This Request for Proposals (RFP) is issued by the Governor's Office of General Counsel on behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to procure Workers Compensation Defense Counsel for the Department of Labor Industry's State Workers Insurance Fund (SWIF), Uninsured Employers Guaranty Fund (UEGF), and Self-Insurance Guaranty Fund (SIGF). Law firms interested in submitting proposals must adhere to specific requirements outlined in the RFP, including a Small Diverse Business/Veteran Business Enterprise (SDB/VBE) participation goal of 14%. Proposals must be submitted electronically by May 5, 2026, at 4:00 PM. Key dates include the deadline for submitting questions on April 20, 2026, and the posting of answers on April 22, 2026. The evaluation criteria will weigh technical qualifications at 75% and cost at 25%. The contract will be a requirements contract with negotiated compensation, potentially leading to a limited multiple award. Offerors must ensure their proposals are complete, responsive, and submitted in the specified format. The contract term will be one year, with options for renewal up to two additional years. The selected law firm will be responsible for all services offered and will be the sole point of contact for contractual matters. The Commonwealth will not provide office space or logistical support. Travel expenses will be reimbursed at a specified rate. The RFP also details requirements for subcontracting with SDB/VBE firms, including specific subcontract terms and utilization reporting. Noncompliance with SDB/VBE commitments may result in sanctions.
The deadline for submitting sealed proposals is May 5, 2026, at 4:00 PM.
The department will reimburse the selected offeror for work satisfactorily performed after execution of a written contract and the start of the contract term, in accordance with contract requirements, and only after the issuing office has received a signed appointment letter back from the offeror. At that point the offeror will be paid for services rendered dating back to the date of the appointment letter.
Award will be made to the responsible offerors determined to be the best qualified after fair and reasonable compensation has been negotiated, based on a combination of technical (75%) and cost (25%) evaluation criteria.
To be deemed responsible for this engagement, an offeror must submit a responsive proposal and possess the capability to fully perform the contract requirements in all respects and the integrity and reliability to assure good faith performance of the contract. The total score for the technical submittal must be greater than or equal to 75% of the available technical points.
A late fee of **** per day may be assessed against the prime contractor if the utilization report is not submitted in accordance with the schedule. Noncompliance with SDB/VBE commitments may result in sanctions, including termination of the contract, revocation of status, or suspension/debarment.
The protest process for Commonwealth procurements is described on the DGS website at: www. ***. *. *
