s focus on Whole health has allowed us to effectively manage both employer and employee costs for the past eleven years. As a related matter, we believe Pet wellness and insurance to be an extension of employee and family wellbeing. Providers under consideration must provide a standalone wellness component as a part of their pet insurance offering.

Although we understand the reimbursement model is the most prevalent, we would like to understand if other payment models exist.

The City is seeking a Pet Wellness/Pet Insurance vendor; please provide responses on the following services for the plan types indicated below:

1. Stand -Alone Wellness Plan (Preventive) o Vaccinations o Routine bloodwork o Flea/tick/heartworm prevention o Spray/Neuter discounts o Dental cleaning o Behavioral consultation

Please comment on the following for a standalone wellness benefit:

o Frequency limits per year o Reimbursement levels or discounts o Waiting period o Network vs any-vet choice o Price tiers for cats vs. dogs

2. Comprehensive Pet Medical Insurance (Accident+ Illness) o Illness (digestive issues, cancer, chronic conditions) o Diagnostic (lab work, V-ray, MRI, ultrasound) o Prescriptions o Specialty care (oncology, dermatology, neurology o Surgery & hospitalization

Please comment upon:

o Reimbursement Model o Deductible options o Annual or lifetime maximums o Preexisting condition rules o Age limits for enrollment o Waiting period o Claims submission and reimbursement turnaround time

3. Accident -only Plan- Does Not cover illness o Toxic ingestion o Foreign body removal

4. Pet Wellness Riders Added to medical Insurance – if applicable.

5. Enhanced or Special Add-Ons

6. Multi-Pet or Family Bundled Plans

Plan offerings must also offer a range of options in the following areas:

Maximum annual coverage Reimbursement choices Deductible choices Pet insurance discounts

It is understood all plan submissions will include accident/injuries, illness and conditions, surgeries, diagnostics, prescription coverage.

Minimum Requirements:

1. Complies with the requirements of this RFP, including the attached form of City Contract;

2. Services must extend to all active employees enrolled in the City Administered Plan (CAP);

3. Services must extend to Same- Sex Spouses and Same- Sex Life Partners;

4. Demonstrated knowledge and experience servicing large, complex clients with an excess of 12,000 enrolled lives;

5. Have demonstrated experience servicing other state or local government clients, and clients with a high labor workforce (please provide appropriate references);

6. Meet the City’s HIPAA, EDI and Privacy compliance requirements;

7. Capability to provide the City with claims utilization reports broken out by the City’s group structure;

8. Meet a 60-day implementation time frame (please provide your minimum implementation start date to meet a 1/1/2027 effective date);

9. Willingness to agree to the City’s right to modify benefits during the contract period;

10. Willingness to supply the City with renewal information at least 120 days prior to group anniversary date; and

11. Disclose significant changes that could negatively impact employees that may take effect annually on the anniversary of the plan effective date. Such changes must be communicated in writing:

a. Provide 60 days’ written notice to employees; and

b. Provide 90 days’ notice to City Health and Welfare Department.

c. Provides updates to service changes timely;

12. Completion of the forms addressed in this RFP that correspond with the City’s policies as indicated in the attached appendices.

13. Participation in employee educational programs and;

14. Timely communication of new provider initiatives and programs.

15.Maintain quality control standards including the indemnification of all clients 16.Track the annual use allotment of employee participants 17.Communicate timely matters related to compliance or benefit misuse

The successful Applicant, in conjunction with the Employee Benefits Unit of the City, will establish goals and targets at the onset of each year. The successful Applicant shall report to the Employee Benefits Unit, on a regular basis, the status of projects and initiatives. At a minimum, the successful Applicant shall submit a monthly report detailing the services and/or products provided, and the goals/tasks accomplished.

Member Services Related

• Multi-Lingual support from customer service representatives, communication materials, and website;

• Respond to employee appeals, complaints or grievances;

• Toll-free telephone and fax services provided to members;

Plan Set-Up and Maintenance Including Installation Maintain up-to-date on-line policy data to support compliance with legislative changes (as appropriate), efficient claim processing, member services, internal and client reporting.

Eligibility Successful Applicant will accept the City’s eligibility determination.

Claims Processing Successful Applicant will process all claims incurred prior to termination following contract termination (if it occurs).

Hours and Location of Work The City of Philadelphia Benefits Unit is located at Office of Human Resources Health and Welfare Benefits Two Penn Center Plaza, 16th Floor Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102-1675.

Monitoring; Security By submission of a proposal in response to this RFP, the Applicant agrees that it will comply with all contract monitoring and evaluation activities undertaken by the City of Philadelphia, and with all security policies and requirements of the City. Upon request of the City, but in no event later than 60 days after delivering a data report for a permitted use hereunder to the City, Provider shall destroy the data on which the data reports were based using a technology or methodology that renders the data unable to be read or reconstructed and that complies with the most recent guidance issued by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services with respect to technologies and methodologies that render protected health information (PHI) unusable, unreadable, or indecipherable for purposes of the breach notification requirements under the HITECH Act.

Reporting Requirements The successful Applicant shall report to the City of Philadelphia on a regular basis regarding the status of the project and its progress in providing the contracted services and/or products. At a minimum, the successful Applicant shall submit a monthly invoice detailing the services and/or products provided, the goals/tasks accomplished, and the associated costs. If hourly rates are charged, the invoice must also detail the number of hours, the hourly rate, and the individual who performed the service.

Cost Proposal Proposals should be based on the estimated cost of all expenses and costs for the services and funding arrangements requested. The City may permit minor deviations from the requested arrangements. The City reserves the right to alter plan designs at any time. Please use the following assumptions when preparing your quote.

The City will not pay a commission to a broker or agent for the administration of its pet insurance benefits. No commission will be payable to any Proposers selected during this RFP process. Therefore, please quote rate net of commissions. Any commission arrangements between a carrier and a broker or agent must be disclosed in writing to the City As part of the Proposal. The City requires full transparency for all organizations that conduct business with the City. The City reserves the right to alter plan designs at any time. Please use the following assumptions when preparing your quote.

Financial The following assumptions should be used in preparing a proposal:

a. Fee Assumptions: Referring to the census provided in Appendix D of this RFP, please assume that the approximate number of eligible employees will remain the same. Using these assumptions, develop fee quotes for the eligible employee population.

b. Proposal Pricing: The initial term of the contract will be for 12 months with the ability for the City to add up to 4 successive one-year terms, however, the City requests for Applicants to provide multi-year pricing for a period of five (5) consecutive years of service.

c. Contribution Assumptions: The benefit will be 100% paid by the employee. However, there is an expectation employees contribute a minimal contribution for each use up to designated maximum uses per annum.

d. Eligibility Assumptions: Assume that coverage will be offered to active employees eligible enroll to enroll in any City/ Union sponsored health plan.

Organization and Personnel Requirements The proposal must identify all personnel who will perform work on the project, by education level, skill set (described in detail), experience level and job title. Resumes of all personnel so identified should be included in Applicant’s proposal. Changes to the personnel presented in this proposal and after the contract has been awarded may not be changed without the consent of both City of Philadelphia and the provider.

Applicants are required to:

Identify project personnel Provide resumes for all identified project personnel.

Provide job titles for project personnel.

Provide Organization’s references.

Meet insurance requirements.

3.2 Performance Metrics, Contract Management & Payments

Contract Performance Monitoring As part of the City of Philadelphia’s commitment to improved outcomes, the City seeks to actively and regularly monitor service delivery to enhance contract management, improve results, and adjust service delivery based on learning what works. Reliable and relevant data is necessary to drive service improvements, ensure compliance, inform trends to be monitored, and evaluate results and performance. As such, the City reserves the right to request/collect other key data and metrics from providers related to the performance of the contract and to reject any item of work that does not meet the performance standards described in the contract.

How We Will Pay the Selected Applicant

The contract for each chosen provider will include a contract maximum amount that cannot be exceeded without a written contract amendment. Applicants must provide a detailed cost proposal, with a line-item breakdown of the costs for specific services and work products proposed. Cost proposals must be “fixed price” proposals. The proposed price must include all costs that will be charged to the City for the services and tangible work products the Applicant proposes to perform and deliver to complete the project, including, but not limited to, costs for the following, if the Department is to pay for them: employee compensation and fringe benefits; communication;

printing; administrative expenses; bonding; acquisition of real estate; rent, utilities, maintenance and security related to real estate; travel (reimbursable only at rates approved by the Department);

project management; development; testing; implementation; maintenance; training; and all other work proposed. Any contract resulting from this RFP will provide for a not-to-exceed amount in the compensation section of the contract.

4. HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR RESPONSE

4.1 What You Must Include in Your Proposal

For your proposal to be considered, proposals must be submitted:

a) electronically;

b) through the City’s designated system (not email);

c) before the deadline; and,

d) signed by an authorized representative of the Applicant.

Additionally, your proposal must include the information listed in the Proposal Requirements below and be organized in the order shown. Failure to submit your proposal in the manner and format required by this RFP may result in your proposal being rejected.

Proposal Requirements:

1. Table of Contents

2. Introduction/Executive Summary (Give a short description of your proposal.)

Provide an overview of your company, the goods or services you offer and how you plan to meet the City’s needs.

3. Applicant Profile (Tell the City about yourself).

Please complete the Applicant information sheet and include it with your proposal submission.

Part 1. Please provide the following for the Applicant’s Business:

1. Name of Business

2. Business Address

3. Telephone Number

4. Fax Number (if applicable)

5. E-mail Address

6. Website Address

7. Federal Taxpayer Identification Number or Federal Employer Identification Number

Part 2. Please provide the following for the Applicant’s Primary Contact:

1. Name

2. Job Title

3. Address

4. Telephone Number

5. Fax Number (if applicable)

6. E-mail Address

Part 3. Please provide a description of the Applicant’s business background by answering the following:

1. What is the Applicant’s Business Organization type (i.e. corporation, partnership, LLC, for or not for profit, etc.)?

2. Is the Applicant’s Business registered to do business in Philadelphia and/or Pennsylvania?

3. What is the country and state of the Applicant’s business’ formation?

4. How many years has the Applicant’s business been operating?

5. What is the primary mission of the Applicant’s business?

6. What is the Applicant’s significant business experience?

4. Proposed Scope of Work (Tell the City what you propose to do).

Review Section 3 of this RFP, “Scope of Work” and directly state what services and materials you will provide to meet the City’s described needs. Be specific, and, as necessary, describe your services and materials in plain language for the evaluation team to understand. Include a proposed budget or cost proposal, and a schedule for when the services and materials will be provided.

5. Statement of Qualifications; Relevant Experience (Tell the City why you are the best choice).

Provide a statement of your relevant qualifications and demonstrate how your experience meets or exceeds the City’s requirements. Include a list and description of similar projects you have worked on, including the number of such projects and the amount of time spent on them.

6. References (Tell us who can vouch for similar work you have completed).

Provide at least three references, preferably for projects that are similar to the work sought by this RFP. Include the company/entity, a contact person’s name, the contact person’s title, their address, their email address, and telephone number. The more similar the reference is to the City the better, such as other local government entities.

7. Proposed Subcontractors (Tell the City who will work with you).

Please provide a complete list of prospective subcontractors with whom you plan to work on this project. Include:

Company Name

EIN

Scope of Work Percentage of total work allocated to each firm

8. Requested Exceptions to Contract Terms (Tell the City any changes you would like to the contract).

In exceptional cases, a successful Applicant might be afforded exceptions to the City’s Contract Terms. State if you would like to request exceptions to the City’s Contract Terms, including those contained in this RFP, including Appendix A and any other documents incorporated by link or reference. Identify the location of the proposed change as well as possible (noting the document, section, heading, and page), the reason for the change request, and proposed alternative language.

The City may consider your proposed changes or may disqualify your proposal at its option.

However, please be aware that exceptions are not made often and so you should thoroughly explain why the change is necessary and appropriate for the contract. Any proposed exceptions to the City’s Contract Terms are subject to various internal review procedures before they can be accepted.

Note: Your proposal is a binding offer to contract and failure to propose exceptions binds you to the City’s terms, if your proposal is accepted.

9. Tax and Regulatory Status and Clearance Statement (Certify that you do not owe the City).

Obtain a Tax Clearance Certificate and complete Appendix B attesting to Applicant’s tax and regulatory compliance with the City.

10. Disclosure of Litigation, Administrative Proceedings, and Contract Defaults (Tell the City about any legal proceedings or contract disputes your company or its leaders were involved with).

Provide a description of any legal proceedings or contract disputes in the past five (5) years that might affect your business, finances, or ability to perform the work described by this RFP. Include all instances of litigation, bankruptcy, debarment, suspension, contract default claims, any criminal conviction or indictments, settlements, and court or administrative orders. For each matter, state the name and nature of the matter, the parties involved, and its current status. For contract disputes, provide the name and contact information for the opposing party. Provide the same information for any matter involving an officer, director, principal, partner, or affiliate of the Applicant, and for any intended subcontractor of the Applicant.

11. Statement of Financial Capacity (Demonstrate how stable your business is).

Provide documentation demonstrating fiscal solvency and financial capability to perform the work sought by this RFP. You may include any of the following:

A general, independent statement of the Applicant’s financial condition, prepared by an external auditor or accountant;

Applicant’s most recent audited or unaudited financial statements, including:

o Balance Sheet, o Income Statement, or o Cashflow Statement;

Most recent IRS Form 990 (for non-profit organizations only); or, Any other documentation that demonstrates your financial capacity to meet the requirements of this RFP.

12. Local Business Entity or Local Impact Certification (Tell the City if you are a local business or how you envision affecting the local economy).

The City is committed to leveraging its buying power to uplift and grow our local economy, which will result in more jobs for Philadelphians, including local and small businesses. For this reason, the City will consider local impact as a significant factor in our proposal evaluation for this contracting opportunity. If you meet the requirements of a certified Local Business Entity (LBE), we strongly recommend that you get certified for free by following the steps found HERE and include a copy of your certification with your proposal and/or include a statement about how you envision impacting the local economy through this work.

13. Disclosure Requirements (Tell the City about your political contributions).

Excess political contributions to City candidates and incumbents can disqualify you from a City contract. Complete the mandatory disclosures required as part of the electronic application process in eContract Philly, including any local political campaign contributions, by selecting “Apply for Contract” from the opportunity information screen (where this RFP was located). Additional information and instructions are located under the “Disclosure/Eligibility” tab on the top of the eContract Philly homepage. Please make sure to review these requirements closely before completing these disclosure forms.

4.2 How To Submit Your Application

Online Submission Required by the Application Deadline

You must complete your application through eContract Philly before the deadline to be considered for this contract opportunity. Proposals may be changed at any time up until the submission deadline and the City will not review your proposal until after the deadline. The proposal is not considered submitted until the “submit” button is pressed at the conclusion of the eContract Philly submission process. You will receive a confirmation email that your Application was submitted.

Applicants are encouraged to allow sufficient time to complete the application process in order to become familiar with the requirements of the eContract Philly interface, upload all required documents, and resolve any technical issues prior to the submission deadline. The City need not accept, and may discard, responses that are incomplete, late, or submitted in any other format.

Electronic File Limitations eContract Philly accepts attachments up to 8MB of the following file types: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Project, Adobe PDF or in a compressed zip file. Larger attachments must be split into smaller attachments to accommodate this file size limitation. There is no limit to the number of attachments that may be uploaded.

Every Entity Applies for Itself

Except in the case of Joint Ventures, which follow special rules described below, every entity must apply for itself. If the prospective applicant is not already registered with eContract Philly, you must first register for an account before you can apply to this opportunity. Note that each legal entity must have a separate account; you may not utilize or repurpose another entity’s account for this application. To identify each legal entity, the eContract Philly application system uses an entity’s Taxpayer Identification Number, either a Social Security Number (SSN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN). Make sure the Tax Identification Number associated with your profile matches the Tax Identification Number of the company that is applying. Applications from an affiliated entity or made on another entity’s behalf will cause the City to reject the proposal.

See the Joint Venture rules if you are applying on behalf of a Joint Venture.

Use the Submission Checklist Below This is a tool to help you to submit a complete, accurate, responsive, and on time application.

DOES MY RESPONSE MEET THE PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS?

Did you submit the proposal before the stated deadline of this RFP?

Did the proposal explain how Applicant meets the goals and objectives, tasks, milestones, and deliverables, and other requirements described by the Department in the Opportunity and Scope of Work sections?

Does your cost proposal meet the requirements under “Compensation”?

Does your service proposal meet the requirements under “Description of Services”?

Does your proposal meet the overall format and content requirements described in “What you must include in your proposal”?

If eligible, did you enroll with the City’s Vendor Payment Portal to effortlessly submit electronic invoices and monitor payment progress 24/7?

Did you review the entire RFP and contract attachments, including the Contract Terms and Conditions, and request any exceptions? You must propose contract language changes with your proposal or the City’s terms are deemed accepted.

Was the proposal submitted electronically through eContract Philly?

Did you complete the mandatory political contribution disclosures through the application?

Was the proposal submitted to the correct opportunity number?

Was the application signed by clicking on the “submit” button at the conclusion of the eContract Philly submission process? The proposal is not considered submitted until this button is pressed, regardless of when you started to complete the proposal.

You will receive an email acknowledgment of your submission.

Was the individual who signed the application authorized to sign on behalf of the Applicant? For more information on who is authorized to sign your application, please see page 32 of the sample application found on eContract Philly here. You must be logged in to eContract Philly to access the document.

Does the Applicant’s eContract Philly Profile match the Applicant information provided in the proposal? Do the Taxpayer Identification Numbers match? (Do not use the SSN of the person filling out the proposal, unless the contract will be with that actual person; use the number of the entity applying and on its eContract Philly profile.)

Special Rule for Joint Ventures

4.3 Proposal Binding

Your proposal is a binding offer to contract for what you propose. Each Applicant agrees that it will be bound by the terms of its proposal for a minimum of 180 calendar days from the application deadline for this RFP and will enter a contract containing the same terms. If the City accepts your proposal as submitted, the City need not negotiate additional or different terms. Applicants must state clearly and conspicuously any modifications, waivers, objections, or exceptions they seek in a separate section of the proposal entitled “Requested Exceptions to Contract Terms.”

The City reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to negotiate terms and conditions different from and/or additional to the Contract Terms without notice to other Applicants.

5. HOW WE CHOOSE

The City will consider many factors, including cost, when evaluating proposals submitted to this RFP.

While cost is an important factor, it is not the sole, or necessarily the deciding factor. The City may choose to award the contract resulting from this RFP to an Applicant whose proposal is the most advantageous to the City and in the City’s best interest even if the Applicant is not offering the lowest price.

The City will base its selection on criteria that may include, but are not limited to:

1. Superior ability or capacity to meet particular requirements of contract and needs of City

Department and those it serves

2. Eligibility under Code provisions relating to campaign contributions

3. Superior prior experience of Applicant and staff

4. Superior quality, efficiency and fitness of proposed solution for City Department

5. Superior skill and reputation, including timeliness and demonstrable results

6. Special benefit to continuing services of incumbent, such as operational difficulties with transition or needs of population being served

7. Benefit of promoting long-term competitive development and allocation of experience to new, local, or small businesses

8. Lower cost

9. Administrative and operational efficiency, requiring less City oversight and administration

10. Anticipated long-term cost effectiveness

11. Meets prequalification requirements

12. Applicant’s certification of its Local Business Entity/Local Impact status.

If a contract is awarded from this RFP, a notice will be published on the City’s eContract Philly website identifying the name of the selected Applicant and the basis for award to that Applicant, as well as the names of all other Applicants to this RFP. To access this notice, select the button that says “Notice of Intent to Contract” and search for your opportunity number.

6. GENERAL RULES GOVERNING

RFPs/PROPOSALS

WHAT ARE MY RESPONSIBILITIES IF I’M AWARDED THE CONTRACT?

Maintain an active Business Income and Receipts Tax (BIRT) Account Number.

REGISTER HERE.

Maintain an active Commercial Activity License (CAL) Number REGISTER HERE

Obtain a Philadelphia Tax and Regulatory Status Clearance and return Appendix B and stay current with all City and School District taxes and fees or payment plans.

OBTAIN A TAX

CLEARANCE

CERTIFICATE HERE

Continuously disclose your political contributions and stay under the contribution limits that allow you to be awarded a contract.

SEE THE

“DISCLOSURE/

ELIGIBILITY” TAB ON

ECONTRACT PHILLY

HERE FOR MORE

INFORMATION

Submit all Contracting Disclosures requirements. Provide demographic information about your workforce and your work for the City in the past five years (This is only required once an organization is awarded a contract with the City of Philadelphia).

CONTRACTING

DISCLOSURE AND

FILING INSTRUCTIONS

ARE HERE

Pay a Contract Preparation Fee

SEE AND PAY THE FEE

HERE

Contracts resulting from this RFP are “Service Contracts” and awarded Applicants, along with their subcontractors at any level, are “Service Contractors” who must comply with the 21st

THE CURRENT LIVING

WAGE RATE AND

BENEFITS

REQUIREMENTS AND

Century Minimum Wage and Benefits Standard found in Philadelphia Code Sec. 17-1300.

APPLICABILITY CAN

BE LOCATED HERE

If the awarded contract is valued at or over $250,000, you must extend Equal Benefits to life partners of employees that are extended to spouses of its employees, under 17-1900 of the Philadelphia Code.

INFORMATION

REGARDING EQUAL

BENEIFITS IS

LOCATED HERE

Register for electronic payments

INSTRUCTIONS FOR

REGISTRATION CAN

BE FOUND HERE

Comply with federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) if applicable.

SEE HIPAA SECTION

BELOW

6.1 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) The work to be provided under any contract entered into pursuant to this RFP may be subject to the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) or other state or federal laws or regulations governing the privacy and security of health information.

If the contract is with any of the “Covered Units” designated by the City or the chosen provider is otherwise a “Business Associate” under HIPAA, the selected Applicant must comply with the “Terms and Conditions Relating to Protected Health Information” which are posted on eContract Philly under the “About” section and which will be incorporated into the contract by reference.

6.2 Special Rules Applicable to Joint Ventures

Generally, applications submitted through eContract Philly from Applicants that purport to be filing an application on behalf of another individual or business entity will not be considered, even if the other business entity is an affiliate of the Applicant. In the case of multiple business entities that, if awarded a contract, have formed, or intend to form a joint venture to perform the contract, a single business entity may file an application on behalf of all such business entities, so long as: (i) the filing business entity is or will be a member of the joint venture, (ii) the application is made in the name of the existing or proposed joint venture, (iii) documentation is submitted with the application identifying all business entities that will comprise the joint venture, and demonstrating a binding agreement among those business entities to perform the contract as the joint venture identified in the application (for a joint venture that has not yet been formed, documentation signed by each identified business entity evidencing a commitment to form the joint venture if awarded the contract is sufficient), and (iv) the non-filing business entities are eligible for award of a City contract and make the disclosures required by Chapter 17-1400 of the Philadelphia Code (described in greater detail below) within fourteen (14) days after the joint venture receives notice that it has been awarded the contract.

6.3 Mandatory Political Contribution Disclosures and Penalties Pursuant to Chapter 17-1400 of the Philadelphia Code, Applicants are required to disclose the following as part of their required online application:

their direct and indirect campaign contributions to:

o political candidates and incumbents who are nominated for, running for, or serving in, a local Philadelphia elected office; and o political committees/parties that are operating in Philadelphia1 any consultants used in responding to the RFP and political contributions those consultants have made as described above; and whether the Applicant or any representative of the Applicant has received from any City employee a request for money or other items of value.

Applicants who make material misstatements or omissions in required disclosures may be prohibited from entering into contracts resulting from this or any other RFP of the City for one to three years and subjected to fines of up to three-times (3x) the amount that a contribution exceeded the political contribution limits, up to $2,000 for each contribution, pursuant to Section 20-1302 of the Philadelphia Code

For more information, please consult the text of Chapter 17-1400, the “Disclosure/Eligibility” tab on eContract Philly, e-mail econtractphilly@phila.gov, or call 215-686-4914.

6.4 Political Contribution Limits for City Contractors

The current contribution limits are adjusted every four years (starting in 2008) and are posted on the eContract Philly home page. The limits are established by law, apply continuously throughout the life of an awarded contract and for as long as the official benefiting is in office. Applicants are advised that individuals and businesses that make campaign contributions in excess of the amounts set forth in Section 17-1404(1) of the Philadelphia Code are ineligible to enter into a City contract or subcontract at any tier in excess of $10,000 for individuals or $25,000 for businesses. Contributions are attributed according to Section 17-1405 of the Philadelphia Code and Applicants should take this into consideration in electing to apply for this opportunity and in selecting subcontractors, if any.

Applicants certify that their subcontractors are eligible to work on City contracts and will be responsible for any consequence if that later proves untrue. To assist Applicants, the City has provided disclosure forms under the “Disclosure/Eligibility” “Subcontractor Disclosure” tab on eContract Philly for subcontractors to complete and provide to the Applicant at their option. These forms do not need to be submitted to the City.

1 State and federal campaign contributions do not have to be disclosed unless the subject/candidate in the campaign is also running for, or currently serving in a local Philadelphia elected office.

6.5 City Employee Conflict Provision

City of Philadelphia employees and officials are prohibited from submitting a proposal in response to this RFP. No proposal will be considered in which a City employee or official has a direct or indirect interest.

6.6 Reservation of Rights

By submitting a response to this contract opportunity, the Applicant accepts and agrees to the City’s Standard Reservation of Rights, linked and incorporated in this document by reference, and to the terms of this contract opportunity, including all information contained in this RFP and information posted or accessible by link from the eContract Philly “Opportunity List” page, accessible under the “New Contract Opportunities” tab on the eContract Philly homepage.

6.7 Confidentiality and Public Disclosure

Each Applicant shall treat all information obtained from the City as a result of this opportunity or any resultant contract, which information is not generally available to the public, as confidential and/or proprietary to the City in accordance with the terms of any resultant contract. The Applicant shall exercise all reasonable precautions to prevent any information derived from such sources from being disclosed to any other person. The Applicant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the City, its officials and employees, from and against all liability, demands, claims, suits, losses, damages, causes of action, fines and judgments (including attorney's fees) resulting from any use or disclosure of such confidential and/or proprietary information by the successful Applicant or any person acquiring such information, directly or indirectly, from the successful Applicant.

By submission of a proposal, Applicants acknowledge and agree that the City, as a municipal corporation, is subject to state and local public disclosure laws and, as such, is legally obligated to disclose to the public documents, including proposals, to the extent required thereunder. Without limiting the foregoing sentence, the City's legal obligations shall not be limited or expanded in any way by an Applicant's assertion of confidentiality and/or proprietary data.

APPENDICES

Appendix A – General Provisions

THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT GENERAL PROVISIONS

FOR PET INSURANCE SERVICES

*Attached as a Separate Document*

Appendix B - City of Philadelphia Tax and Regulatory Status and Clearance Statement

CITY OF PHILADELPHIA TAX AND REGULATORY

STATUS AND CLEARANCE STATEMENT

FOR APPLICANTS

THIS IS A CONFIDENTIAL TAX DOCUMENT NOT FOR PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

This form must be completed and returned with Applicant’s proposal in order for Applicant to be eligible for award of a contract with the City. Failure to return this form will disqualify Applicant’s proposal from further consideration by the contracting department. Please provide the information requested in the table, check the appropriate certification option and sign below:

Applicant Name Contact Name and Title Street Address City, State, Zip Code Phone Number Federal Employer Identification Number or Social Security Number:

Philadelphia Business Income and Receipts Tax Account Number (if none, state “none”) Commercial Activity License Number (if none, state “none”)

____ I certify that the Applicant named above has all required licenses and permits and is current, or has made satisfactory arrangements with the City to become current with respect to the payment of City taxes or other indebtedness owed to the City (including, but not limited to, taxes collected by the City on behalf of the School District of Philadelphia), and is not in violation, or has made satisfactory arrangements to cure any violation, or other regulatory provisions applicable to Applicant contained in the Philadelphia Code.

___ I certify that the Applicant named above does not currently do business, or otherwise…