The City of Philadelphia (“the City”) is soliciting proposals from qualified “Applicant(s)” to provide voluntary benefits for Pet Wellness and Pet Insurance Benefits on behalf of all City’s active e...

The City of Philadelphia is requesting proposals from qualified applicants to provide voluntary pet wellness and pet insurance benefits for the City's active employees under an RFP with proposals due September 18, 2026, and a mandatory pre-proposal meeting on September 2, 2026, at 2:00 PM via Zoom. A combined 13% Small Business Enterprise (SBE) and Local Business Entity (LBE) participation goal applies under the City's Office of Economic Opportunity requirements; Best and Good Faith Efforts toward this goal are mandatory, and failure to comply constitutes material breach with potential debarment for up to three years.

The scope encompasses standalone wellness plans covering preventive care (vaccinations, routine bloodwork, flea/tick/heartworm prevention, spay/neuter discounts, dental cleaning, behavioral consultation) and comprehensive medical insurance covering accidents, illnesses, diagnostics, prescriptions, specialty care, surgery, and hospitalization. The City targets approximately 6,400 eligible active employees. Applicants must demonstrate substantial experience servicing large, complex clients with excess of 12,000 enrolled lives and prior state or local government experience with high-labor-force clients. Minimum requirements include HIPAA, EDI, and privacy compliance; implementation capability within 60 days; willingness to modify benefits during the contract period; and renewal information provision at least 120 days prior to group anniversary. Selected applicants must comply with the City's 21st Century Minimum Wage and Benefits Standard, maintain comprehensive insurance (Commercial General Liability $1,000,000 per occurrence, Professional Liability $1,000,000, Cyber Liability $1,000,000), and participate in employee educational programs.

The contract is fixed-price, 100% employee-paid with minimal expected contributions, effective January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2027, with City option to extend for up to four additional one-year terms. Applicants must provide multi-year pricing for five consecutive years net of commissions, with full disclosure of any commission arrangements. Applicant questions are due September 11, 2026; interviews and presentations occur September 29, 2026; selection is anticipated the week of October 5, 2026; and contract execution follows in November 2026. The City will not contract with more than one pet wellness or pet insurance provider.