Employee Benefits Insurance - Dental
| Location: | Texas |
|---|---|
| Posted: | May 19, 2026 |
| Due: | May 27, 2026 |
| Agency: | City of Portland |
| Type of Government: | State & Local |
| Category: |
|
| Solicitation No: | RFP 6860 |
| Publication URL: | To access bid details, please log in. |
| Bid Number: |
RFP 6860
|
| Bid Title: |
Employee Benefits Insurance - Dental
|
| Category: | Request for Proposal or Bid Opportunities |
| Status: | Open |
| Additional Status Information: | N/A |
| Bid Recipient: | N/A |
|
Attachment Preview
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)
RFP No. 6860 for Employee Benefits Insurance – Dental
Released: April 16, 2026
Proposal Due: May 20, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. (CT)
Submit Proposals to:
City Secretary
City of Portland
1900 Billy G. Webb Dr.
Portland, TX 78374
City of Portland
RFP No. 6860 for Employee Benefits Insurance – Dental
SECTION 1 – NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
A. Introduction
The City of Portland (hereinafter referred to as the “City”) is requesting proposals from dental
insurance carriers to provide services for full-time City employees.
The City employs 189 full-time employees and currently offers retiree dental coverage to 42 eligible
retirees. Dependent coverage is available to eligible employees and retirees who elect coverage.
The City currently utilizes Employee Navigator for its enrollment platform.
The City’s employee benefits consultant, Higginbotham Insurance Agency, Inc., will assist the City in
reviewing proposals and providing recommendations regarding plan design and carrier selection.
The contact person for this Request for Proposal is:
Sandra Rodriguez
Purchasing Officer
City of Portland
sandra.rodriguez@portlandtx.gov
361-777-4576
B. General Information
The purpose of this RFP is to provide minimum requirements, solicit proposals and gain adequate
information from which the City may evaluate the Proposer’s products and services as they
compare to other providers and as they pertain to the needs of the City’s organization as defined in
this document.
The objective is to identify and award a contract to the Proposer whose Proposal is determined by
the City to be the most advantageous (“Best Value”) to the City.
C. Project Timeline Schedule:
Activity
Date/Time
Request for Proposal Release Date
April 16, 2026
Deadline for Requests for Clarification
(Questions & Inquiries)
April 27, 2026 by 5:00 p.m. (CT)
Responses to Requests for Clarification
April 30, 2026
Proposals Due Deadline
May 20, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. (CT)
Anticipated Award of Contract
June 16, 2026
The City reserves the right to change the schedule of dates above as deemed necessary.
Page 2 of 9
City of Portland
RFP No. 6860 for Employee Benefits Insurance – Dental
SECTION 2 – INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS
A. Proposal Process
a. Unauthorized modifications of specifications, forms or terms may render the proposal invalid.
b. The Proposer shall submit two (2) hard copies and one (1) electronic copy of the completed proposal,
and any other required documentation or information identified in this RFP, addressed to:
City of Portland
Elisa Silva – City Secretary
1900 Billy G. Webb Dr.
Portland, TX 78374
c. The Proposal must be submitted in a sealed envelope bearing the title “SEALED PROPOSAL – RFP
No. 6860 FOR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS INSURANCE – DENTAL” along with Proposer’s name, address and
contact information.
d. Proposers shall comply with any additional detailed instructions regarding submission of proposals
found in this RFP.
e. The deadline for submission of Proposals is May 20, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. (CT).
f. Proposals must be received before the date and time specified in this RFP. Without exception,
Proposals received on or after this deadline will be deemed late, non- responsive and will not be
considered.
g. The City’s Purchasing Policy requires that all Proposals must be submitted and remain sealed, secret,
and unopened until the DUE DATE AND TIME specified in this RFP. Therefore, Proposals submitted
directly to the City by facsimile or e-mail will be considered non-responsive and eliminated from
consideration.
h. Sealed Proposals may be submitted in person, by U.S. Mail, Special Delivery, or courier service.
i. Proposals should not include taxes as the City is tax exempt. The City’s Tax Exemption Certificate will
be provided upon request.
j. Should there be any shipping involved in this Proposal, shipping shall be FOB Destination and
included in the pricing unless specifically listed as a Proposal item.
k. Any time stated in this RFP refers to local time, which is Central Time, and any number of days shall be
construed as calendar days.
l. The City reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals, to waive any non-material irregularities or
informalities in any RFP, and to accept or reject any item or combination of items.
m. All costs incurred by the Proposer in responding to the RFP shall be borne by the Proposer.
B. Requests for Clarification
a. Any Proposer requiring further clarification of the RFP process and procedures should submit requests
for clarification in writing in the form of questions and/or inquiries to the City’s Purchasing Officer,
Sandra Rodriguez, at sandra.rodriguez@portlandtx.gov before 5:00p.m. (CT) on April 27, 2026. The
Proposer should request confirmation via email that the request for clarification(s) was received or
follow up with a phone call, if necessary, to confirm receipt. The City’s Purchasing Officer can be
reached at 361-777-4576.
b. An addendum will be issued to address the questions and answers along with any changes to the
documents as a result of these requests for clarifications. The addenda will be released by close of
Page 3 of 9
City of Portland
RFP No. 6860 for Employee Benefits Insurance – Dental
business on April 30, 2026. Proposers must acknowledge receipt of all Addenda.
c. Proposers’ request for clarifications (questions & inquiries) and the City’s response(s) can be found
on the City’s website in the form of an addenda on the specified date.
d. All other City employees do not have the authority to respond for the City regarding this RFP. Any
attempt by a Proposer, the Proposer’s officers, employees, or agents to lobby or influence a vote or
recommendation related to the Proposer’s Proposal submitted in response to this RFP, directly or
indirectly, through any contact with City Council members or other City officials between the date this
RFP is released to the public and the date a contract is awarded by the City may result in rejection of
the Proposer’s Proposal at the discretion of the City Manager or designee.
C. Proposer Minimum Requirements
a. The Proposer must be authorized and licensed to provide dental insurance coverage in the State of
Texas.
b. The Proposer must have experience providing group dental insurance services to public or private
sector employers.
c. The Proposer must provide at least three (3) references from current or recent clients for whom similar
services have been provided.
Page 4 of 9
City of Portland
RFP No. 6860 for Employee Benefits Insurance – Dental
SECTION 3 – GENERAL CONDITIONS
A. Procedural and Content Questions
During review of this RFP and preparation of the Proposal, certain errors, omissions or ambiguities may
be discovered. If so, or if there are doubts or concerns about the meaning of any part of this RFP,
questions should be submitted to the City’s designated Purchasing Officer as described in this RFP.
B. Basis for Proposal
a. Proposers should carefully examine the entire RFP, any addenda thereto and any related materials and
dates referenced in the RFP. Proposers shall become fully aware of the specifications and
requirements.
b. In the event of discrepancy, immediately notify the City. Failure to notify the City and give written
notice of discrepancies shall constitute acceptance by the successful Proposer of existing conditions.
c. All Proposers are responsible for the cost to produce their Proposal. Proposers are also responsible for
their proposal’s content, timeliness of submission and withdrawal.
C. Requirements
Any variance in any item must be specified clearly under the Exceptions to Bidder's Proposal by Bidder in
order to have a valid proposal. Any exceptions taken may be just cause for disqualification.
D. General Conditions
Sections must be filled out completely. The contract shall be awarded in whole to the vendor who provides
goods or services at the best value for the City.
E. Audit
Contractor shall provide the City of Portland with a line-item report of quantities and expenditures at any
time during the term of this contract for materials, commodities, or services rendered as requested by the
Finance Department.
F. Non-Funding Clause
The City of Portland’s budget is funded on an October 1st to September 30th fiscal year basis. Accordingly,
the City of Portland reserves the right to terminate this contract by giving Offeror thirty (30) days written
notice, without liability to the City, in the event that funding for this contract is discontinued or is no longer
available.
G. Carrier Authorization
The Proposer must be authorized and licensed to provide dental insurance in the State of Texas.
The Proposer must maintain financial strength ratings acceptable to the City and be in good standing with
the Texas Department of Insurance.
Proposers should have a minimum financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) or better from A.M. Best.
H. Compliance with Laws
Offeror shall comply with all federal and state laws and City Ordinances and Codes applicable to the
Offeror's operation under this contract. These Specifications and the contract resulting here from shall be
fully governed by the laws of the State of Texas, and shall be fully performable in San Patricio County,
Texas, where venue for any proceeding arising hereunder will lie.
Page 5 of 9
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