RFI Document-AI - Modified Timeline.pdf

State of Florida Department of Financial Services (Department)

Request for Information (RFI) RFI No.: 2324-02 RFI OIT

Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Consumer Services

THIS IS AN RFI AND NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE BID,

PROPOSAL, OR REPLY AND NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED.

I. Target Audience of this RFI The Department is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to gain information from organizations that develop and provide Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities. At this time, the Department is not interested in information related to resellers or implementers of the AI products.

II. Introduction and Background.

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is the statutory registered agent for all insurers doing business in Florida. The Division of Consumer Services (the Division) offers a variety of information and resources to educate consumers regarding numerous insurance and financial topics. The Division also handles general insurance inquries, insurance licensing inquiries, and insurance consumer complaints. The Division of Insurance Agent and Agency Services licenses all insurance agents, agencies, and adjusters in the state of Florida, and answers questions regarding the licensing education, qualifications, and pending application status.

III. Current Process.

The Division provides consumer services support to the general public via a customer contact center (the toll-free helpline 1-877-MY-FL-CFO), a web portal to submit insurance concerns (https://apps.fldfs.com/ESERVICE/Default.aspx), and email. See the Department’s “Contact Me” web page (https://myfloridacfo.com/division/consumers/contactus).

IV. Goals.

1. Improve Customer Experience – The customer experience is currently limited to calls during the hours of operation as well as email. The contact center has limited resources which can cause delays in answering consumer questions. The Division wants to explore ways in which AI can provide improvements to customer experience including via web portal, voice, email, and text channels.

2. Increase Productivity – The Division wants to explore ways in which AI can assist in increasing productivity through customer self-service as well as assistance and automation to support customer service representatives (CSRs).

3. Continuous Optimization - In addition to Goals 1 and 2, the Division wants to explore other ways in which AI automation can support the operations, such as managing risk, improving staff allocation, and other aspects of optimization of the operations.

https://apps.fldfs.com/ESERVICE/Default.aspx https://myfloridacfo.com/division/consumers/contactus

4. Proof of Concept – The Division wants to engage with vendors that are willing to invest in providing a limited Proof of Concept (POC) to demonstrate the applicability of AI for the Division.

V. Purpose of an RFI.

Pursuant to Rule 60A-1.042, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), an agency may use an RFI to determine whether to competitively procure commodities or contractual services;

which solicitation process to use for a particular need; or to determine general, special, and/or technical specifications to be included in a solicitation. A vendor’s response to an RFI is not an offer and shall not be used to justify a contract with that vendor without otherwise complying with chapter 287, Florida Statutes, (F.S.) and chapter 60A-1, F.A.C.

Vendors submitting a response to an agency’s RFI are not prohibited from responding to any related subsequent solicitation.

Any future purchase of the services will be conducted in accordance with chapter 287, F.S.

The Department may use response(s) to this RFI to prepare one (1) or more competitive solicitations and as the basis for any subsequent vendor meetings.

VI. Procurement Officer.

Amy Jones, Purchasing Director Department of Financial Services Email: DFSPurchasing@myfloridacfo.com

This contact person is the only individual authorized to respond to RFI comments and questions. If you contact any other individual within the Department, your response will be excluded from review.

VII. RFI Process.

Vendor responses to this RFI will be reviewed by the Department for informational purposes only and will not result in the award of a contract. The Department will review the responses to determine the feasibility of issuing a competitive solicitation. Any request for cost information is for budgetary purposes only. If necessary, the Department may ask to hold presentations with one (1) or more of the responding vendors. Responding to this RFI does not prevent a vendor from being eligible to contract with another agency pursuant to section 287.057(19)(c), F.S., and does not guarantee any respondent a contract.

VIII. Response Instructions.

Vendor responses should be organized in tabbed sections as indicated below. Responses should be no more than 75 pages in length. DO NOT INCLUDE MARKETING

LITERATURE AS PART OF YOUR RESPONSE.

mailto:DFSPurchasing@myfloridacfo.com

IX. Response Format.

1. Tab 1 – Introduction:

Provide a cover letter including the vendor’s primary point of contact for this RFI and contact information (name, title, address, telephone number(s), and email address).

2. Tab 2 – Requested Information and Responses:

Responses to this document should indicate how a vendor would utilize AI to accomplish the Department’s Goals described in Section IV. Provide examples of AI solutions that the organization has implemented with other clients.

3. Tab 3 – Optional Information and Features:

Optional information may be provided to the Department by the vendor. Vendors may describe any additional or optional features that the vendor is capable of delivering within its solution or that would be helpful to the Department in evaluating whether, and how, to contract with a vendor for services described in this RFI.

4. Tab 4 – Sample Pricing Information:

Responses should include pricing methodology for the vendor’s AI technology and services, which include general, non-binding pricing information for variables impacting the price, and other fees/charges for the solution(s). Additionally, provide specific details as they may be known to the respondent about how the vendor will be compensated for the services provided.

X. Response Submission.

Please submit an electronic copy of your response, via email, to the Procurement Officer identified in Section VI. Responses should be received by the Department no later than the time and date noted in Section XIV, Timeline.

Responses must reference the RFI No.: 2324-02 RFI OIT in the subject line of the email response submission.

The vendor should include a redacted copy of the original response, if applicable. See Section XVI. below.

XI. Presentations.

At the sole discretion of the Department, one (1) or more vendors may be selected to demonstrate to the Department the vendor’s products and services and/or develop a Proof of Concept (POC) relating to the information submitted in the RFI response.

XII. Question and Answer Period.

Questions regarding this RFI shall be submitted in writing via email to the Procurement Officer identified in Section VI. by the date and time specified in Section XIV below or as amended by the Department. Questions will not be answered by telephone. The Department will post answers to questions received on the Vendor Information Portal (“VIP”) by the date and time specified in the timeline below.

XIII. Addenda or Changes to the RFI.

The Department reserves the right to make changes to this RFI by posting addenda on the VIP. It is the vendor’s responsibility to check for any posted addenda on the VIP.

XIV. Timeline.

The following timeline details the dates and times that tasks should be completed during this RFI process. This timeline will be strictly adhered to in all actions relative to this RFI.

If the Department finds it necessary to update any of the dates and times, it will issue an addendum to the RFI. All times listed below are in Eastern Time (ET) in Tallahassee, Florida.

Timeline Event Date

Event Time

Location

Release of RFI 10/4/23 4:00 PM Posted to VIP Submission of Written Questions

10/13/23 10/27/23

4:00 PM DFSPurchasing@myfloridacfo.com

Answers to Submitted Questions

10/27/23 11/3/23

N/A Posted to VIP

Responses due to the Procurement Officer

11/8/23 11/16/23

4:00 PM DFSPurchasing@myfloridacfo.com

XV. Disclosure of Response Contents.

All documentation submitted as a response to the RFI will become the exclusive property of the Department and will not be returned to the vendor. Responses received by the Department may be disclosed pursuant to a public records request.

XVI. Confidential Responses Materials and Redacted Submissions.

Please note, the Department encourages vendors to not submit confidential information in its response to this RFI. However, if confidential information is submitted in response to this RFI, please adhere to the following instructions.

If your company considers any portion of the documents, data, or records submitted in response to this RFI to be trade secret, in order to preserve the confidentiality of the material, you must clearly mark the document as “Trade Secret” and simultaneously provide the Department with a separate, redacted copy with only the trade secret portions of the document redacted and a brief description of the grounds for claiming exemption from public disclosure, including the specific statutory citation for the exemption.

In the event of a public records request, request for production, subpoena, or other demand for records, to which documents that are marked as “Trade Secret” are responsive, the Department will provide the redacted copy to the requestor. If a requestor asserts a right to the trade secret information, the Department will notify the vendor that such an assertion has been made prior to releasing the information (unless otherwise prohibited by applicable law or court order). It is the vendor’s responsibility to assert that the information in question is exempt from disclosure under chapter 119, F.S., or other applicable law. The vendor is responsible for defending its determination that the redacted portions of its documents, data, or records are trade secret.

By submitting a response to this RFI, the vendor agrees to protect, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Department for any and all claims arising from or relating to the vendor’s determination that the redacted portions of its response are trade secret.

If the vendor fails to mark material as “Trade Secret” or fails to submit a redacted copy of information it claims is trade secret, the Department is authorized to produce, in their entirety, all documents, data, and records submitted to the Department in answer to a public records request, request for production, subpoena, or other demand for records without notice to the vendor.

XVII. Vendor Costs.

Vendors are responsible for all costs associated with the preparation, submission, and any potential meeting to discuss this RFI. The State of Florida, Department, or the Division will not be responsible for any vendor related costs associated with responding to this RFI.

XVIII. Special Accommodations.

Any person requiring a special accommodation due to a disability should contact the Department’s Procurement Officer. Requests for accommodation for meetings must be made at least five (5) business says prior to the meeting. A person who is hearing or speech impaired can contact the Procurement Office by using the Florida Relay Services at (800)

955-8771 (TDD).

Certified Business Enterprises certified pursuant to section 287.0943, F.S., are encouraged to participate in the RFI process.