DTCC Vision Insurance

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
DTCC VISION INSURANCE
ISSUED BY DELAWARE TECHNICAL AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE
CONTRACT NUMBER DTCC2610-VISION
Contents:
I. Overview
II. Scope of Services
III. Required Information
IV. Professional Services RFP Administrative Information
V. Contract Terms and Conditions
VI. RFP Miscellaneous Information
VII. Attachments
Appendix A - MINIMUM MANDATORY SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Appendix B - SCOPE OF WORK AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
** Ctrl + Click on the headings above will take you directly to the section.
I. Overview
Delaware Technical and Community College ("College" or "DTCC"), seeks professional services from
qualified insurance carriers and/or third-party administrators to provide a comprehensive Vision
Benefits Program for eligible employees and their covered dependents. This request for proposals
("RFP") is issued pursuant to 29 Del. C. 6981 and 6982.
The proposed schedule of events subject to the RFP is outlined below:
Public Notice Date: September 4, 2026
Deadline for Questions Date: September 18, 2026 by 4:00 PM
Response to Questions Posted by: Date: October 2, 2026 by 4:30 PM
Deadline for Receipt of Proposals Date: October 21, 2026 at 1:00 PM (Local Time)
Estimated Notification of Award Date: January 21, 2027
Each proposal must be accompanied by a transmittal letter which briefly summarizes the proposing firm's
interest in providing the required professional services. The transmittal letter must also clearly state and
justify any exceptions to the requirements of the RFP which the applicant may have taken in presenting the
proposal. (Applicant exceptions must also be recorded on Attachment 3).
Furthermore, the transmittal letter must attest to the fact, at a minimum, that the Vendor shall not store or
transfer non-public State of Delaware data outside of the United States. For technology related solicitations,
Vendors may refer to the Delaware Department of Technology and Information identified terms and
conditions included in this solicitation.
The College reserves the right to deny any and all exceptions taken to the RFP requirements.

MANDATORY PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING
A mandatory pre-proposal meeting has not been established for this Request for Proposal.
II. Scope of Services
DTCC is seeking competitive sealed proposals from qualified insurance carriers and/or third-party
administrators to provide a comprehensive Vision Benefits Program for eligible employees and their covered
dependents. The College's objective is to provide a high-quality, cost-effective vision plan that offers broad
provider access, exceptional customer service, competitive pricing, and innovative member tools while
minimizing administrative burden.
The College intends to award a contract to the proposer whose proposal represents the best overall value
based upon the evaluation criteria contained within this Request for Proposals.
III. Required Information
The following information shall be provided in each proposal in the order listed below. Failure to respond to
any request for information within this proposal may result in rejection of the proposal at the sole discretion
of the College.
A. Minimum Requirements
1. Provide Delaware license(s) and/or certification(s) necessary to perform services as identified in the
scope of work.
Prior to the execution of an award document, the successful Vendor shall either furnish the College
with proof of State of Delaware Business Licensure or initiate the process of application where
required.
2. Vendor shall provide responses to the Request for Proposal (RFP) scope of work and clearly identify
capabilities as presented in the General Evaluation Requirements below.
3. Complete all appropriate attachments and forms as identified within the RFP.
4. Proof of insurance and amount of insurance shall be furnished to the College prior to the start of the
contract period and shall be no less than as identified in the RFP solicitation, Section V, Item G,
subsection 7 (insurance).
B. General Evaluation Requirements
1. Cost while maintaining coverage close to current levels with rate guarantee for initial 3-year period
2. Experience and Reputation including high quality claims service and customer service including
timely electronic submission of claims by provider and superior levels of service to our employees
and administrative staff. Capacity to meet requirements (size, financial condition, etc.)
3. Expertise with government and/or higher education work
4. Capacity to meet requirements (size, financial condition, etc.)
5. Demonstrated ability
IV. Professional Services RFP Administrative Information
A. RFP Issuance
1. Public Notice
Public notice has been provided in accordance with 29 Del. C. 6981.

2. Obtaining Copies of the RFP
This RFP is available in electronic form through the State of Delaware Procurement website at
https://bids.delaware.gov/. Paper copies of this RFP will not be available.
3. Assistance to Vendors with a Disability
Vendors with a disability may receive accommodation regarding the means of communicating this
RFP or participating in the procurement process. For more information, contact the Designated
Contact no later than ten days prior to the deadline for receipt of proposals.
4. RFP Designated Contact
All requests, questions, or other communications about this RFP shall be made in writing to the
College. Address all communications to the person listed below; communications made to other
College personnel or attempting to ask questions by phone or in person will not be allowed or
recognized as valid and may disqualify the vendor. Vendors should rely only on written statements
issued by the RFP designated contact.
Kerstin Butler
Delaware Technical and Community College
100 Campus Drive, Dover, DE 19904
Kbutle28@dtcc.edu
To ensure that written requests are received and answered in a timely manner, electronic mail (e-
mail) correspondence is acceptable, but other forms of delivery, such as postal and courier services
can also be used.
5. Consultants and Legal Counsel
The College may retain consultants or legal counsel to assist in the review and evaluation of this RFP
and the vendors' responses. Proposing vendor shall not contact the College's consultant or legal
counsel on any matter related to the RFP.
6. Contact with College Employees
Direct contact with the College's employees other than the College's Contact regarding this RFP is
expressly prohibited without prior consent. Vendors directly contacting College employees risk
elimination of their proposal from further consideration. Exceptions exist only for organizations
currently doing business with the College who require contact in the normal course of doing that
business.
7. Organizations Ineligible to Offer a Proposal
Any individual, business, organization, corporation, consortium, partnership, joint venture, or any
other entity including subcontractors currently debarred or suspended is ineligible to offer a proposal.
Any entity ineligible to conduct business in the State of Delaware for any reason is ineligible to
respond to the RFP.
8. Exclusions
The Proposal Evaluation Team reserves the right to refuse to consider any proposal from a vendor
who:
a. Has been convicted for commission of a criminal offense as an incident to obtaining or attempting
to obtain a public or private contract or subcontract, or in the performance of the contract or
subcontract:
b. Has been convicted under State or Federal statutes of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery,
falsification or destruction of records, receiving stolen property, or other offense indicating a lack
of business integrity or business honesty that currently and seriously affects responsibility as a
State or College contractor:
c. Has been convicted or has had a civil judgment entered for a violation under State or Federal
antitrust statutes:

d. Has violated contract provisions such as;
1) Known failure without good cause to perform in accordance with the specifications or within
the time limit provided in the contract; or
2) Failure to perform or unsatisfactory performance in accordance with terms of one or more
contracts;
e. Has violated ethical standards set out in law or regulation; and
f. Any other cause listed in regulations of the State of Delaware determined to be serious and
compelling as to affect responsibility as a State contractor, including suspension or debarment by
another governmental entity for a cause listed in the regulations.
B. RFP Submissions
1. Acknowledgement of Understanding of Terms
By submitting a proposal, each vendor shall be deemed to acknowledge that it has carefully read all
sections of this RFP, including all forms, schedules and exhibits hereto, and has fully informed itself
as to all existing conditions and limitations.
2. Proposals
To be considered, all proposals must be submitted in writing and respond to the items outlined in this
RFP. The College reserves the right to reject any non-responsive or non-conforming proposals. Each
proposal must be submitted with 4 paper copies and 1 electronic copy on a USB memory drive.
Please provide a separate electronic pricing file from the rest of the RFP proposal responses.
All properly sealed and marked proposals are to be sent to Delaware Technical and Community
College and received no later than 1:00 PM (Local Time) on October 21, 2026. The Proposals may
be delivered by Express Delivery (e.g., FedEx, UPS, etc.), US Mail, or by hand to:
Kerstin Butler
Delaware Technical and Community College
Office of the President
100 Campus Drive, Building 1000
Dover, DE 19904
Vendors are directed to clearly print "PROPOSAL ENCLOSED" and "CONTRACT NO.
DTCC2610 - VISION on the outside of the proposal submission package.
Any proposal received after the Deadline for Receipt of Proposals date shall not be considered and
shall be returned unopened. The proposing vendor bears the risk of delays in delivery and any costs
for returned proposals. The contents of any proposal shall not be disclosed as to be made available
to competing entities during the negotiation process.
Upon receipt of vendor proposals, each vendor shall be presumed to be thoroughly familiar with all
specifications and requirements of this RFP. The failure or omission to examine any form, instrument
or document shall in no way relieve vendors from any obligation in respect to this RFP.
3. Proposal Modifications
Any changes, amendments or modifications to a proposal must be made in writing, submitted in the
same manner as the original response and conspicuously labeled as a change, amendment, or
modification to a previously submitted proposal. Changes, amendments, or modifications to
proposals shall not be accepted or considered after the hour and date specified as the deadline for
submission of proposals.
4. Proposal Costs and Expenses

The College will not pay any costs incurred by any Vendor associated with any aspect of responding
to this solicitation, including proposal preparation, printing or delivery, attendance at vendor's
conference, system demonstrations or negotiation process.
5. Proposal Expiration Date
Prices quoted in the proposal shall remain fixed and binding on the proposing vendor at least through
December 31, 2027. The College reserves the right to ask for an extension of time if needed.
6. Late Proposals
Proposals received after the specified date and time will not be accepted or considered. To guard
against premature opening, sealed proposals shall be submitted, plainly marked with the proposal
title, vendor name, and time and date of the proposal opening. Evaluation of the proposals is
expected to begin shortly after the proposal due date. To document compliance with the deadline,
the proposal will be date and time stamped upon receipt.
7. Proposal Opening
The College will receive proposals until the date and time shown in this RFP. Proposals will be
opened in the presence of State of Delaware personnel. Any unopened proposals will be returned to
the submitting Vendor.
There will be no public opening of proposals but a public log will be kept of the names of all vendor
organizations that submitted proposals. The contents of any proposal shall not be disclosed in
accordance with 29 Del. C. 10001, et seq. ("FOIA").
8. Non-Conforming Proposals
Non-conforming proposals will not be considered. Non-conforming proposals are defined as those
that do not meet the requirements of this RFP. The determination of whether an RFP requirement is
substantive, or a mere formality shall reside solely within the College.
9. Concise Proposals
The College discourages overly lengthy and costly proposals. It is the desire that proposals be
prepared in a straightforward and concise manner. Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or other
promotional materials beyond those sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal are not
desired. The College's interest is in the quality and responsiveness of the proposal.
10. Realistic Proposals
It is the expectation of the College that vendors can fully satisfy the obligations of the proposal in the
manner and timeframe defined within the proposal. Proposals must be realistic and must represent
the best estimate of time, materials and other costs including the impact of inflation and any economic
or other factors that are reasonably predictable.
The College shall bear no responsibility or increase obligation for a vendor's failure to accurately
estimate the costs or resources required to meet the obligations defined in the proposal.
11. Confidentiality of Documents
The State of Delaware and its constituent agencies are required to comply with the State of Delaware
Freedom of Information Act, 29 Del. C. 10001, et seq. ("FOIA"). FOIA requires that the College's
records are public records (unless otherwise declared by FOIA or other law to be exempt from
disclosure) and are subject to inspection and copying by any person upon a written request. All
proposals are subject to FOIA's public disclosure obligations.
The State of Delaware and the College wishes to create a business-friendly environment and
procurement process. As such, the College respects the vendor community's desire to protect its
intellectual property, trade secrets, and confidential business information (collectively referred to
herein as "confidential business information"). Proposals must contain sufficient information to be
evaluated. If a vendor feels that they cannot submit their proposal without including confidential

business information, they must adhere to the following procedure, or their proposal may be deemed
unresponsive, may not be recommended for selection, and any applicable protection for the vendor's
confidential business information may be lost.
In order to allow the College to assess its ability to protect a vendor's confidential business
information, vendors will be permitted to designate appropriate portions of their proposal as
confidential business information.
Vendor(s) may submit portions of a proposal considered to be confidential business information in a
separate, sealed envelope labeled "Confidential Business Information" and include the specific RFP
number. The envelope must contain a letter from the vendor's legal counsel describing the
documents in the envelope, representing in good faith that the information in each document is not
"public record" as defined by 29 Del. C. 10002, and briefly stating the reasons that each document
meets the said definitions.
Upon receipt of a proposal accompanied by such a separate, sealed envelope, the College will open
the envelope to determine whether the procedure described above has been followed. A vendor's
allegation as to its confidential business information shall not be binding on the State. The College
shall independently determine the validity of any vendor designation as set forth in this section. Any
vendor submitting a proposal or using the procedures discussed herein expressly accepts the State's
absolute right and duty to independently assess the legal and factual validity of any information
designated as confidential business information. Accordingly, vendor(s) assume the risk that
confidential business information included in a proposal may enter the public domain.
12. Proposals from Insurance Brokerages
If it is your business practice to engage services from any person or agency to secure or execute any
of the services outlined in this RFP, any commissions and percentage, contingent, brokerage, service,
or finder's fees must be included in your proposed rates. DTCC will not pay any separate brokerage
fees for securing or executing any of the services outlined in this RFP. Therefore, all proposed fees
must be net of commissions and percentage, contingent, brokerage, service or finders' fees.
13. Sub-Contracting
The vendor selected shall be solely responsible for contractual performance and management of all
subcontract relationships. This contract allows subcontracting assignments; however, vendors
assume all responsibility for work quality, delivery, installation, maintenance, and any supporting
services required by a subcontractor.
Use of subcontractors must be clearly explained in the proposal, and subcontractors must be
identified by name. Any sub-contractors must be approved by the College.
14. Discrepancies and Omissions
Vendor is fully responsible for the completeness and accuracy of their proposal, and for examining
this RFP and all addenda. Failure to do so will be at the sole risk of vendor. Should vendor find
discrepancies, omissions, unclear or ambiguous intent or meaning, or should any questions arise
concerning this RFP, vendor shall notify the College's Designated Contact, in writing, of such findings
at least ten (10) days before the proposal opening. This will allow issuance of any necessary
addenda. It will also help prevent the opening of a defective proposal and exposure of vendor's
proposal upon which award could not be made. All unresolved issues should be addressed in the
proposal.
Protests based on any omission or error, or on the content of the solicitation, will be disallowed if
these faults have not been brought to the attention of the Designated Contact, in writing, at least ten
(10) calendar days prior to the time set for opening of the proposals.
a. RFP Question and Answer Process

The College will allow written requests for clarification of the RFP. All questions shall be received
no later than September 18, 2026 at 4:00 PM. All questions will be consolidated into a single set
of responses and posted on the State's website at bids.delaware.gov by the date of October 2,
2026 at 4:30 PM. Vendor names will be removed from questions in the responses released.
Questions should be submitted in the following format. Deviations from this format will not be
accepted.
* Section number
* Paragraph number
* Page number
* Text of passage being questioned
Questions shall be submitted electronically and questions shall be formatted in Microsoft Word.
15. College's Right to Reject Proposals
The College reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals or any part of any proposal, to
waive defects, technicalities or any specifications (whether they be in the College's specifications or
vendor's response), to sit and act as sole judge of the merit and qualifications of each product offered,
or to solicit new proposals on the same project or on a modified project which may include portions
of the originally proposed project as the College may deem necessary in the best interest of the
College.
16. College's Right to Cancel Solicitation
the College reserves the right to cancel this solicitation at any time during the procurement process,
for any reason or for no reason. The College makes no commitments expressed or implied, that this
process will result in a business transaction with any vendor.
This RFP does not constitute an offer by the College. Vendor's participation in this process may result
in the College selecting your organization to engage in further discussions and negotiations toward
execution of a contract. The commencement of such negotiations does not, however, signify a
commitment by the College to execute a contract nor to continue negotiations. The College may
terminate negotiations at any time and for any reason, or for no reason.
17. College's Right to Award Multiple Source Contracting
Pursuant to 29 Del. C. 6986, the College may award a contract for a particular professional service
to two or more vendors if the agency head makes a determination that such an award is in the best
interest of the College.
18. Potential Contract Overlap
Vendors shall be advised that the College, at its sole discretion, shall retain the right to solicit for
goods and/or services as required by its agencies and as it serves the best interest of the College.
As needs are identified, there may exist instances where contract deliverables, and/or goods or
services to be solicited and subsequently awarded, overlap previous awards. The College reserves
the right to reject any or all bids in whole or in part, to make partial awards, to award to multiple
vendors during the same period, to award by types, on a zone-by-zone basis or on an item-by-item
or lump sum basis item by item, or lump sum total, whichever may be most advantageous to the
College.
19. Supplemental Solicitation
The College reserves the right to advertise a supplemental solicitation during the term of the
Agreement if deemed in the best interest of the College.
20. Notification of Withdrawal of Proposal
Vendor may modify or withdraw its proposal by written request, provided that both proposal and
request is received by the College prior to the proposal due date. Proposals may be re-submitted in
accordance with the proposal due date in order to be considered further.

Proposals become the property of the College at the proposal submission deadline. All proposals
received are considered firm offers at that time.
21. Revisions to the RFP
If it becomes necessary to revise any part of the RFP, an addendum will be posted on the State of
Delaware's website at bids.delaware.gov. The College is not bound by any statement related to this
RFP made by any State or College employee, contractor or its agents.
22. Exceptions to the RFP
Any exceptions to the RFP, or the College's terms and conditions, must be recorded on Attachment
3. Acceptance of exceptions is within the sole discretion of the evaluation committee.
23. Business References
Provide at least three (3) business references consisting of current or previous customers of similar
scope and value using Attachment 5. Include business name, mailing address, contact name and
phone number, number of years doing business with, and type of work performed. Personal
references cannot be considered.
24. Award of Contract
The final award of a contract is subject to approval by the College. The College has the sole right to
select the successful vendor(s) for award, to reject any proposal as unsatisfactory or non-responsive,
to award a contract to other than the lowest priced proposal, to award multiple contracts, or not to
award a contract, as a result of this RFP.
Notice in writing to a vendor of the acceptance of its proposal by the College and the subsequent full
execution of a written contract will constitute a contract, and no vendor will acquire any legal or
equitable rights or privileges until the occurrence of both such events.
a. RFP Award Notifications
After reviews of the evaluation committee report and its recommendation, and once the contract
terms and conditions have been finalized, the College will award the contract.
The contract shall be awarded to the vendor whose proposal is most advantageous, taking into
consideration the evaluation factors set forth in the RFP.
It should be explicitly noted that the College is not obligated to award the contract to the vendor
who submits the lowest priced proposal or the vendor who receives the highest total point score,
rather the contract will be awarded to the vendor whose proposal is the most advantageous to
the College. The award is subject to the appropriate College approvals.
After a final selection is made, the winning vendor will be invited to negotiate a contract with the
College; remaining vendors will be notified in writing of their selection status.
25. Cooperatives
Vendors, who have been awarded similar contracts through a competitive proposal process with a
cooperative, are welcome to submit the cooperative pricing for this solicitation. Delaware Technical
and Community College terms will take precedence.
C. RFP Evaluation Process
An evaluation team composed of representatives of the College will evaluate proposals on a variety of
quantitative criteria. Neither the lowest price nor highest scoring proposal will necessarily be selected.
The College reserves full discretion to determine the competence and responsibility, professionally and/or
financially, of vendors. Vendors are to provide in a
timely manner any and all information that the College may deem necessary to make a decision.

1. Proposal Evaluation Team
The Proposal Evaluation Team shall be comprised of representatives of the College. The Team shall
determine which vendors meet the minimum requirements pursuant to selection criteria of the RFP
and procedures established in 29 Del. C. 6981 and 6982. Professional services for this solicitation
are considered under 29 Del. C. 6982(b). The Team may negotiate with one or more vendors during
the same period and may, at its discretion, terminate negotiations with any or all vendors. The Team
shall make a recommendation regarding the award to the President of the College, who shall have
final authority, subject to the provisions of this RFP and 29 Del. C. 6982(b), to award a contract to
the successful vendor in the best interests of the State of Delaware and the College.
2. Proposal Selection Criteria
The Proposal Evaluation Team shall assign up to the maximum number of points for each Evaluation
Item to each of the proposing vendor's proposals. All assignments of points shall be at the sole
discretion of the Proposal Evaluation Team.
The proposals shall contain the essential information on which the award decision shall be made.
The information required to be submitted in response to this RFP has been determined by the College
to be essential for use by the Team in the proposal evaluation and award process. Therefore, all
instructions contained in this RFP shall be met in order to qualify as a responsive and responsible
contractor and participate in the Proposal Evaluation Team's consideration for award. Proposals
which do not meet or comply with the instructions of this RFP may be considered non-conforming
and deemed non-responsive and subject to disqualification at the sole discretion of the Team.
The Team reserves the right to:
* Select for contract or for negotiations a proposal other than that with lowest costs.
* Reject any and all proposals or portions of proposals received in response to this RFP or to make
no award or issue a new RFP.
* Waive or modify any information, irregularity, or inconsistency in proposals received.
* Request modification to proposals from any or all vendors during the contract review and
negotiation.
* Negotiate any aspect of the proposal with any vendor and negotiate with more than one vendor
at the same time.
* Select more than one vendor pursuant to 29 Del. C. 6986. Such selection will be based on the
following criteria:
Different plan designs or geographic coverage.
o
Criteria Weight
All proposals shall be evaluated using the same criteria and scoring process. The following criteria
shall be used by the Evaluation Team to evaluate proposals:
Criteria Weight
Cost: Costs to the College and employees
while maintaining coverages close to current
25%
levels with rate guarantee for initial three (3)
years.
Experience and reputation including high
quality claims service and customer service
including timely electronic submiss of claims
25%
by provider and superior levels of service to
our employees and administrative staff,
including information from A.M. Best Rating.
Capacity to meet requirements: Online
database process for enrollment and deletion
25%
of employees' coverages; consideration of the
College's lag pay process that results in lag

Criteria Weight
benefit payments to the College and premium
payments to the vendor at the end of the
month following the coverage month
Demonstrated Ability and Expertise with
15%
Government and/or Higher Education
References: Percentage based on references
received and information provided during 10%
reference reviews.
Total 100%
Vendors are encouraged to review the evaluation criteria and to provide a response that addresses
each of the scored items. Evaluators will not be able to make assumptions about a vendor's
capabilities so the responding vendor should be detailed in their proposal responses.
3. Proposal Clarification
The Evaluation Team may contact any vendor in order to clarify uncertainties or eliminate confusion
concerning the contents of a proposal. Proposals may not be modified as a result of any such
clarification request.
4. References
The Evaluation Team may contact any customer of the vendor, whether or not included in the
vendor's reference list, and use such information in the evaluation process. Additionally, the College
may choose to visit existing installations of comparable systems, which may or may not include
vendor personnel. If the vendor is involved in such site visits, the College will pay travel costs only
for the College personnel for these visits.
5. Oral Presentations
After initial scoring and a determination that vendor(s) are qualified to perform the required services,
selected vendors may be invited to make oral presentations to the Evaluation Team. All vendor(s)
selected will be given an opportunity to present to the Evaluation Team.
The selected vendors will have their presentations scored or ranked based on their ability to
successfully meet the needs of the contract requirements, successfully demonstrate their product
and/or service, and respond to questions about the solution capabilities.
The vendor representative(s) attending the oral presentation shall be technically qualified to respond
to questions related to the proposed system and its components. All of the vendor's costs associated
with participation in oral discussions and system demonstrations conducted for the College are the
vendor's responsibility.
V. Contract Terms and Conditions
A. Contract Use by Other Agencies
Pursuant to 29 Del. C. Section 6904(e), if no state contract exists for a certain good or service, covered
agencies may procure that certain good or service under another agency's contract so long as the