- Background
Since 1944, Heifer International has worked with more than 43 million people around the world to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. Working with rural communities in 19 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, including the United States, Heifer International supports farmers and local food producers to strengthen local economies and build secure livelihoods that provide a living income.
Heifer started work in Kenya in 1981. Since then, Heifer Kenya has supported more than 682,000 families working in the dairy, meat, poultry, and horticulture value chains. Heifer Kenya is working with farmers to increase production and productivity by strengthening extension services and farmers’ cooperatives where they gain vital skills that enable them to scale and sustain their businesses. Heifer Kenya implements its projects through community development and enterprise development approaches. Each project focuses on three priorities: strengthening and diversifying the resource base, strengthening country program efficiency, and increasing outreach and impact through innovative value chain systems.
2. Rationale
The current insurance period is coming to an end, and Heifer Kenya is seeking to engage a reputable and licensed insurance underwriter to offer the Work Injury Benefits (WIBA) and Group Personal Accident (GPA) insurance services for its employees.
The purpose of this insurance cover is to provide financial protection and support to employees and their beneficiaries in the event of work-related injuries, occupational illnesses, disability, accidental death, or other covered incidents in compliance with the legal employment provisions.
The insurance cover is expected to run for one year from 1 December 2026, with the option to renew, subject to satisfactory performance, budget availability and mutual agreement.
Objectives:
The objective of this procurement is to identify and contract an insurance provider capable of
- Ensuring compliance with statutory requirements relating to employee compensation for work-related injuries and occupational diseases.
- Providing enhanced accident and disability coverage for employees through a Group Personal Accident policy.
- Minimizing financial risks to both employees and the organization.
- Ensuring timely claims management and compensation processes.
- Accessing insurer expertise in risk management and loss prevention.
3. Scope of Services
The successful insurer shall provide and administer both WIBA and GPA covers as detailed below:
A. Work Injury Benefits Act (WIBA) Cover
The insurer shall provide compensation in accordance with applicable legislation and policy provisions, including:
Occupational Injury Cover
- Accidents sustained during employment.
- Injuries arising from work-related activities.
- Permanent partial disability compensation.
- Permanent total disability compensation.
Occupational Disease Cover
- Compensation arising from occupational illnesses and diseases.
- Medical assessment and evaluation where required.
Medical Expenses
- Treatment costs related to occupational injuries.
- Hospitalization expenses resulting from workplace accidents.
Death Benefits
Compensation payable to beneficiaries in the event of death resulting from a work-related injury or occupational disease.
Legal Liability
Employer liability protection arising from claims related to workplace injuries and occupational diseases.
B. Group Personal Accident (GPA) Cover
The GPA policy should include, but not be limited to:
- Accidental Death: Lump-sum compensation payable upon accidental death.
- Permanent Total Disability: Compensation for permanent total disability arising from an accident.
- Permanent Partial Disability: Compensation based on the disability schedule provided by the insurer.
- Temporary Total Disability: Weekly or monthly benefits for temporary inability to work resulting from an accident.
- Medical Expenses: Reimbursement of medical costs arising from accidental bodily injuries.
- Funeral/Last Expense Benefit: Payment to support funeral expenses following accidental death.
- Additional Benefits such as Mobility aids, Counselling support, Accidental hospitalization cash benefit, Emergency evacuation, Repatriation expenses where applicable.
Work Injury Benefits Act (WIBA) and Group Personal Accident (GPA) Cover
The proposed WIBA/GPA insurance cover shall provide the following benefits:
- Death Benefit: Three (3) years' annual salary.
- Total Permanent Disability: Three (3) years' annual salary.
- Temporary Total Disability: Weekly earnings, subject to a maximum period of 52 weeks.
- Medical Expenses: A flat benefit of KES 100,000.
- Funeral Expenses/Last Expense: KES 100,000.
4.0 Coverage Population
The insurance cover shall apply to employees, interns, and temporary or casual employees as determined by Heifer International Kenya. The indicative staff population is 40 employees, with a total monthly basic salary of KES 22,553,175 and an average age of 43 years.
Heifer International Kenya reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of covered employees during the policy period.
5.0 Evaluation Criteria
The evaluation of tenders shall be conducted in three stages:
- Preliminary Evaluation: Assessment of compliance with mandatory requirements on a pass/fail basis.
- Technical Evaluation: Assessment of technical responsiveness, with a minimum qualifying score of 80%.
- Financial Evaluation: Evaluation of financial proposals to identify the most competitive bidder among technically qualified firms.
Stage 1: Preliminary Evaluation – Mandatory Requirements
All bidders must meet the following mandatory requirements and submit the corresponding supporting documentation. Failure to comply with any requirement will render the tender non-responsive and result in disqualification from further evaluation.
- Company Registration: Submit a Certificate of Incorporation or Registration demonstrating that the firm has been in existence for at least five (5) years.
- Company Ownership: Provide a certified and valid copy of the current CR12.
- Business Licensing: Submit a valid, certified Single Business Permit or Trade License issued by the relevant County Government or government agency.
- Tax Compliance: Submit a valid Tax Compliance Certificate issued by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
- Regulatory Registration: Must be registered with the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) for the current year and provide a copy of the valid operating license.
- Industry Membership: Provide evidence of valid membership of the Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI).
- Professional Indemnity Insurance: Provide evidence of a valid Professional Indemnity Insurance cover of at least KES 100 million.
Note: Only bidders demonstrating full compliance with all seven mandatory requirements will proceed to the technical evaluation stage.
Stage 2: Technical Evaluation – 100 Marks
The technical evaluation will assess the bidder's experience, personnel qualifications, financial capacity, proposed methodology, claims management capability, and integrity in service provision.
1. Firm's Experience and Capacity – 20 Marks
Bidders must demonstrate relevant experience and capacity to provide general insurance services, including Group Personal Accident (GPA), Group Life, and Work Injury Benefits Act (WIBA) coverage.
The evaluation will consider:
- Operational Experience – 5 Marks: Evidence of continuous operation as a general insurance service provider for at least five (5) years, supported by annual IRA insurance certificates.
- Relevant Assignments – 5 Marks: Evidence of five (5) current assignments providing General Insurance, GPA, WIBA Plus, WIBA, or Group Life cover to organizations with annual insurance premiums of at least KES 5 million.
- Claims Management Experience – 5 Marks: Evidence of five major insurance claims processed during 2023, 2024, and 2025, with marks awarded on a pro-rata basis. Heifer reserves the right to conduct due diligence to verify the submitted evidence.
- Corporate Client References: Submit five (5) reference letters from corporate clients confirming satisfactory provision of Group Life and/or GPA/WIBA insurance services. Each letter should include a summary of services rendered, contract value of at least KES 5 million, and the client's contact person, address, and telephone number. One mark is indicated for each complete reference letter, with an additional four marks indicated for each qualifying client contract above KES 5 million. Reference checks may be conducted.
2. Personnel Qualifications and Experience – 25 Marks
Bidders must demonstrate the qualifications and relevant experience of at least five (5) key management and technical personnel involved in providing Group Personal Accident, Group Life, and WIBA insurance services.
The proposed team must include a Claims Manager, who will serve as the team leader, and at least one support staff member responsible for administering the policies.
Bidders must submit CVs for all five key personnel, together with academic and professional certificates for the two staff members directly responsible for the policies.
The evaluation will consider:
- Academic Qualifications: Relevant degree or postgraduate qualification in insurance, commerce, business administration, economics, or related business disciplines, attracting 2.5 marks per staff member.
- Relevant Professional Experience: Demonstrated experience in insurance administration, underwriting, and claims management, attracting 2.5 marks per staff member.
- Professional Insurance Qualifications: Relevant professional insurance certification, such as Associate of the Chartered I...