Employee Benefits & Risk Management Consulting

Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS), the nation's seventh-largest school district serving approximately 225,000 students with approximately 24,000 employees, is issuing Request for Proposals 26027-DST for Employee Benefits and Risk Management Consulting Services. HCPS seeks qualified firms to serve as the District's Agent of Record and provide comprehensive benefits consulting and actuarial services to develop cost-effective, competitive, and best-in-class benefit plans for employees and retirees. The scope of services includes collaboration on development and evaluation of competitive benefit solicitations; contract negotiation with selected vendors; compliance and plan coverage interpretation; management of all benefit programs including medical/pharmacy, stop-loss coverage, dental, vision, group life, voluntary life and disability, and ancillary products; monthly premium tracking and reporting; quarterly budget projections and variance monitoring; quarterly large claim probability modeling; annual actuarial filings; renewal support and marketing; vendor relationship management; ongoing account management and service delivery; ERISA and regulatory compliance support; and communication materials development. The contractor must maintain internal actuarial resources with subject matter expertise in health and retiree actuaries, pharmacy consultants, life/disability consultants, clinicians, legal/compliance consultants, wellbeing strategists, and audit specialists. Technical questions must be submitted by February 16, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST, and proposals are due electronically via the VendorLink portal by March 2, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST. The initial contract term will commence the first business day after Board approval and continue through the last day of the first anniversary month, with automatic renewal for up to four additional one-year periods contingent on appropriations, contractor performance, and continued need. Evaluation criteria allocate 30 points to scope of services and delivery approach, 35 points to qualifications and experience, 25 points to cost/best value, and 10 points to Small Business Encouragement Program utilization.

Minimum qualifications require ten years of experience providing consulting and actuarial services to public employers, including at least one school district and one client exceeding 10,000 benefed employees with an annual healthcare budget exceeding $100 million. All proposers must complete a Vendor Registration Form and submit a Foreign Countries of Concern Prohibited Affidavit confirming that the entity has no ownership, controlling interest, or organizational ties to designated foreign countries including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, or Syria, as mandated by Florida Statutes Section 287.138. The incumbent contractor is Aon Consulting, Inc., which has served HCPS for 27 years and was recently extended through June 30, 2026. HCPS currently maintains benefits administration infrastructure through Alight Holdings Company and wellness programs through Vitality Group International, with which the selected consultant must coordinate and integrate services. The current covered population includes 22,621 members with total medical and pharmacy claims of $284,244,399 in 2025; HCPS transitioned to a self-funded model effective January 1, 2026 with a $1,000,000 stop-loss attachment point and no aggregate coverage. Compensation consists of commissions totaling $838,849 net in 2025 plus vendor administration fees of approximately $1,961,329 for benefits administration, communications, FSA, and COBRA services, with all prices required to remain firm during the initial contract term unless mutually agreed upon or justified by manufacturer documentation.