A Strategic Opportunity to Enhance Value and Realize Operational Savings
In an environment where the financial sustainability of Canada’s post-secondary education sector is increasingly challenged, institutions are seeking innovative ways to reduce costs without compromising value. The CAUBO Employee Benefits Consortium is one such opportunity—offering a proven model for reducing a key labour cost while maintaining or enhancing employee benefit programs.
A Collaborative Response to a Sector-wide Challenge
The idea for the consortium was sparked in 2018 at the CAUBO Conference in Vancouver, where a group of Vice Presidents, Finance and Administration encouraged CAUBO to explore national collaboration to manage the rising costs of employee benefits. That vision came to life in 2022 with the launch of the CAUBO Employee Benefits Consortium—a member-governed and member-funded initiative designed to help institutions realize tangible and sustainable savings.
Since its inception, the consortium has delivered measurable impact. To date, 14 consortium members representing 24 institutions—including five U15 universities and a federated university system in Québec—have collectively saved over $1.5 million annually. These savings are not achieved by reducing services or benefits, but by cutting administrative costs through the power of collaborative procurement.
The consortium partners with two distinct benefits providers, Manulife and Green Shield Canada. Participating institutions will join the collaborative program offered by one of these providers and benefit from economies of scale that cannot be achieved independently.
Key Benefits of Membership
- Retention of Plan Design
Institutions maintain their own benefit plan designs. This flexibility respects collective agreements and removes a key barrier to participation. - Tangible Cost Savings
Members have achieved significant value, collectively saving about $1.5 million each year. These savings are driven by reduced administration costs, enabled by economies of scale. - Low Participation Costs
Annual consortium participation fees are modest and represent only a small fraction of the savings members realize each year. The fee structure includes a fixed annual amount per member, plus a variable component based on institutional size. CAUBO and the preferred provider(s) would be pleased to define the estimated fee and identify the potential level of savings for interested members. - Avoidance of Complex Procurement Processes
Institutions can bypass the costly and resource-intensive process of launching their own RFPs by leveraging CAUBO’s publicly procured framework agreements with two trusted providers: Manulifeand GreenShield. - Supportive Transition Experience
Both preferred providers are experienced in benefit plan migrations and are committed to supporting HR staff and plan members to ensure a smooth transition.
More Than Just Savings
Beyond financial gains, members benefit from a community of practice—sharing insights and strategies to enhance benefits plans, navigate challenges, and manage total compensation more effectively. The consortium fosters a culture of collaboration, where institutions can learn from each other and shape a sustainable future for employee benefits.
A key consortium benefit is access to data and analytics that enable benchmarking within the post-secondary education sector and the broader public sector. The Consortium will actively engage in benchmarking exercises and create opportunities for participants to share information and knowledge.
Get Involved
The consortium is expanding, and we’re inviting additional CAUBO member institutions to be part of this growing, high-impact initiative. Whether you’re a large university or a small college, you can participate and benefit—without changing your plan design.
Don’t miss the opportunity to collaborate, innovate, and strengthen outcomes across the sector. Join the consortium today!
To explore how your institution can participate in this initiative and access preferred provider programs, please get in touch with Program Director, CAUBO Employee Benefits Consortium, at consortium@caubo.ca.