Employee Vision Benefit Services

1.11 HOW TO DO BUSINESS: Knox County utilizes a web-based Procurement software system, "KnoxBuys." The
system provides our clients (vendors, county departments and the citizens of Knox County) with a more enhanced
and end-user friendly means of accessing our services. The system allows for on-line vendor registration and
maintenance, electronic receipt of purchase orders, on-line retrieval and submittal of quotes, bids and proposals for
our vendor-clients and on-line requisitioning and receiving for our county departments. In order for the County to
maximize its investment and minimize the cost associated with office operations, we need your help. When doing
business with Knox County, we are urging you to please go to our website at www.knoxcounty.org/procurement,
register as a vendor in our on-line Procurement system, "KnoxBuys," if you have not done so and whenever possible
to conduct your business with the County through this site. If you have any questions, please contact the
Procurement Division Representative listed in Section 1.1 of this document.
1.12 INCURRED COSTS: Knox County will not be responsible for any costs incurred by the proposer in the preparation
of their proposal.
1.13 NON-COLLUSION: Proposers, by submitting a signed proposal, certify that the accompanying proposal is not the
result of, or affected by, any unlawful act of collusion with any other person or company engaged in the same line
of business or commerce, or any other fraudulent act punishable under Tennessee or United States law.
1.14 PAYMENT METHOD: Knox County utilizes two (2) methods of placing order for products and/or services. The first
is the use of Purchase Orders. These Purchase Orders will be issued from the Knox County Procurement Division
via the method selected by the vendor during registration. The Purchase Order will detail the quantity, specific
item(s) and the contracted price for each item.
The second method is the use of the Knox County Credit Card (VISA). Orders placed with the card will list the same
information as the Purchase Order. Vendors will be given the card information and approval to process the
transaction by the requesting department. Vendors must indicate in their proposal response if the vendor will accept
Knox County's Credit Card (VISA) as a form of payment. Proposers are prohibited to charge Knox County any type
of merchant fee from their financial institution to accept this type of payment.
1.15 POSSESSION OF WEAPONS: All vendors, their employees and their agents are prohibited from possessing any
weapons on Knox County property without prior written consent from the County. In the case of a vendor whose
Contract requires possession of firearms or other weapons to successfully complete their Contract, vendor must
provide personnel who are bonded to bear said weaponry.
1.16 PROCESSING TIME FOR PAYMENT: Vendors are advised that a minimum of thirty (30) days is required to
process invoices for payment.
1.17 PROOF OF FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS CAPABILITY: Vendors must, upon request, furnish satisfactory
evidence of their ability to furnish products or services in accordance with the terms and conditions of these
specifications. Knox County will make the final determination as to the vendor's ability.
1.18 PROPOSAL DELIVERY: Knox County requires proposers, when hand delivering proposals, to time and date stamp
the envelope before depositing it in the bid box. Knox County will not be responsible for any lost or misdirected mail
sent by common carrier, nor will Knox County be responsible for proposals delivered to addresses or Suites other
than the delivery address and Suite specified at the top of this solicitation. The time clock in the Procurement
Division shall serve as the official record of time.
Solicitations must be in a sealed envelope/box prior to entering the Procurement Division office.
Procurement Division personnel are not allowed to see the submittal nor assist in placing documents in an
envelope/box. Additionally, the Procurement Division is not responsible for providing materials (e.g.
envelopes, boxes, tape) for submittals.
1.19 RECYCLING: Knox County, in its continuing efforts to lessen the amount of landfill waste and to further recycling
efforts, requests that proposals being submitted on paper shall:
* Be submitted on recycled paper;
* Not include pages of unnecessary advertising;
1.20 RESTRICTIVE OR AMBIGUOUS SPECIFICATIONS: It is the responsibility of the prospective proposer to review
the entire Request for Proposals (RFP) packet and to notify the Procurement Division if the specifications are
formulated in a manner that would unnecessarily restrict competition.
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Any such protest or question regarding the specifications or proposing procedures must be received in the
Procurement Division by April 16, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. local time. These requirements also apply to specifications
that are ambiguous.
1.21 SIGNING OF PROPOSALS: In order to be considered, all proposals must be signed. Please sign the original in
blue ink. By signing the proposal document, the vendor acknowledges and accepts the terms and conditions stated
in the proposal document.
1.22 TAXES: Knox County purchases are not subject to taxation. Tax exemption certificates will be provided upon
request.
1.23 TITLE VI OF THE 1964 CIVIL RIGHTS ACT AND TITLE IX OF THE EDUCATIONAL AMENDMENT OF 1972:
"Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs"-"No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race,
color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination
under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." 42 U.S.C. Section 2000. It is the policy of
Knox County Government that all its services and activities be administered in conformance with the requirements
of Title VI and Title IX.
1.24 UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES: During periods of closure due to unforeseen circumstances in Knox County
or closures at the direction of the Knox County Mayor, the Procurement Division will enact the following procedures
in regard to solicitations and closures:
* If the Mayor closes the Administrative offices prior to the time set for solicitation opening of any business day,
all solicitations due that same day will be moved to the next operational business day.
* Other unforeseen circumstances shall be at the sole discretion of the Procurement Director.
* Knox County shall not be liable for any commercial carrier's decision regarding deliveries during any unforeseen
circumstances.
1.25 USE OF PROPOSAL FORMS: Vendors must complete the proposal forms contained in the proposal package.
Failure to complete the proposal forms may result in proposal rejection.
1.26 VENDOR DEFAULT: Knox County reserves the right, in case of vendor default, to procure the articles or services
from other sources and hold the defaulting vendor responsible for any excess costs occasioned thereby. Should
vendor default be due to a failure to perform or because of a request for a price increase, Knox County reserves
the right to remove the vendor from the County's bidder's list for twenty-four (24) months.
1.27 VENDOR REGISTRATION: Prior to the submission deadline for this solicitation, ALL PROPOSERS MUST be
registered with the Procurement Division. If you are not already a registered vendor with Knox County, register on-
line at our website at www.knoxcounty.org/procurement and click on "Knox Buys" and then select "Online Vendor
Registration." Vendors must be registered with the Procurement Division prior to submitting their proposal. Knox
County shall not be responsible for technical difficulties experienced by vendors trying to register electronically less
than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the proposal closing time.
1.28 WAIVING OF INFORMALITIES: Knox County reserves the right to waive minor informalities or technicalities when
it is in the best interest of Knox County.
SECTION II OBLIGATIONS, RIGHTS AND REMEDIES
These terms and conditions shall be part of the Contract. Knox County reserves the right to negotiate other terms
and conditions it deems appropriate and necessary under the circumstances to protect the public's trust.
2.1 ALTERATIONS OR AMENDMENTS: No alterations, amendments, changes, modifications or additions to this
Contract shall be binding on Knox County without the prior written approval of the County.
2.2 APPROPRIATION: In the event no funds are appropriated by Knox County for the goods or services in any fiscal
year, or insufficient funds exist to purchase the goods or services, then the Contract shall expire upon the
expenditure of previously appropriated funds or the end of the current fiscal year, whichever occurs first, with no
further obligations owed to or by either party.
2.3 ASSIGNMENT: Vendor shall not assign or sub-contract this agreement, its obligations or rights hereunder to any
party, company, partnership, incorporation or person without the prior written specific consent of Knox County.
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2.4 BOOKS AND RECORDS: Vendor shall maintain all books, documents, accounting records and other evidence
pertaining to the goods and services provided under this Contract and make such materials available at its offices
at all reasonable times during the Contract period and for five (5) years from the date of the final payment under
this agreement for inspection by County or by any other governmental entity or agency participating in the funding
of this agreement, or any authorized agents thereof; copies of said records to be furnished if requested. Such
records shall not include those books, documents and accounting records that represent the Vendor's costs of
manufacturing, acquiring or delivering the products and services governed by this agreement.
2.5 CHILD LABOR: Vendor agrees that no products or services will be provided or performed under this Contract that
have been manufactured or assembled by child labor.
2.6 COMPLIANCE WITH ALL LAWS: Vendor is assumed to be familiar with and agrees to observe and comply with
all Federal, State, and Local laws, statutes, ordinances, and regulations in any manner affecting the provision of
goods and/or services, and all instructions and prohibitive orders issued regarding this work and shall obtain all
necessary permits.
2.7 CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS CHECK: Any and all successful vendors, vendor employees, and any vendor
subcontractor and its employees must submit to a criminal history records check, at vendor's expense, conducted
by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation prior to permitting the employee
to have contact with students or enter school grounds when students are present. Reference Tennessee Code
Annotated Section 49-5-413.
2.8 DEFAULT: If Vendor fails to perform or comply with any provision of this Contract or the terms or conditions of any
documents referenced and made a part hereof, Knox County may terminate this Contract, in whole or in part, and
may consider such failure or noncompliance a breach of Contract. Knox County expressly retains all its rights and
remedies provided by law in case of such breach, and no action by Knox County shall constitute a waiver of any
such rights or remedies. In the event of termination for default, Knox County reserves the right to purchase its
requirements elsewhere, with or without competitive solicitation.
2.9 GOVERNING LAW; VENUE: This agreement shall be exclusively construed, governed, and controlled by the Laws
of the State of Tennessee without regard to principles of law, including conflicts of law, of any other jurisdiction,
territory, country, and/or province. Any dispute arising out of or relating to this agreement shall exclusively be
brought in the Chancery Court or the Circuit Court of Knox County, Tennessee. Each party consents to personal
jurisdiction thereto and waives any defenses based on personal jurisdiction, venue and inconvenient forum.
2.10 INCORPORATION: All specifications, drawings, technical information, Request for Proposal, Proposal, Award and
similar items referred to or attached or which are the basis for this Contract are deemed incorporated by reference
as if set out fully herein.
2.11 INDEMNIFICATION-HOLD HARMLESS: Vendor shall indemnify, defend, save and hold harmless Knox County,
its officers, agents and employees from all suits, claims, actions or damages of any nature brought because of,
arising out of, or due to breach of the agreement by Vendor, its subcontractors, suppliers, agents, or employees or
due to any negligent act or occurrence or any omission or commission of Vendor, its subcontractors, suppliers,
agents or employees.
2.12 INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR: Vendor shall acknowledge that it and its employees serve as independent
contractors and that Knox County shall not be responsible for any payment, insurance or incurred liability.
2.13 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE: Warranty periods shall not commence until Knox County inspects and formally
accepts the goods and/or services. The terms, conditions and timing of acceptance shall be determined by Knox
County. Knox County reserves the right to reject any or all items or services not in conformance with applicable
specifications, and vendor assumes the costs associated with such nonconformance. Acceptance of goods or
services does not constitute a waiver of latent or hidden defects or defects not readily detectable by a reasonable
person under the circumstances.
2.14 IRAN DIVESTMENT ACT: By submission of this RFP response, each proposer and each person signing on behalf
of any proposer certifies, and in the case of a joint response, each party thereto certifies as to its own organization,
under penalty of perjury, that to the best of its knowledge and belief that each proposer is not on the list created
pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated 12-12-106. Proposers must submit with their proposals the completed
Attachment D (Iran Divestment Act/No Boycott of Israel Affidavit).
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2.15 LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: In no event shall Knox County be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential,
special or exemplary damages or lost profits, even if Knox County has been advised of the possibility of such
damages.
2.16 NO BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL: Pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated Title 12, Chapter 4, Part 1, by submission of
a response to this solicitation, each proposer and each person signing on behalf of any proposer certifies, and in
the case of a joint response each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, under penalty of perjury, that to
the best of its knowledge and belief that each proposer is not currently engaged in, and will not for the duration of
the contract engage in, a boycott of Israel. Proposers must submit with their proposals the completed Attachment
D (Iran Divestment Act/No Boycott of Israel Affidavit).
2.17 NON-DISCRIMINATION AND NON-CONFLICT STATEMENT: Vendor agrees that no person on the grounds of
handicap, age, race, color, religion, sex or national origin any individual trait or characteristic found to be an illegal
consideration, shall be excluded from participation in, or be denied benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to
discrimination in the performance of this agreement or in the employment practices of vendor. Vendor shall upon
request show proof of such non-discrimination and shall post in conspicuous places available to all employees and
applicants notices of non-discrimination. Vendor covenants that it complies with the Fair Wage and Hour Laws, the
National Labor Relations Act, and other Federal and State employment laws as applicable. Vendor covenants that
it does not engage in any illegal employment practices.
Vendor covenants that it has no public or private interest and shall not acquire directly or indirectly any interest that
would conflict in any manner with the provision of its goods or performance of its services. Vendor warrants that
no part of the total Contract amount provided herein shall be paid directly or indirectly to any officer or employee of
Knox County as wages, compensation, or gifts in exchange for acting as officer, agent, employee, subcontractor or
consultant to Vendor in connection with any goods provided or work contemplated or performed relative to the
agreement.
2.18 ORDER OF PRECEDENCE: In the event of inconsistent or conflicting provision of this Contract and referenced
documents, the following descending order of precedence shall prevail: (1) Contract, (2) Request for Proposal, (3)
Contractor's Response, (4) Award, (5) Special Terms and Conditions, (6) General Terms and Conditions, (7)
Specifications.
2.19 REMEDIES: Knox County shall have all rights and remedies afforded under the U.C.C. and Tennessee law in
Contract and in tort, including but not limited to, rejection of goods, rescission, and right of set-off, refund, incidental,
consequential and compensatory damages and reasonable attorney's fees.
2.20 RIGHT TO INSPECT: Knox County reserves the right to make periodic inspections of the manner and means the
service is performed or the goods are supplied.
2.21 SEVERABILITY: If any provision of this Contract is declared illegal, void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions
shall not be affected but shall remain in force and in effect.
2.22 TAX COMPLIANCE: Pursuant to Resolution R-07-1-903 passed by the Commission of Knox County, Tennessee,
vendor hereby acknowledges, by submission of its proposal and signature, it is current in its respective Federal,
State, County, and City taxes of whatever kind or nature, and is not delinquent in any way. Delinquent status must
be disclosed or risk debarment by the Knox County Procurement Division.
2.23 TERMINATION: County may terminate this agreement with or without cause at any time. In the event of termination
by either party, fees due for services satisfactorily performed or goods accepted prior to the termination date shall
be paid.
In the event Contractor intends to interrupt or discontinue service under this Contract, Contractor agrees to give
Knox County at least one hundred twenty (120) business days' advance written notice of said interruption or
discontinuance of service prior to interrupting or discontinuing same. Any interruption or discontinuance of service
without said advance notice shall constitute a material breach of this Contract.
2.24 WARRANTY: Proposer warrants to Knox County that all items delivered and all services rendered shall conform to
the specifications, drawings, solicitation and/or other descriptions furnished and/or incorporated by reference and
will be fit for the particular purpose purchased of merchantable quality, good workmanship, and free from defects.
Proposer extends to Knox County all warranties allowed under the U.C.C. Vendor shall provide copies of warranties
to the County upon request. Return of merchandise not meeting warranties shall be at Vendor's expense.
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SECTION III SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
3.1 INTENT: The intent of these specifications is to convey to prospective proposers the general type and quality of
Employee Vision Benefits Services desired by Knox County Government and Knox County Schools. Knox County
is committed to offer quality of work/life benefits for its employees and dependents. As part of this commitment we
are interested in offering comprehensive vision plan(s) for eligible employees and their dependents.
3.2 ACCEPTANCE: Vendors are advised that the payment of an invoice does not necessarily constitute as an
acceptance of services that are provided. Acceptance requires a specific written action by Knox County so stating.
3.3 ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS: Knox County reserves the right to add or delete services as the need arises. If
services are to be added, Knox County and the Contractor will arrive at a mutually agreed price. Any additions or
deletions must be approved in writing by Knox County Procurement prior to any changes in service.
3.4 AWARD LENGTH: Knox County intends to issue an initial two (2) year award. Upon the mutual agreement of the
Vendor and Knox County, the award may be extended three (3) additional one (1) year options. This may result in
a total of five (5) years. Should Knox County desire not to renew, no reason needs to be given. Knox County
reserves the right to purchase these services from other sources if the need arises. Knox County reserves the right
to revoke the award if a pattern of unavailability arises with the Vendor.
3.5 CHANGES AFTER AWARD: It is possible that after award, Knox County might change its needs or requirements.
Knox County reserves the right to make such changes after consultation with the vendor. Should additional costs
arise, Knox County reserves the right to consider accepting these charges provided the proposer can document the
increased costs. Knox County also reserves the right to accept proposed service changes from the proposer if they
will lower the cost to Knox County and/or provide improved service.
3.6 CONTRACT COORDINATOR: The County will designate a Contract Coordinator whose principal duties shall be:
3.6.1 Liaison with Contractor.
3.6.2 Coordinate and approve all work under the contract.
3.6.3 Resolve any disputes.
3.6.4 Assure consistency and quality of Contractor's performance.
3.6.5 Schedule and conduct Contractor performance evaluations and document findings.
3.6.6 Review and approve for payment all invoices for work performed or items delivered.
3.7 COMMUNICATIONS: The successful execution of this Contract will require extensive communication between all
involved parties. While information may be transmitted via telephone, it should always be followed up with an email.
It is essential that the Contractor have efficient email capabilities. The Contractor will be required to submit a list of
individuals, along with direct phone numbers, cell phone numbers, and email addresses for the agency's contacts.
These individuals must be familiar with the Knox County Contract and have authority to make adjustments as
requested by Knox County.
3.8 COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE REGULATIONS: Vendor agrees and covenants that the company, its
agents and employees will comply with all city, county, state and federal codes, laws, rules and regulations
applicable to the business to be conducted under this Contract. If the vendor performs any work knowing it to be
contrary to such laws, ordinances, rules and regulations, the vendor shall bear all costs arising from such work.
3.9 CONTACT PERSONNEL: It shall be essential to the success of this Contract to develop a good working relationship
with the Contractor. It is imperative that the Knox County account be handled efficiently and professionally. Knox
County should be assigned no more than two (2) Contractor contacts to handle billing inquiries and service related
issues. In the event one or both contacts leave the Knox County account, the successful Contractor shall formally
introduce the new contacts to County personnel. These contacts must be knowledgeable of the County's account
to avoid any interruption of service.
3.10 CONTRACT EXECUTION: The award of this proposal may result in a Contract between Knox County and the
successful vendor(s). The Contract may require Board of Education and/or Knox County Commission approval.
The successful vendor(s) may be required to be present at the meeting(s) to answer questions relating to the service
to be performed. Adequate notification will be given by Knox County Procurement Division if the awarded vendor(s)
will need to attend meetings. There shall be no cost to Knox County for attendance of the vendor(s).
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Knox County will draft the Contract. Exhibit A provides a sample contract for review. If a Contractor's Master
Agreements, Service Agreements, Terms and Conditions or other contract agreements are submitted, they may
not be accepted.
3.11 ELIGIBLE DEPARTMENTS: This Request for Proposals covers all Knox County Government and Knox County
Schools departments that are eligible to participate in health coverage. These plans are administered by Knox
County Mayor's Office, Benefits Department. This includes but is not limited to: The Mayor's Division as well as all
other elected officials and their employees such as the Sheriff's Office, Trustee's Office, Register of Deeds, County
Clerk, Criminal & 4th Circuit, Circuit & Civil Sessions, Attorney General, Sessions Judges, County Commission,
Public Building Authority, Metropolitan Planning Commission, Medical Examiner, etc. This proposal does NOT
include the Knox County Board of Education or the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee.
3.12 ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES: Knox County Employees are dispersed over several locations in Knoxville. The number
of employees varies depending on the services that specific departments utilize.
For purposes of this proposal, the number of employees will include all elected officials and all employees that work
for departments that are eligible to participate in health coverage.
Current Number of Eligible employees 11,107
Current Number of Employees enrolled in a vision plan 6,607
3.13 ENROLLMENT STATISTICS FOR KNOX COUNTY:
Tier Monthly Rate # Enrolled
Employee only $5.91 3,184
Employee + 1 Dependent $10.83 1,683
Employee + Family $16.61 1,740
Total 6,607
3.14 EVALUATION CRITERIA: Each proposal will be evaluated using the following general criteria:
Value of Benefits & Service Offered 30 points
Provider Network 30 points
Cost 25 points
Experience & References 15 points
Knox County may select an Evaluation Committee for this solicitation to thoroughly review and score all submitted
responsive and responsible proposals. Each evaluator will have the ability to award up to one hundred (100) points,
based on the Evaluation Criteria, per submission.
3.15 EVALUATION REVIEW: Knox County reserves the right to use all pertinent information that might affect the
County's judgment as to the appropriateness of an award to the best evaluated vendor. This information may be
appended to the proposal evaluation process results. Information on a service provider from reliable sources, and
not within the service provider's proposal, may also be noted and made part of the evaluation file. Knox County
shall have sole responsibility for determining a reliable source. Knox County reserves the right to conduct written
and/or oral discussions/interviews after the proposal closing. The purpose of such discussions/interviews is to
provide clarification and/or additional information to make an award that is in the best interest of Knox County.
3.16 EXCEPTIONS TO SPECIFICATIONS: Vendors taking exception to any part or section of these specifications shall
indicate such exceptions in their submittal. A failure to indicate any exception(s) shall be interpreted as the Vendor's
intent to fully comply with the specifications as written. Conditional or qualified offer are subject to rejection in whole
or in part. Any exceptions shall be included in Section V Tab X of the submittal. Do not strike through or in any
other way alter the RFP. Exceptions listed within other sections of the submittal shall not be reviewed or
considered.
3.17 GRATUITIES AND KICKBACKS: It shall be a breach of ethical standards for any person or company to offer, give,
or agree to give any employee or former employee, or for any employee or former employee to solicit, demand,
accept, or agree to accept from another person, a gratuity or an offer of employment in connection with any decision,
approval, disapproval, recommendation, preparation of any part of a program requirement or a purchase request,
influencing the content of any specification or procurement standard, rendering of advice, investigation, auditing or
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in any other advisory capacity in any proceeding or application, request for ruling, determination, claim, or
controversy or other particular matter, pertaining to any program requirement of a contract or subcontract or to any
solicitation or proposal therefore. It shall be a breach of ethical standards for any payment, gratuity or offer of
employment to be made by or on behalf of a subcontractor under a contract to the prime contractor or higher tier
subcontractor or a person associated therewith, as an inducement for the award of a subcontract or order. Breach
of the provisions of this paragraph is, in addition to a breach of this Contract, a breach of ethical standards which
may result in civil or criminal sanction and/or debarment or suspension from being a vendor or subcontractor under
Knox County contracts.
3.18 INSURANCE: The successful Vendor must carry the insurance as indicated on the Insurance Checklist Attachment
hereto. As proof of the Vendor's willingness to obtain and maintain the insurance, the Vendor must complete, sign
and have its insurance agent sign the attachment and submit it with the proposal.
Upon the Notification of Intent to Award, the successful vendor will be required to submit a Certificate of Insurance
(COI) including any corresponding endorsement page(s) with the specified coverage and listing Knox County as an
additional insured. It shall be the successful vendor's responsibility to keep a current COI and endorsement page(s)
on file with Knox County Procurement for as long as the contract is in effect.
3.19 INVOICING PROCEDURES: Knox County requests that invoices be easy to read and understand. Invoices are to
be original and uniquely pre-numbered. Each participating agency to this Contract may be required to use different
invoicing information and procedures.
This information and procedures shall be provided to the contractor(s) prior to Contract execution. There shall be
no additional charge for this information and procedures to be included. Mail invoices for the Knox County Benefits
to:
Knox County Benefits Department
Attention: Stephanie Candler
400 Main Street, Suite 360
Knoxville, TN 37902-1850
Mail invoices for Knox County Schools Benefits to:
Knox County Schools Benefits Manager
P.O. BOX 2188
Knoxville, TN 37901
3.20 INVOICE REVIEW: Knox County shall review all invoices for adherence to the terms and conditions of the Contract.
Variations from the Contract and Contract pricing are strictly prohibited. Any variance found on the invoice will result
in rejection of that invoice. Rejected invoices will be returned to the Contractor(s) for correction. Repeated variations
may result in the termination of the Contract with that particular Contractor.
3.21 LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS: Proposers must maintain the proper licenses and certifications as required
by Federal, State and Local law. Proposers must provide copies of the licenses and certifications upon request by
the users of this Contract.
3.22 NEGOTIATION: Knox County may select a successful proposer on the basis of initial offers received without
discussions. Therefore, each proposal shall contain the proposer's best terms from a cost or price and service
standpoint. Knox County reserves the right to enter into Contract negotiations, including, but not limited to, rates
and term, with the highest-rated proposer. If Knox County and the selected proposer cannot negotiate a successful
agreement, Knox County may terminate said negotiations and begin negotiations with the next highest-rated
proposer.
Knox County retains the right to negotiate with multiple proposers simultaneously. This process will continue until
an agreement has been reached or all proposers have been rejected. No proposer shall have any rights against
Knox County arising from such negotiations.
3.23 NEWS RELEASES BY VENDORS: As a matter of policy, Knox County does not endorse the services of a vendor.
A vendor will not make news releases concerning any resultant contract from this solicitation without the prior written
approval of Knox County.
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3.24 NO CONTACT POLICY: After the date and time that the vendor receives this solicitation, any contact initiated by
any proposer with any Knox County representative, other than the Procurement Division representative listed
herein, concerning this Request for Proposal, is strictly prohibited. Any such unauthorized contact may cause the
disqualification of the proposer from this procurement transaction.
3.25 OFFER WITHDRAWAL: No proposal can be withdrawn after it is filed unless the proposer makes a request in
writing (email) to the Knox County Procurement Division prior to the time set for the closing of proposals or unless
the County fails to accept within one hundred and twenty (120) business days after the date fixed for the closing
the RFP.
3.26 PRICING: The proposer(s) warrants that the unit price stated shall remain firm for a period of twenty-four(24) months
from the first day of the Contract period. If the Contractor's price is increased after the first contract period, Knox
County must be given a written notice to consider. Such a request shall include as a minimum, (1) the cause for the
adjustment; (2) the amount of the change requested with documentation to support the requested adjustment. Price
increases will only be considered at the renewal period(s). If the price increase is rejected the contractor may:
* Continue with the existing prices;
* Request a lower price increase;
* Not accept the renewal offer.
If a price increase is approved by Knox County, the approval notification will be done in writing and the Contractor
will be notified of the new price schedule and effective date of increase. This documentation will become part of the
proposal file. No approvals will be authorized verbally.
3.27 PROPOSAL EVALUATION: In evaluating the Proposals, Knox County reserves the right to use any or all of the
ideas from the Proposals submitted without limitation and to accept any part or all, of the successful Proposal in
selecting an operation which is judged to be in the best interest of Knox County. All material submitted becomes
the property of Knox County.
3.28 PROPOSAL FORMAT: This solicitation is in the Request for Proposals (RFP) format. At the specified date and
time, each Proposer's name will be publicly read aloud. No further information will be given at this time. Evaluation
of the Proposals will proceed as expeditiously as possible and successful, as well as unsuccessful, notification will
be given.
3.29 PROPOSER INTERVIEWS: Knox County reserves the right to request Proposer interviews from those Proposers
displaying a thorough knowledge of the intent of this RFP. The purpose of these interviews is to gain additional
insight into the capabilities and experience of the Proposer.
3.30 PROPOSER OBLIGATION: Proposers shall become fully acquainted with conditions relating to the scope of the
work detailed in this RFP. Failure to become acquainted with the existing conditions shall in no way absolve the
proposer of any obligations with respect to this RFP or the Contract.
3.31 PUBLIC RECORDS ACT: Knox County is subject to the Tennessee Open Records Act 10-7-503 et seq. Proposers
are cautioned that all documents submitted on behalf of this Request for Proposals shall be open to the public for
viewing and inspection.
3.32 QUANTITIES: Knox County does not guarantee any quantity of services will be utilized under this solicitation.
Services will be utilized on an as needed basis or as set forth in the contract.
3.33 REFERENCES: Proposers must submit a list of three (3) references with which they have performed and placed
this type of service within the last year. Each vendor is responsible for obtaining approval to submit and confirm the
contact information provided for each reference. Knox County will not be responsible for gathering additional
information for references that are incomplete or incorrect. References checks will be sent via email only. Reference
Forms that cannot be delivered with the contact information listed, not returned prior to the deadline listed on the
form, or not returned at all will be scored accordingly. Do not use Knox County Government as a reference.
3.34 REJECTION OF PROPOSALS: Knox County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received as a result
of this request and to waive any informality, technical defect or clerical error in any proposal, as the interests of
Knox County may require. Non-acceptance of any proposal will be devoid of any criticism of the proposal and of
any implication that the proposal is deficient in any manner. Non-acceptance of any proposal shall be construed as
meaning simply that the County does not deem the proposal acceptable or that another proposal was deemed more
advantageous to Knox County for the particular services proposed.
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3.35 SUBMIT QUESTIONS: Prospective proposers may submit questions concerning this solicitation until April 16,
2026 at 12:00 p.m. local time. No oral interpretation will be made to any proposer regarding the meaning of
specifications. All questions are to be submitted in writing via email and will be answered in the form of an addendum
to the solicitation by the Knox County Procurement Division, if applicable. Submit questions as noted in Section 1.1.
SECTION IV SCOPE OF SERVICES
4.1 SCOPE: Employee Vision Benefit Services shall be provided for Knox County employees and their dependents.
The current provider is EyeMed Vision. Participation is strictly on a voluntary basis and Knox County does not
guarantee any participation from employees.
4.2 COMPATIBILITY: Knox County currently uses the Munis Human Resource Information System (HRIS) software
for the Benefits Department. Carriers must be able to accept 834 format eligibility files.
4.3 HIPAA COMPLIANCE: The Vendor shall comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA) in the exchange of any and all medical records of employees and their family members. The vendor shall
state in Section V TAB VI how this compliance is assured.
4.4 INSURANCE BROKERS: Knox County will not be accepting proposals from insurance brokers. Knox County will
only accept proposals from carriers who can provide the services as stated in this solicitation. Knox County is a
member of the HealthCare TN and will solicit guidance or advice from this source on an as needed basis. These
services will not include commissions.
4.5 OPEN ENROLLMENT: Knox County Government and Knox County Schools conduct Open Enrollment Meetings
each fall for Employee Benefits. In order to help our employees understand their benefit options and to make sound
decisions, Knox County expects all successful proposers to participate in these meetings upon request.
Previously, Knox County Government and Knox County Schools held between ten (10) - fifteen (15) Open
Enrollment Meetings per year. The successful proposer shall actively participate in as many as reasonably possible
open enrollment activities (including, but limited to: representatives attending scheduled sessions, providing
enrollment materials as requested by Knox County Benefits and assisting in educating employees and dependents
on their benefit options) at no additional cost to Knox County Government.
4.6 PARTICIPANTS: Proposer will accept all eligible members, including those on COBRA, covered under the County's
present medical insurance plans on the day prior to the coverage effective date.
4.7 PLAN DESIGN: Knox County Government and Knox County Schools will be offering its employees a voluntary
vision benefit. The County is requesting to see one plan that matches our current plan (eye exam once every twelve
(12) months, lenses once every twelve (12) months and frames every twelve (12) months). See the Attached current
plan design from EyeMed.
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