Inland Marine Insurance, Body Venture Exhibit

The Kansas State Department of Education is soliciting competitive sealed bids for Inland Marine Insurance coverage for its Body Venture Exhibit, a 40-foot by 50-foot inflatable educational display representing the human body designed for kindergarten through fifth-grade students. The exhibit, which cost $288,875 to construct in January 2023, travels to approximately 90-100 schools annually, visiting three locations weekly over a nine-month period with typical transit times of 30-40 minutes between sites. The requested insurance coverage must provide replacement cost protection against physical damage from fire, lightning, windstorm, hail, explosion, theft, and vandalism during transit and at all times, with a $5,000 deductible and exclusion of normal wear and tear. Bidders must submit annual premium quotes and may propose annual policies, annual policies subject to annual rerate not to exceed three years, or three-year policy terms with guaranteed rates, with the State preferring three-year terms. All bidders must be duly authorized representatives of Kansas-licensed insurance companies admitted to conduct business in the state, with required appointments occurring no later than 30 days after bid closing. The bid solicitation opened on February 19, 2026, with a closing date and time of March 19, 2026 at 2:00 PM CST, followed by a public bid opening via teleconference at 2:30 PM CST on the same date. Questions requesting clarification must be submitted via email in MS Word format to Procurement Officer Lily Lundy at lily.lundy@ks.gov by close of business on Thursday, February 26, 2026. The contract term runs from July 1, 2026 through July 1, 2029, with options to renew for four additional twelve-month periods.

No set-aside designations restrict bidder participation; however, bidders may claim eligibility for the Disabled Veteran Owned Business or Certified Business bidder preference programs if applicable, with supporting documentation required. Bidders must submit a current Tax Clearance Certificate from the Kansas Department of Revenue, Certification Regarding Immigration Reform and Control forms, Boycott of Israel certification, and Sexual Harassment policy acknowledgment with their responses. The State currently maintains coverage through Hanover Insurance Group via Suggs Insurance, representing the incumbent vendor. All successful bidders must accept electronic payment via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) unless documented financial hardship is approved, and bidders must provide a sample or specimen copy of the proposed policy with any terrorism coverage charges indicated separately. The State reserves the right to request coverage for additional property during the policy term at premiums subject to the same discount applied to the initial annual premium. No specific budget range or award value is listed in the solicitation documents; pricing will be determined through competitive bidding based on submitted premium quotes.