Health and Benefits Consultant

Sarasota County Government is seeking a Health and Benefits Consultant through a Request for Proposals (RFP) to provide comprehensive consulting services for designing, evaluating, negotiating, and administering benefit programs for approximately 2,600 employees and 300 retirees across multiple county departments and bargaining units. The consultant will be responsible for strategic benefits planning, data analytics, compliance monitoring, legislative updates, vendor management, and support for benefit plan design and renewals. Key deliverables include annual financial experience reports, actuarial evaluations, claims audits, and assistance with procurement and contract negotiations for medical, dental, pharmacy, life insurance, and voluntary benefit plans. Proposers must demonstrate at least five years of experience providing health and benefits consulting services for public sector clients and hold active Florida insurance licenses. The RFP requires detailed documentation including a letter of interest, personnel resumes, customer references, project approach, and compensation details. The solicitation was posted on May 29, 2025, with proposals due by July 1, 2025, and anticipates an initial contract term of three years.

The RFP does not specify specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. Insurance requirements are stringent, mandating commercial general liability coverage of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, workers' compensation insurance, and professional liability insurance of no less than $1,000,000 per claim. The solicitation notes that local and American business preferences do not apply due to grant funding requirements. While specific budget ranges are not explicitly stated, the comprehensive nature of the services and the scale of coverage for 2,600 employees and 300 retirees suggests a significant contract value. The consulting services will cover a wide range of benefit programs, indicating a complex and potentially high-value procurement opportunity. No information is provided about incumbent vendors or existing technology infrastructure that would require integration by the selected consultant.