Public Entity Partners

What Public Entity Partners does

Public Entity Partners (PEP) is a not-for-profit governmental risk pool formed in October 1979 under Tennessee state statutes to provide liability, property, and workers' compensation insurance coverages to Tennessee municipal governments. Headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee, the organization serves approximately 500 governmental entities, representing more than 90% of the state's non-self-insured municipalities. Its coverage portfolio spans General, Personal Injury, Law Enforcement, Errors and Omissions, Employment Practices, and Automobile Liability, plus Property and Workers' Compensation lines, with optional extensions for cyber/network security and UAV/drone exposures. PEP is governed by a board of elected officials and city managers drawn from member municipalities and is regulated by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury and the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance.

Operationally, PEP runs three regional service teams (West, Middle, and East Tennessee) providing dedicated loss-control, property conservation, training, underwriting, member services, and claims personnel. Its technology stack is a third-party-integrated member portal — Origami for claims, Safety National for EHS/HR training (1,000+ titles), BLR's EHS Hero and HR Hero for compliance, Whova for event management, and Zoom for webinars — all accessed through SAML SSO. The business model is membership-based premium revenue plus the return of excess surplus to members via an annual dividend program that has distributed more than $140 million since 1996, effectively functioning as a member-owned cooperative rather than a stockholder-returning insurer.

Revenue is generated primarily through insurance premiums priced to each member's exposures and loss experience, with any excess surplus returned as renewal-premium credits rather than distributed externally. Distribution is direct: regional account managers handle renewals and new-member acquisition, supported by member education via the annual Risk & Insurance Symposium (nearly 300 attendees), the Partnering for Success webinar series, regional workshops, and a Mailchimp newsletter. Member-facing value-adds — grants (Safety Partners, Driver Training, Property Conservation, Cyber Security), scholarships, a legal hotline, property valuations, and GatherGuard third-party liability coverage — extend the relationship beyond pure insurance.

Name

Public Entity Partners

Legal name

Public Entity Partners

Website

https://pepartners.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Public Entity Partners is a not-for-profit Tennessee governmental risk pool founded in 1979 that provides liability, property, and workers' compensation insurance coverages, plus risk management services, to approximately 500 Tennessee municipal government entities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Governmental Risk Pool Insurance

NAICS

Other Insurance Funds (525190), Other Insurance Funds (52519), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Reinsurance Pool / Facility Treaty Participation (FSAOAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nonprofit / Social Services BOP (FSAJAFAM)

Keywords

• Municipal risk management
• Government insurance coverage
• Workers compensation insurance
• Public entity insurance
• Liability and property coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Franklin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Insurance Premiums: Public Entity Partners generates primary revenue through insurance premiums from member governmental entities. Members pay premiums for liability coverage (general, law enforcement, automobile, employment practices), property coverage, and workers' compensation coverage. As a not-for-profit risk pool, premiums are designed to cover claims costs and operational expenses, with excess surplus returned to members as dividends.
2. Dividend Returns: For over 20 years, PEP has declared annual dividends to return excess surplus directly to members as credits applied to renewal premiums rather than distributing to outside stockholders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Public Entity Partners is a not-for-profit governmental risk pool that provides comprehensive insurance coverages and risk management services to approximately 500 Tennessee governmental entities. Core offerings include Liability Coverage (general, law enforcement, automobile, employment practices), Property Coverage, and Workers' Compensation Coverage, supplemented by training, grants, scholarships, claims management, and a member dividend program.

Product overview

Public Entity Partners is a not-for-profit governmental risk pool serving approximately 500 Tennessee public entities, providing a comprehensive portfolio of insurance coverages and risk management services. The core offerings consist of three insurance products: Liability Coverage (including General, Personal Injury, Law Enforcement, E&O, EPLI, and Automobile coverage with optional UAV/Drone and Cyber extensions), Property Coverage (buildings, equipment, crime), and Workers' Compensation. The organization supplements its insurance offerings with an extensive grants and scholarships program including the Judy Housley Safety Partners Grant, James L. Richardson Driver Training Grant, Property Conservation Grant, and Cyber Security Grant, plus multiple scholarships for professional development at PRIMA and TnPRIMA conferences. Training services include the Partnering for Success Webinar Series, DVD Library, and integrated access to Safety National, EHS Hero, and HR Hero online platforms. Additional member benefits include the Legal Hotline, Property Valuations, GatherGuard liability coverage, Dividend Program, Member Workshops, and the annual Risk & Insurance Symposium.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Liability Coverage Comprehensive liability insurance including General Liability, Personal Injury Liability, Law Enforcement Liability, Errors or Omissions Liability, Employment Practices Liability, Automobile Liability, and optional coverages such as Privacy and Network Security Liability and UAV/Drone Coverage. Designed for Tennessee public entities.
• Property Coverage Property and crime insurance covering Buildings & Personal Property, Electronic Data Processing Equipment, Mobile Equipment, Equipment Breakdown (Boiler and Machinery), Employee Dishonesty, Forgery, Theft, and Computer Fraud. Designed for Tennessee public entities.
• Workers' Compensation Coverage Workers' compensation insurance providing Statutory Coverage and Voluntary Accident and Medical Coverage for public entity employees in Tennessee.
• Dividend Program Annual dividend program returning excess surplus directly to members (not outside stockholders) for over 20 years. Qualifying members receive dividend as credit applied to renewal premiums.
• Legal Hotline Free legal guidance resource for members with legal issues that could potentially turn into claims or lawsuits.
• Property Valuations Property program members receive valuations of insured real properties providing replacement costs and actual cash values.
• GatherGuard General liability policy protecting local governments when third parties request use of property and facilities, as third parties are not covered by member insurance programs.
• Judy Housley Safety Partners Grant 50/50 matching grant helping members purchase essential employee safety devices, equipment, education and training such as PPE, bulletproof vests, work zone safety equipment, and CPR training. Award amounts range from $250 to $4,000 based on premium class.
• James L. Richardson Driver Training Grant 50/50 matching grant addressing training needs and safety concerns for employees who operate city/agency vehicles. Covers instructor-led training, DVD training, backup cameras, GPS tracking, and MVR checks. Award amounts range from $500 to $5,000.
• Property Conservation Grant 50/50 matching grant for purchasing property loss prevention and control items including lightning protection systems, security cameras, fencing, infrared thermography, sprinkler cages, and computer network security technologies. Award amounts range from $500 to $5,000 based on Total Insured Value.
• Cyber Security Grant 50/50 matching grant assisting members with purchasing cyber security tools, training and services to protect from ransomware and social engineering. Covers employee training, MFA, data backup, Advanced Threat Protection, and Endpoint Detection and Response. Award amounts range from $250 to $2,000.
• PRIMA Institute Scholarship Scholarship providing up to $2,000 in financial assistance to attend the PRIMA Institute risk management education program, a five-day comprehensive program held in Old Town Alexandria, VA.
• TnPRIMA Scholarship Scholarship providing up to $600 for qualified individuals to attend the Tennessee Public Risk Management Association (TnPRIMA) State Conference held annually in November.
• PRIMA National Conference Scholarship Scholarship providing up to $2,000 for three qualified individuals to attend the PRIMA Annual Conference, promoting professional public risk management through educational and peer networking opportunities.
• Law Enforcement Liability Risk Management Institute Scholarship Scholarship providing up to $2,000 for qualified individuals to attend the Law Enforcement Legal and Liability Risk Management Institute conference, focusing on managing civil and criminal liability for officers and agencies.
• Online Training Platform Self-paced and on-demand risk management and HR training including Safety National (1,000+ titles), EHS Hero, and HR Hero accessible through member portal 24/7 with multiple language options.
• Partnering for Success Webinar Series Virtual learning opportunity through regular webinars covering risk management topics including disaster recovery, social media policies, hiring practices, property valuation, and safety culture for municipal employees.
• Risk & Insurance Symposium Annual three-day educational and networking conference for members featuring continuing education credits, risk management sessions, Excellence in Risk Management Awards, and Board elections. Held at Franklin Marriott Cool Springs.
• Member Workshops Regional workshops offered each spring covering workers' compensation, employment practices liability, use of force by police agencies, and other training topics valuable to local governments.
• DVD Library Safety and Media DVD Library with hundreds of safety- and liability-related topics available for loan to members.
• Full Package Bonus Bonus program for members participating in Liability, Property and Workers' Compensation programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $140 million in member dividends returned since 1996
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Center for Local Planning (CLP) at University of Tennessee Institute for Public ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CLP was funded by the Tennessee General Assembly in 2025 to serve as a resource for local governments in land use planning. Josh Suddath, Executive Director, provides Q&A webinars on planning services and resources available to communities.
• Safety NationalcoreTechnology or IntegrationSafety National provides an online training platform with over 1,000 EHS and HR training titles accessible 24/7 with multiple language options. The platform is built on regional and international standards (EPA, DOT, ISO 45001, etc.) and is available to PEP members through the member portal.
• BLR (Simplify Compliance LLC)coreTechnology or IntegrationBLR produces EHS Hero and HR Hero compliance solutions for PEP members. EHS Hero provides safety plan builders and regulatory tracking, while HR Hero offers employee handbook creation and HR compliance tools.
• WhovacoreTechnology or IntegrationWhova is the event management platform used for the annual Risk & Insurance Symposium, enabling agenda access, document sharing, attendee networking, and session tracking via QR codes for continuing education credits.
• Franklin Marriott Cool SpringsminorOthersThe Franklin Marriott Cool Springs serves as the host hotel for the annual Risk & Insurance Symposium with a negotiated room rate of $184.00 per night for attendees.
• OrigamicoreTechnology or IntegrationOrigami provides the claims management portal integrated with PEP's member portal, enabling members to file and track claims electronically through a seamless online experience.
• VC3coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVC3 provides webinars on disaster recovery, cybersecurity, and multi-factor authentication for the Partnering for Success webinar series, helping municipalities protect against cyber threats.
• Miller & MartincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMiller & Martin law firm provides webinars on social media policies and public employment law for the Partnering for Success series, addressing HR and liability concerns for municipalities.
• Farrar Bates BerexaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRyan Simmons with Farrar Bates Berexa presented on Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) claims prevention for the Partnering for Success webinar series.
• Corporate ImageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate Image provides media relations training through webinars, with former journalists helping municipal officials learn to handle media calls and develop relationships.
• ePlace Solutions, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJill Ostrove, Esq. provides recruiting best practices webinars to help municipalities hire safely and avoid preventable claims and lawsuits.
• Huber & Lamb Appraisal Group Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMurray Huber provides property valuation webinars covering replacement cost vs. actual cash value, market trends, and gifted properties for insurance purposes.
• Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicah Kahn from TOSHA provides safety culture training through the webinar series, helping municipalities develop and implement effective safety programs.
• Legal and Liability Risk Management Institute (LLRMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLLRMI presents the Law Enforcement Legal and Liability Risk Management Institute conference (May 4-6, 2026 in Deadwood, SD) focused on managing civil and criminal liability for law enforcement officers and agencies.
• PRIMA (Public Risk Management Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPRIMA provides the annual PRIMA Institute education program (October 19-23, 2026 in Old Town Alexandria, VA) and National Conference (June 7-10, 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, FL) for risk management professionals.
• TnPRIMA (Tennessee Public Risk Management Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTnPRIMA holds the annual Tennessee Public Risk Management Association State Conference (November 19-21 at Franklin Marriott Cool Springs), providing professional development and peer networking for risk managers.
• Tennessee Municipal League (TML)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTML hosts the annual legislative conference (March 2-3, 2026 in Nashville) where municipal officials network, hear from state leaders, and engage with legislators on issues affecting local government.
• MTAS (Municipal Technical Advisory Service)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMTAS collaborates with PEP on risk management training series covering workers' compensation and other municipal risk topics for Tennessee cities.
• Independent Actuaries and AuditorscoreOthersPEP utilizes recognized public entity experts including independent actuaries, auditors, and reinsurance professionals to ensure financial soundness and implement policies that serve to protect members.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority (MMRMA): MMRMA is a member-owned risk pool providing liability and property coverage to Michigan municipalities—the most structurally similar peer to PEP as a state-specific governmental risk pool with member dividend/surplus return programs.
• New Jersey Municipal Excess Liability Joint Insurance Fund (MEL JIF): MEL is a New Jersey municipal joint insurance fund providing excess liability, property, and workers' comp coverage to member municipalities—directly comparable to PEP in product mix and pool structure.
• California State Association of Counties - Excess Insurance Authority (CSAC-EIA): CSAC-EIA is a California public agency risk pool providing liability, property, workers' comp, and risk management services to counties and public entities—directly comparable in pooling structure and service breadth to PEP.
• Georgia Interlocal Risk Management Agency (GIRMA): GIRMA is a Georgia municipal risk pool providing liability, property, and workers' comp coverage to member cities—a near-direct functional equivalent to PEP in a different southeastern state.
• Wisconsin Municipal Insurance Commission (WMIC): WMIC is a Wisconsin governmental risk pool providing property, liability, and workers' compensation coverage to municipalities, offering a similar pooled, member-owned insurance model to PEP.

Broad incumbents

• Travelers: Travelers is a major national property and casualty insurer with a dedicated public-sector practice that competes against risk pools like PEP for larger municipal accounts and serves as a benchmark for commercial alternatives.
• Chubb: Chubb is a large global P&C insurer with a public entity division that offers liability and property coverage to municipalities, representing the broad commercial alternative to PEP's pooled approach.
• The Hartford: The Hartford is a major national P&C insurer with a significant public entity practice providing workers' comp, liability, and property coverage to municipalities—comparable as a competing risk-bearing alternative.
• Cincinnati Financial: Cincinnati Financial writes commercial property and casualty insurance for municipalities and small government entities through independent agents—comparable as a commercial P&C competitor to PEP's pool.

Others

• Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA): PRIMA is the national trade association for public sector risk managers, of which PEP is an active participant and scholarship partner. Not a direct competitor, but the central industry body shaping the risk pool ecosystem PEP operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/76996154

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Public Entity Partners