Employee Benefits Broker

The Town of Canton, Connecticut and Canton Board of Education are soliciting proposals for an Employee Benefits Broker through Request for Proposal (RFP) 101025, issued on November 19, 2025, with proposals due by 4:00 PM EST on December 10, 2025. The procuring entities seek a qualified insurance broker/consultant to provide comprehensive brokerage and advisory services for employee health benefit plans, including management of self-funded medical, prescription drug, and dental plans; insured non-medical life and disability coverage; voluntary benefits; and administrative support for HSA and HRA programs. Proposers must demonstrate deep municipal and school board experience, possess a strong service team with specialized expertise in financial analysis and stop-loss negotiation, and maintain Errors & Omissions insurance with a minimum limit of $5 million per claim and aggregate. The selection will be based on best overall value, evaluated across multiple criteria including the proposer's understanding of objectives, service team strength, demonstrated financial and negotiation capabilities, compliance and communication approach, quality of reporting and stewardship deliverables, cost transparency, and reference quality. The initial contract term is two and one-half years beginning January 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028, with options for renewal for up to two additional years and early termination provisions if performance is unsatisfactory. Proposers must submit one original proposal and two copies to CAO Mark Penney at Town of Canton, 4 Market Street, PO Box 168, Collinsville, CT 06022-0168, with a deadline for submitting questions by November 26, 2025, responses posted by December 3, 2025, and interviews anticipated for the week of December 15, 2025.

The RFP contains no designated set-asides or restrictions limiting the types of organizations eligible to respond; all vendors are eligible to bid. Proposers may structure compensation as annual fees, commissions, hybrid arrangements, or other compensation sources, with full transparency required, though no estimated contract value or budget range is specified in the solicitation documents. No incumbent vendor or current contractor information is disclosed in the available materials. The Town of Canton reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and waive informalities, and all proposals are considered public records under Connecticut FOIA except for clearly marked proprietary financial information. The selected broker will function as an independent contractor rather than as an employee. For inquiries regarding the solicitation, interested parties should contact Melissa Denton at 4 Market Street, Canton, CT 06019, by telephone at 860-693-7841, or by email at mdenton@townofcantonct.org.