Employee Health Benefits and Insurance Consultant

The Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) in Thousand Oaks, California, has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP #2026-00) seeking qualified consultants to provide comprehensive employee health benefits and insurance consulting services. The procurement encompasses plan design and program development, financial reporting and benchmarking analysis, vendor relationship management, and employee communications strategy for a district serving over 15,000 students across 27 schools. Key deliverables include reviewing current health benefits and identifying cost-saving opportunities; providing unbiased guidance on medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans; conducting quarterly financial reporting and benchmarking against national and state standards; managing vendor relationships and RFP processes; overseeing independent audits; and ensuring COBRA and HIPAA compliance. Qualified consultants must demonstrate relevant experience in public agency benefits consulting, preferably within school districts, and possess documented financial health and firm stability. The evaluation criteria allocates 100 points across four categories: Fee Proposal (30 points), Responsiveness to RFP Requirements (30 points), Quality of Proposal (25 points), and References (15 points). Critical deadlines include a written questions deadline of April 1, 2026 at 2:00 PM (PT), a proposal submission deadline of April 10, 2026 at 2:00 PM (PT) through the District's Bonfire Procurement Portal, tentative finalist interviews scheduled for the week of April 13, 2026, and a targeted contract award date of May 6, 2026 with services commencing September 1, 2026.

The initial contract term spans three years with options for two additional one-year extensions, covering fiscal years 2026-27 through 2030-31. Proposals must include minimum three references from public agency clients, preferably school districts, and all respondents must complete required certifications addressing debarment, non-collusion, Iran contracting compliance, workers compensation insurance, non-discrimination policies, criminal background clearance, drug-free workplace compliance, and tobacco-free environment commitments. The current consultant is Poms & Associates Insurance Brokers Inc., which may serve as a reference point for transition planning and service continuity expectations. Consultants must submit detailed fee proposals including estimated hours and blended hourly rates for each service area with cumulative fee totals required for each contract year; however, specific budget ranges or award values have not been disclosed in the available RFP documentation. All proposals must remain valid for 180 days following proposal opening, and no set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or minority-owned businesses have been identified in the procurement materials.