Effective May 30, 2012 all vendors that do business with the Board of Education are required to carry insurance coverage.   All vendors will be required to register with Board designated insurance monitoring company.

Certificate Registration- All vendors must register with the insurance certificate monitoring company designated by the Board stated below, and must maintain a current insurance certificate on file during the entire time of providing services to the Board.  Vendor must register and pay the initial annual monitoring fee to the insurance certificate monitoring company prior to performing services for the Board.  The initial annual monitoring fee is currently Twelve 00/100 Dollars ($12.00) per year, but the fee may be subject to change. 

Each year, Board-approved, registered  vendors will be notified 30 to 45 days prior to the expiration date of their required insurance coverage (highlighted on their latest submitted insurance certificate on file) in order to submit an updated insurance certificate with the insurance certificate monitoring company.  You can view a sample of a compliant certificate by clicking on the following link: View a Sample Compliant Certificate.   Insurance certificate submissions and related annual fees are required to be made online at the dedicated website established by the certificate monitoring company, the URL follows below.  Should you have any questions on submissions and payment options, contact the certificate monitoring company.

Certificate Monitoring Company:

NOTE: Topiary Communications, Inc. is the Certificate Monitoring company and IS NOT the Certificate Holder.
Please review the "Additional Insured" section below if uncertain of the information required.

Topiary Communications Inc.

PO Box 10158

Chicago, IL 60610

Phone - (312)494-5709
Email -  dans@topiarycomm.net

Website for online registration, insurance certificate submissions and annual fee payments:

URL - http://www.cpsvendorcert.com

Unless the written contract between the Board and the Vendor provides otherwise, all vendors are required to maintain insurance coverage as follows:

Commercial General Liability Insurance- All vendors are required to carry a minimum limit of One Million and 00/100 Dollars ($1,000,000.00) per occurrence and Two Million and 00/100 Dollars ($2,000,000.00) in the aggregate for bodily injury, personal injury and property damage liability.  Coverage shall include, but not be limited to: all operations, contractual liability, independent contractors, products/completed operations (for a minimum of two (2) years following completion), and defense. 

Workers' Compensation and Employers' Liability Insurance- All vendors are required to carry Workers' Compensation Insurance affording workers' compensation benefits for all employees as required by law and Employers' Liability Insurance with limits of not less than Five Hundred Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($500,000.00) per occurrence.  The workers' compensation policy must contain a waiver of subrogation clause.

Additional Coverage Depending on Services Provided to the Board:

 Automobile Liability Insurance-   When any motor vehicle (whether owned, non-owned or hired) is used in connection with any contract or services, the vendor must carry Automobile Liability Insurance with limits of not less than One Million and 00/100 Dollars ($1,000,000.00) per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage.

Umbrella/Excess Liability- Most vendors must carry Umbrella/Excess Liability insurance with a minimum of Two Million and 00/100 Dollars ($2,000,000.00) per occurrence.  All umbrella policies must be excess to and follow form of the general liability and auto (if required) policies.

Professional Liability/Errors and Omissions- All vendors providing services are rendered; proposer shall maintain such coverage with limits of not less than Two Million and 00/100 Dollars ($2,000,000.00) per policy and any aggregate limit must be unimpaired.   Any retroactive date or prior acts exclusion must predate both the date of the agreement and any earlier commencement of any services and must be maintained for a period of 2 to 5 years after final completion of the work.     Any vendor providing any professional services including, but not limited to:  engineering, architect, web services, IT services, counseling or other social services, accountants, auditors, surveyors, claim adjusting, any health related services, or teaching is required to provide professional insurance

Contractors Pollution Liability- All vendors whose work may cause a pollution exposure must carry Contractors Pollution Liability Insurance covering bodily injury, property damage and other losses caused by pollution conditions that arise from the Work with limits of not less than One Million and 00/100 Dollars ($1,000,000.00) per occurrence. When policies are renewed or replaced, the policy retroactive date must coincide with or precede, start of Work under this Agreement.  A claims-made policy, which is not renewed or replaced, must have an extended reporting period of two (2) years.

Cyber and Privacy & Security Coverage- All vendors with access to confidential records for employees or students must carry cyber liability coverage for damages arising from a failure of computer security, or wrongful release of private information including expenses for notification as required by local, state or federal guidelines.  Limit of liability must be at least One Million and 00/100 Dollars ($1,000,000.00) per claim and One Million and 00/100 Dollars ($1,000,000.00) in the aggregate. Any retroactive date or prior acts exclusion must predate both the date of this agreement and any earlier commencement of any services.  If coverage is on a "claims made basis", a 2 to 5 year extended reporting provision must be included.

Fidelity Bond- Every vendor has access to the Board's financial systems ,must provide a fidelity bond  in the amount of at least Five Hundred Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($500,000.00) through a responsible surety company naming the Board of Education as third (3^rd) party to the Bond, with respect to all of vendor's employees,  as may be necessary to protect against losses, including, without limitation, those arising from theft, embezzlement, fraud, or misplacement of funds, money, or documents. Coverage must extend to any losses incurred by Board due to theft, embezzlement or fraud by vendor, vendor's employees or subcontractors. Vendor shall notify Board in writing within five (5) days of filing a claim under such coverage and to assign to Board, as the case may be, the proceeds of such coverage allocable to losses suffered with respect to the property of the Board.

Bonding Requirements – Any  vendor required by contract to provide a bond (fidelity, performance/ contract or other bond as required by law or contract must register their bond with the Certificate Monitoring Company subject to annual monitoring fee in addition to insurance fee.

Transportation Vendors- All vendors providing any transportation of students must call Risk Management for additional insurance information.  Minimum combined coverage is Ten Million Dollars and 00/100 Dollars ($10,000,000.00) per occurrence with Five Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($5,000) medical payments. 

Construction Vendors-Requirements will be dependent on contract size and scope.  Builders risk may be required for large building or addition projects.  Builders Risk will be required to be all risk/special form on a replacement cost basis.

 Additional coverage may be required by contract as needed including pollution, builders risk or other applicable policies depending on scope of service.

Contracts for Rental of Inflatable Equipment- Two Million and 00/100 Dollars ($2,000,000.00) per occurrence; must use the CPS Rental Agreement only; cannot use own rental agreement.

Contracts - Any vendor performing services under contract may, and often will be required to carry additional coverage or increased limits of insurance based on scope of service in contract.   Vendor will be required to update insurance certificate on file with certificate monitoring company to meet the additional requirements.  

Additional Insured- The Board of Education must be named as additional insured on all general liability, auto and umbrella policies as indicated below:

"The Board of Education of the City of Chicago, a body politic and corporate, and its members, employees and agents, and any other entity as may be designated by the Board are named as additional insured on a primary and non-contributory basis".   

As mentioned earlier you can click the following link to View a Sample Compliant Certificate

Conditions Applying to All Coverages:

n  All policies required must apply with a worldwide coverage territory to cover the sale of products worldwide and suits brought worldwide.

n  Any deductibles or self-insured retentions must be declared to and approved by Risk Management.

n  Any changes to the coverage required must be authorized in advance by Risk Management and be documented in writing.

n   30 day notice of cancellation or non- renewal shall be given subject to policy terms, conditions and endorsements.  If the Acord certificate does not reflect this cancellation provision, vendor is still required to meet this requirement.   

n  Certificates for renewal policies must be issued 10 day prior to the renewal date.

n  All liability policies for injury and property damage shall be issued on the "occurrence" form.

n  All coverages must be in a company approved to do business in the state and carrying a rating of at least A- X by A.M. Best's.  Coverages for subcontractors must have a carrier rating of at least A- VIII by A.M. Best's.

n  Vendor is responsible for assuring that all subcontractors are properly insured and maintain the same coverages, terms, and conditions.

n  The Board of Education reserves the right to increase or expand these requirements when it deems prudent.

n  If any of the insurance maintained by any contract with the Board, written with aggregate limits, Vendor shall actively monitor all claims, incidents and occurrences that may affect such insurance to assure that the application of the aggregate limit will not have the practical effect of reducing the minimum amount of insurance coverage that is available on a per occurrence or per claim basis.  If, at any time, the full minimum per occurrence or per claim limit is not available for the payment of claims, or Vendor reasonably believes that such limits may not be available, Vendor shall take immediate steps to increase the aggregate limits as necessary to provide such coverage, notify the Board of Education of the City of Chicago in writing, subject to the insurance requirements herein, maintain separate insurance protection that is not subject to the aggregate limit.

Subrogation- Vendor agrees that insurers waive their rights of subrogation against the Board.

Any failure of the Board to demand or receive proof of insurance coverage shall not constitute a waiver of Vendor's obligation to obtain the required insurance.  The receipt of any certificate does not constitute agreement by the Board that the insurance requirements in this Contract have been fully met or that the insurance policies indicated on the certificate are in compliance with all Contract requirements.  Vendor's failure to carry or document required insurance shall constitute a breach of the Vendor's Contract with the Board. In the event Vendor fails to fulfill the insurance requirements of this Contract, the Board reserves the right to stop all work until proper evidence of insurance is provided, or this Contract may be terminated.

Any deductibles or self-insured retentions on referenced insurance coverage must be borne by Vendor.  Any insurance or self-insurance programs maintained by the Board do not contribute with insurance provided by the Vendor and subcontractors under this Contract.  All Vendor and subcontractor insurance is considered to be primary and collectible above all other coverage, including, but not limited to, the Board's insurance and self-insurance.

All subcontractors are subject to the same insurance requirements of Vendor unless otherwise specified in the Board's contract with the Vendor.  The Vendor shall require any subcontractors to maintain comparable insurance naming the Vendor, the Board inclusive of its members, employees and agents, and any other entity designated by the Board, as Additional Insured.  Vendors that use sub-contractors must maintain a file of subcontractor's current insurance certificates evidencing compliance with these requirements.

The coverage and limits furnished by any Vendor in no way reduces or eliminates the Vendor's liabilities and responsibilities specified within any contract or scope of work; or by law.  The required insurance is not limited by any limitations expressed in the indemnification language in the Board's contract with the Vendor, if any, or any limitation that might be placed on the indemnity in the Contract as a matter of law.