State Employee Commuter Benefits Program

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is seeking qualified firms to administer the State Employee Commuter Benefits Program, a qualified transportation fringe benefits (QTB) plan authorized under Internal Revenue Code Section 132. The selected contractor must provide transit, parking, and other qualified transportation benefits on a pre-tax basis, and perform all program management and administration duties, including plan design, enrollment, claim processing, reporting, and customer service. The program must be operational by early March 2010. Evaluation criteria include the bidder's qualifications, quality of work plan, and cost, and the Commonwealth may conduct oral interviews. The program currently serves approximately 130,000 eligible state and university employees, with potential expansion to employees in other states and Washington, D.C. The program is expected to be funded primarily through reasonable employee user fees.

The procurement has an Affirmative Market Program requirement, which aims to promote the award of state contracts in a manner that develops and strengthens Minority and Women Business Enterprises (M/WBEs). Bidders must include an Affirmative Market Program Plan in their proposals, which will be evaluated as part of the overall process. No incumbent contractor or budget information is provided, but the Commonwealth indicates it is seeking a cost-effective program that maximizes tax benefits for employees.