Comprehensive Employee Benefit Audit

The County of Santa Barbara is soliciting proposals from qualified independent contractors to conduct a comprehensive audit of its employee benefits program, covering medical, dental, vision, and voluntary benefits. The solicitation, numbered 8350009, was posted on May 13, 2026, with a firm response deadline of June 9, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. PDT, and proposals must be submitted electronically through the Public Purchase portal; mail, fax, and email submissions are not accepted. The contract is valued at an estimated $75,000, though this amount is non-binding and not guaranteed. Proposers must demonstrate significant experience in benefit auditing, with evaluation factors weighted heavily toward the firm’s background and expertise at 35%, followed by cost estimate at 30%, responsiveness to the RFP at 25%, and compliance with county terms at 10%. The award will be made using a best-value trade-off approach, not based solely on price, and the selected contractor will be expected to deliver a final audit report, redacted sample reports, and a detailed project timeline with milestones. All work must be performed in California and comply with state and local laws, as well as the County’s Template for Agreement of Services of Independent Contractor. The contractor must meet stringent insurance requirements, including $1 million per occurrence/$2 million aggregate commercial general liability coverage under ISO CG 00 01, $2 million professional liability (errors and omissions) coverage, automobile liability of $1 million per accident, and workers’ compensation as mandated by California law, with the County named as an additional insured via ISO CG 20 10. The contractor must indemnify the County against all claims arising from performance, including active and passive negligence, and maintain these obligations even after contract termination. Confidentiality is strictly enforced—proprietary and identifiable County information must be protected, used only for contract purposes, and returned or destroyed upon request, with these duties surviving termination. All records must be retained for four years post-completion and made available for audit by the County or the California State Auditor at no cost to the County. The contractor may not subcontract any portion of the work without prior written approval, and must certify it is not debarred or suspended from any government contract. Any mergers or acquisitions occurring after proposal submission must be immediately disclosed, and the contractor must update its Federal Employer Identification Number accordingly. The contract is non-exclusive, allowing