Local Employee Staff Life Insurance (2026-2031) Baku, Azerbaijan

Amendment / Modification

• Amendment 0001 extends the deadline for offers to be submitted.

• The deadline for offers is extended.

• The new deadline for offer submission is June 25, 2026, at 6:00 pm Baku time.

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to vendor questions regarding RFP 19AJ2026R0002 for Local Employee Staff Life Insurance (2026-2031) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

• Employee Dates of Birth: The government will not provide employee dates of birth due to Personally Identifiable Information (PII) concerns. Pricing assessments should not rely on this data.
• Claims History: A table is provided detailing a single claim of USD 65,937.00 for a natural death case in the 2021-2022 period. No claims were reported for subsequent years.
• Death Benefit Calculation: The solicitation clearly states that for Accidental Death, beneficiaries receive 22 times the monthly basic salary. For Natural Death, it is 21 times the monthly basic salary.
• Disability Coverage: The government's solicitation sets minimum amounts for disability benefits. Offerors must determine and indicate their proposed disability payment amounts in their proposals. Excess amounts will not be a qualifying factor for proposal acceptance. The referenced legal articles do not require setting a maximum sum insured limit for disability coverage, but rather determining and indicating the insurance amount to be paid.
• Disability Duration: Disability benefits are payable monthly and are subject to annual verification of the insured's medical condition and classification. Coverage continues as long as the insured remains classified under the applicable disability category, not tied to a fixed duration or retirement age.
• Previous Coverage: The Embassy's local employees were previously covered by Life and Disability Insurance. Historical data for five years (July 2021 - July 2026) including headcounts, sum insured, and aggregate claims paid is provided for informational purposes only.

Offerors should note that employee dates of birth will not be provided. Historical claims data is for informational purposes only, and offerors are responsible for their own underwriting, actuarial analysis, and risk assumptions. The solicitation specifies minimum disability benefit amounts, and offerors must propose their own appropriate disability payment amounts.

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

These minutes document the pre-solicitation conference held on May 21, 2026, for the Local Employee Staff Life Insurance (2026-2031) RFP 19AJ2026R0002 in Baku, Azerbaijan. It summarizes discussions regarding the solicitation package and provides answers to vendor questions.

• Proposal Deadline: June 15, 2026, no later than 18:00 Baku time. Late proposals will not be accepted.

• Submission Method: Proposals must be submitted via email to BAKUBIDBOX@STATE.GOV in PDF, WORD, or EXCEL format.

• Required Forms: Bidders must complete the SF-33 form and charts for the base and 4 option years.

• Currency: Proposals must be submitted in AZN (Azerbaijan Manat).

• Contract Duration: 5 years (1 base year and 4 option years).

• SAM.gov Registration: Offerors must be actively registered in SAM.gov at the time of offer submission and through award.

• Procedures: The Embassy procurement agent described procedures for proposal evaluation, award, creating annual delivery orders, invoice submission for new employees or departing employees, and death and disability benefits.

• Employee Coverage: The number of employees to be covered by insurance is between 265-282 (refer to Section J, page 61).

• Disability Limits: Minimum monthly disability payments are 300.00 manat (Group I), 250.00 manat (Group II), and 180.00 manat (Group III). There is no maximum disability payment limit established by the Embassy, but rates are set by the Azerbaijani Government.

• Exclusions: All life insurance conditions and limitations are detailed in paragraph C.2.6.

• Critical Illnesses: Life insurance coverage for critical diseases is NOT included under this contract; a separate Medical Insurance contract covers these.

• Retirees: Retirees mentioned in paragraph C.2.8. refer to employees separated from the U.S. Embassy Baku. All current Embassy employees, regardless of age, will be covered.

This document clarifies key submission requirements, contract details, and specific benefit coverages, directly impacting how bidders should prepare and submit their proposals. It also addresses potential ambiguities regarding employee and retiree coverage.

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to vendor questions regarding RFQ # 19AJ2026R0002 for Local Employee Staff Life Insurance (2026-2031) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

• Licensing Requirements: Offerors must provide a notarized copy of their current license/certificate/accreditation demonstrating authorization by the Government of Azerbaijan (or another government if not authorized by Azerbaijan) to provide life insurance in the host country. This authorization must be valid through the base performance period and eligible for renewal. Failure to demonstrate this authorization may lead to proposal rejection.
• Employee Numbers & Dependent Coverage: Information on the number of employees is available on page 61 (Section J) of the solicitation package. Dependent coverage requirements are detailed in the Statement of Work starting on page 11.
• Incumbent Provider: The current service provider is Atesgah Life Insurance ASJ.
• Historical Claims/Loss Ratio Reports: The government will request this information from the current vendor, but bidders should note that the new plan has different terms and conditions.
• In-Country Servicing: While Section "M" of the solicitation does not mandate minimum in-country servicing for claims administration and customer support, offerors must demonstrate acceptable relevant experience and past performance.
• Pricing: Offerors must propose fixed prices for the entire five-year period, as detailed in paragraphs B.7 through B.8.1 of the solicitation.

This Q&A document clarifies specific requirements related to licensing, employee data, and pricing, which bidders must address in their proposals. It also confirms that virtual attendance will be permitted for the pre-proposal conference.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation is for the provision of locally employed staff life insurance coverage for employees of the U.S. Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan. The U.S. Government intends to award a contract/purchase order to the responsible company submitting an acceptable offer at the lowest price. The government may hold discussions with companies in the competitive range if needed.

• Provision of Group Life Insurance and disability benefits services.

• Coverage includes Natural Death (21x monthly basic salary), Accidental Death (22x monthly basic salary), Disability Benefits (minimum monthly amounts specified), and Funeral Benefits (minimum 600 manat).

• The contractor must provide a brochure in English and Azerbaijani detailing the benefits within 30 days of award.

• Contractor must maintain satisfactory standards of employee competency, conduct, and integrity.

• Contract Type: Fixed-price with economic-price adjustment.

• Period of Performance: One year beginning July 5, 2026, with four (4) one-year options to renew.

• Currency: Payments and benefits will be in local currency (Azerbaijani Manat).

• Estimated Value: Not explicitly stated, but pricing is based on estimated payroll.

• Proposals are due by June 15, 2026, 18:00 (local time).

• Proposals must be in English.

• Submission Method: Electronically to BAKUBIDBOX@STATE.GOV.

• File Format: MS-Word 2007/2010 or Adobe Acrobat (PDF).

• File Size Limit: 30MB per file; separate emails for larger submissions.

• Required Documents: SF-33, Section B (Pricing Schedule), Section K (Representations and Certifications), Section L (Additional Information), and proof of SAM Registration.

• Evaluation Criteria: Lowest priced, technically acceptable, responsible offeror. Offerors must be licensed/certified/accredited.

• No specific set-aside is mentioned.

• Eligible participants are Locally Employed (LE) Staff working full-time or part-time under non-temporary direct-hire appointments or personal services agreements/contracts not limited to less than one year, and paid under the Local Compensation Plan.

• Official Residence Expense (ORE) employees may be covered under a rider, with costs borne by the employing officer.

• A pre-proposal conference will be held on May 21, 2026, at 11:00 AM (local time) at the U.S. Embassy Annex.

• Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database prior to proposal submission.

• Payments are subject to a 2% excise tax under the James Zadroga 9/11 Victims Health and Compensation Act of 2010, unless a waiver or exception applies.