Columbus County Schools Voluntary Employee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Services RFP

Columbus County Schools is requesting proposals for Section 125 Flexible Benefit Plan Administration and Voluntary Employee Benefit Brokerage/Consulting Services for the plan year beginning July 1, 2027, with sealed proposals due by September 1, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. EST.

Respondents must hold a current North Carolina business license, all required insurance licenses throughout the contract period, and demonstrated experience administering benefits programs for employers with a minimum of 500 employees. Proposers must provide at least five references from organizations with 500 or more employees currently receiving both flexible benefit administration and voluntary employee benefit services.

The scope encompasses Section 125 administration, Flexible Spending Account administration, nondiscrimination testing, compliance reporting, plan document preparation, and voluntary benefits brokerage including cancer insurance, critical illness insurance, accident insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, disability insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, and other supplemental benefits. The district consists of 776 full-time employees and approximately 40 part-time employees across 12 schools, a central office, a transportation department, and a maintenance department. Columbus County Schools intends to continue payroll deduction and pretax treatment for employees who currently maintain eligible products.

Evaluation criteria include qualifications and experience, benefit design and product offerings, enrollment and communication services, technology and administrative services, cost-effectiveness, and references and performance history. Proposals will not be evaluated solely on cost. The district reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, request additional information, conduct interviews, and select the proposal deemed most advantageous.

Sealed proposals with a minimum of three printed copies must be submitted to Connie Cox at Columbus County Schools Central Services.