Employee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Services

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
For
Employee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Services
PIKES PEAK LIBRARY DISTRICT
Colorado Springs, CO
RFP # 460-26-01
The Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) invites qualified employment insurance brokers (vendor/firm)
with the qualifications as stated herein, and are licensed in the State of Colorado, to submit a response
to a Request for Proposal (RFP) for PPLD, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr., Colorado Springs, CO.
Proposal deadline is 2 p.m. MST on Friday, September 11, 2026
8/17/2026

E mployee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Services RFP #460-26-01
Table of Contents
1. Scope of Work ................................................................................................................................................... 2
2. RFP Schedule: .................................................................................................................................................... 3
3. Proposal Submission, Selection, and Contract Formation .......................................................... 4
4. Vendor Qualification and Information ................................................................................................ 9
5. Pricing................................................................................................................................................................ 10
6. Terms & Conditions ..................................................................................................................................... 10
Addendum A- Proposal Cover Sheet ............................................................................................................ 12
Addendum B - References ................................................................................................................................ 14
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E mployee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Services RFP #460-26-01
1. Scope of Work
1.1 Purpose:
PPLD is seeking proposals from qualified vendors to provide a proposal for comprehensive
employee benefits consulting, brokerage, compliance, and strategic advisory services to
support the District's employee benefits program.
Firms must be able to certify they have the capabilities and resources to provide all
services outlined in the scope of work for this project.
1.2 Service Specifications
The specifications of this project are listed below:
* Annual benefits strategy, plan design evaluation, renewal planning, carrier
negotiations, and recommendations to support the District's objectives.
* Insurance marketing and RFP development, with an emphasis on competitive
bidding for medical, dental, vision, life, and voluntary benefits if PPLD goes to
market and does not outright accept renewal with current insurance providers.
* Legislative compliance support, including guidance on ACA, COBRA, Section 125,
HIPAA, and other relevant regulations.
* Employee communications and open enrollment coordination, including plan
comparison tools, presentations, and educational materials.
* Day-to-day employee support, including claims advocacy, escalated issue
resolution, and guidance on plan usage.
* Cost management and data analytics, including benchmarking, utilization analysis,
renewal projections, financial modeling, and recommendations for cost
containment strategies.
* Quarterly and annual stewardship reporting that summarizes plan performance,
claims trends, utilization, market developments, and strategic recommendations.
* Ongoing consulting on wellness, mental health benefits, and evolving market
trends.
* Regular meetings with District staff to review benefit program performance,
discuss emerging issues, and provide strategic planning recommendations.
The broker must provide full disclosure of all commissions, overrides, and any additional
compensation received from insurance carriers. PPLD does not intend to pay additional
consulting fees outside of these arrangements unless expressly negotiated in writing.
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E mployee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Services RFP #460-26-01
2. RFP Schedule and Contacts:
RFP schedule:
RFP released ........................................................................................................ Monday, August 17, 2026
Deadline for final questions ............................................................................ Friday, August 28, 2026
Deadline to return answered questions .................................... Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Proposals due ............................................................................. Friday, September 11, 2026 at 2:00pm
Award Notification ............................................................ on or about Friday, September 25, 2026
Sole Point of Contact: Questions and requests for clarification must be sent via e-mail to Kim
Hoggatt, Chief Financial Officer, at khoggatt@ppld.org and Cc: Lindsay Sosa, Finance &
Procurement Generalist, lsosa@ppld.org. Please include the RFP number, title, and words
"question" and/or "clarification" in the subject line of the e-mail.
Questions and requests without this subject identification may be considered routine emails
and may not be properly addressed.
All answers to questions and requests for clarification will be posted on the PPLD website:
http://ppld.org/request-for-proposals .
Any PPLD response that is considered to be a change in terms, conditions, and specifications
of this RFP will be published as an amendment. No communications of any kind may be
considered as a change to the terms, conditions, and specifications in this RFP unless posted as
a formal addendum on the link above.
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E mployee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Services RFP #460-26-01
3. Proposal Submission, Selection, and Contract Formation
3.1. Proposal Submission
Substantive proposals: By submitting a proposal, the proposer guarantees that (a) its
proposal is genuine and is not made in the interest of, or on behalf of, any undisclosed
person, vendor, or corporation; (b) it has not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any
other respondent to put in a false or sham bid; (c) it has not solicited or induced any other
person, vendor, or corporation from proposing; (d) it has not sought by collusion to obtain
for itself any advantage over any other proposer or over PPLD.
Submission Information and Documents: The proposal must be comprehensive and
address all RFP requirements. To assure that the information provided can be readily
identified, the proposal must include, but not limited, to the submission of the following
signed documents:
* Addendum A - Proposal Cover Sheet
* Addendum B - References
* Responses to Section 4. Vendor Qualifications and Information
* Responses to Section 5. Pricing
* List of exceptions or deviations (if any)
Signatures: The proposal must be signed by an officer of the proposing vendor.
Exceptions and Deviations: Any exception to or deviations from these Terms & Conditions
must be identified, in writing, on an attachment to the proposal submission. PPLD
reserves the right to accept or reject, at its sole discretion, any exceptions or deviations by
the proposer.
Integration with Contract: The winning proposal will be included and integrated into the
final contract documents.
Proposal Submission: Proposals are to be submitted in sealed envelopes, identified with the
proposal number and title with all attachments. See the RFP Schedule for due dates.
Vendors must submit four (4) hard copies and soft copy (i.e., flash drive, magnetic media,
etc.) of the Proposal to:
Pikes Peak Library District
Attn: Kim Hoggatt
Finance Office
RFP# 460-26-01
1175 Chapel Hills Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
Additional Copies may be requested by PPLD. PPLD is not liable for any cost incurred by
prospective respondents prior to the issuance of contract(s).
The deadline is firm, proposals delivered after that will be received but will be rejected for
being late.
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E mployee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Services RFP #460-26-01
A complete submission includes all required components, as stated in this document.
Duration of Proposal Offer: Price offers are irrevocable for 90 days following the proposal
due date. Once a proposal is accepted, all prices, terms and conditions will remain
unchanged throughout the contract period unless specifically agreed otherwise by both
PPLD and the successful Vendor through documented change orders.
Withdrawal of Proposal: A Proposer may withdraw its own proposal at any time prior to
the proposal due date and time as identified herein. After that date and time, no proposal
may withdraw its proposal for any reason. All proposals shall be valid for a period not less
than 90 calendar days after the proposal due date.
Information to Vendors: No proposal shall be accepted from and no contract will be
awarded to any person, vendor or corporation that is deemed irresponsible or unreliable
by PPLD. If requested, Vendors will submit satisfactory evidence that they have a
practical knowledge of the service bid upon and that they have the necessary financial
resources to provide the proposed service called for as described in this Request for
Proposal.
PPLD reserves the right to investigate and confirm the vendor's financial stability. This
may include reviewing financial statements, checking bank reference, and interviewing
past contractors, employees, and creditors. Unfavorable responses to these investigations
are grounds for rejection of the proposal.
Confidentiality: All materials submitted in response to this RFP become the property of
PPLD, upon delivery. Proposals are public information. If a vendor submits proprietary
information, the vendor will label each proprietary page as "CONFIDENTIAL" and submit
in a separate package so PPLD will not release any information marked as Confidential.
Subcontracting: The Contractor must be responsible for the performance of all of its sub-
contractors, sub-sub-contractors, and consultants. The use of specific sub-contractors and
consultants is subject to the approval of PPLD. The Contractor is responsible for ensuring
that all sub-contractors and consultants comply with all the terms of the Contractor's
contract with PPLD.
If the Contractor uses subsidiary companies, explain their role and how they will be
involved in this project.
Insurance Requirements: The successful proposer shall have, at the minimum, the
following coverage: commercial general liability, automobile liability, cyber liability
insurance, and worker's compensation liability. The Vendor shall submit in their
proposals, ACORD certificates and/or other proof of the following insurances:
* General Liability $1,000,000
* Automobile Liability $1,000,000
* Worker's Compensation liability that meets statutory requirements.
Indemnification: The proposer agrees to, and shall, defend, release, and indemnify, and
save and hold harmless PPLD, its officer, agents, and employees from and against any and
all damages to property or injuries to or death of any person or persons, including
property and officers, employees, and agents of PPLD, and further agrees to, and shall,
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E mployee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Services RFP #460-26-01
defend, indemnify, and save and hold harmless PPLD, its officers, agents, and employees,
from and against any and all claims, costs, demands, liabilities, suits, actions, causes of
action, and other legal or equitable proceedings of any kind or nature whatsoever, of or by
anyone whomsoever, including, but not limited to claims arising out of and/or predicated
upon negligence, breach of contract, tort, or strict liability, in any way resulting from,
connected with, or arising out of the Contractor's operations or performance in connection
herewith, including operations or performance of subcontractors and suppliers and acts or
omissions of officers, employees, or agents of the Contractor or its subcontractors or
suppliers.
Schedule: By submitting a proposal, the proposer guarantees that it will be able to comply
with the overall schedule.
Continuity: By submitting a proposal, the proposer will make its best efforts to ensure that
the key team member(s) remain assigned to the PPLD's project for the duration of contract.
Any changes to the staffing of this engagement must be discussed up front with PPLD
personnel.
3.2. Selection
Right of Acceptance and Rejection: PPLD reserves the right to accept or reject any or all
proposals and to waive any formalities, informalities, and deviations, which, in its opinion,
best serve the interests of PPLD. PPLD is not bound to accept the lowest price proposal.
Selection: it is the intent of PPLD to select only responsible and responsive vendors.
Bidder's proposal should include the most favorable terms and conditions.
Negotiation: PPLD reserves the right to negotiate terms and conditions of the contract
with the winning vendor.
Basis of Award: An evaluation team will judge the merit of proposals received in
accordance with the general criteria defined within this RFP. The recommendations of
this team will be forwarded to the Board of Trustees for approval and execution. The
following criteria will be taken into consideration when making evaluations of proposals.
This list is not intended to be exhaustive:
* Quality and scope of proposed services, including demonstrated capacity to
support employee benefits administration, open enrollment, ACA
monitoring, 1095-C prep, COBRA, HIPAA guidance - especially for a public
entity.
* Transparency of broker compensation, including commission disclosure and
any supplemental revenue from carriers.
* Proven expertise in serving public-sector or library district clients,
particularly those of comparable size and complexity to PPLD
* Client references and satisfaction history, especially among similarly
situated public employers
* Breadth and usability of tools, technologies, and employee support
resources.
* Responsiveness, clarity, and overall completeness of the proposal.
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E mployee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Services RFP #460-26-01
* Pricing and value, including any direct fees and added services beyond
standard brokerage functions.
* Experience and qualifications of proposed account team.
* Demonstrated thought leadership and innovation in benefits strategy
PPLD uses a weighted award decision making process. Bid scoring below:
Bid Completeness 5%
References 10%
Pricing 30%
Quality of Scope 30%
Vendor Qualifications and Experience 25%
Total 100%
3.3. Contract Formation
Agreement in Writing: Following selection of a proposal, the vendor will be required to
enter-into a written contract with PPLD.
The winning Bidder's RFP proposal will be included and integrated into the final contract
documents. It is in the Bidder's best interest to ensure the proposal is accurate to allow for
the integration with minimal changes.
If you have a formal or standard contract that you typically use with such projects, please
attach a copy to your Proposal. A Service Agreement is not a condition of accepting an
RFP.
If, in PPLD's sole discretion, the selected proposer has not executed the contract documents
within a reasonable time after selection, PPLD reserves the right to rescind the award and
select another contractor.
Amendments to Contract: Parties hereto reserve the right to make amendments or
modifications to the contract by written amendment signed by both parties.
Termination of Contract for Cause: If, through any cause, the successful Bidder shall fail to
fulfill in a timely and proper manner its obligations or if the successful Bidder shall violate
any of the covenants, agreements or stipulations of the Contract, PPLD shall thereupon
have the right to terminate the Contract by giving written notice to the successful Bidder
of such termination and specifying the effective date of termination. In that event, all
finished or unfinished services, reports or other materials prepared by the successful
Bidder shall, at the option of PPLD, become its property, and the successful Bidder shall be
entitled to receive just, equitable compensation for any satisfactory work completed,
prepared documents or materials as furnished. Notwithstanding the above, the successful
Bidder shall not be relieved of liability to PPLD for damage sustained by PPLD by virtue of
breach of the Contract by the successful Bidder and PPLD may withhold any payments to
the successful vendor for the purpose of set offer until such time as the exact amount of
damages due PPLD from the successful Bidder is determined.
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E mployee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Services RFP #460-26-01
Termination of Contract for Convenience: PPLD may terminate the Contract at any time
by giving written notice to the successful vendor of such termination and specifying the
effective date thereof, at least thirty (30) working days before the effective date of such
termination. In that event, all finished or unfinished services, reports, material(s) prepared
or furnished by the successful Bidder under the Contract shall, at the option of PPLD,
become its property.
Cancellation: Either party may cancel the Contract in the event that a petition, either
voluntary or involuntary, is filed to declare the other party bankrupt or insolvent or in
the event that such party makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors.
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E mployee Benefits Brokerage and Consulting Services RFP #460-26-01
4. Vendor Qualification and Information
The following information and documents must be included in the submitted proposal:
Provide the name of the proposing vendor, address, telephone and primary contact person.
Include an affirmative statement that the vendor is licensed in the State of Colorado.
State the size of the vendor and provide a vendor history summary.
Your organization's qualifications and experience. If you have experience with PPLD
Libraries, describe your current or past relationship. Describe any similar services performed
by your organization.
Complete Addendum B. Provide references from minimum three (3) recent similar projects
including name, telephone number and a brief statement describing their association with
your vendor (e.g., other library, educational or public sector clients). References from the
Colorado Front Range are also preferred.
Provide a detailed response to each service specification listed in Section 1.2, describing your
approach, resources, deliverables, and any limitations or exclusions. Clearly identify any
service that is not included in your standard compensation or would require an additional fee.
Identify the lead consultant and other key team members, roles, experience, location, tenure
with the firm, and approximate number of clients/accounts assigned to the lead team.
Number and type of current public-sector clients, preferably comparable employers and
Colorado governmental/public entities.
Who handles routine employee questions, claims escalation, compliance, analytics,
communications and renewals? Is any work outsourced?
Describe employer and employee-facing tools included in the engagement and identify any
additional costs.
Describe the vendor's compliance support for ACA, 1095-C preparation, COBRA, HIPAA,
Section 125, and other applicable employee-benefits requirements.
Provide examples or descriptions of the standard quarterly/annual stewardship reports,
benchmarking and renewal projections PPLD would receive.
Describe the transition plan and timeline if selected, including transfer from the incumbent
broker.
Disclose carrier relationships or compensation arrangements that could influence
recommendations.
Provide pricing as requested.
Any other information you feel should be considered in the selection process.
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