Municipal Employees Benefits Program

What Municipal Employees Benefits Program does

Municipal Employees Benefits Program (MEBP) is a statutory, trust-administered benefits program that delivers a defined benefit pension plan, a disability income plan, and a group insurance plan to employees and their families of Manitoba municipal and quasi-municipal organizations. The plan is governed by an 8-member Board of Trustees with equal employer and member representation (4 trustees each) and has been administered by Coughlin & Associates Ltd. since April 2017. Membership and contributions are mandatory under Manitoba's legislative framework; full-time employees are enrolled upon hire, with part-time and seasonal employees becoming eligible after earning 25% of the Year's Maximum Pensionable Earnings in two consecutive years. Employer matching covers employee pension contributions, and the program also offers post-retirement life insurance with graduated reductions terminating in a $5,000 paid-up policy at age 75.

MEBP's core technology stack consists of a web-based pension administration platform operated by Coughlin, including an online Pension Calculator (portal.coughlin.ca) that lets active members generate 24/7 retirement estimates using a defined-benefit formula based on average earnings and pension service. The Defined Benefit Pension Formula separates benefits from investment performance, while the disability and insurance offerings operate alongside it: disability income provides up to 70% income replacement ceasing 18 weeks before age 65, and the group insurance plan bundles Basic Life, Basic AD&D, Optional Life, Family Life, and Voluntary AD&D coverage, with Manitoba Blue Cross as the underwriting partner and Constant Contact used for employer communications.

The program runs on a contribution-and-premium-based revenue model rather than commercial sales. Employee and employer contributions (8.3% up to YMPE plus 9.5% above YMPE each, with employer matching) flow to the pension plan; the Disability Income Plan applies a 1.6% contribution rate on pensionable earnings effective the first pay period of January 2024; and insurance is priced on a unit basis (e.g., Basic Life at $0.19 per $1,000 of coverage per month, Voluntary AD&D tiered between $0.75 and $11.25 per month). Distribution is employer-mediated across Manitoba, with member-facing support delivered via in-person appointments, phone, video conferencing, email, webinars, and the self-service pension portal. Pension payments are issued via direct deposit on the second-last banking day of each month.

Name

Municipal Employees Benefits Program

Legal name

Municipal Employees Benefits Program

Website

https://mebp.mb.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Municipal Employees Benefits Program (MEBP) administers a defined benefit pension plan, disability income plan, and group insurance for employees and families of Manitoba municipal and quasi-municipal organizations, governed by an 8-member Board of Trustees and administered by Coughlin & Associates Ltd.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Pension and Benefits Administration

NAICS

Pension Funds (52511), Health and Welfare Funds (525120), Other Insurance Funds (525190)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Life Insurance (6311), Accident & Health Insurance (6321)

akta.pro primary industry

Benefits Administration (BPACAPAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ancillary Employer Benefits (Life/Disability/Accident/Critical Illness) (HLAEAAAK), Group Disability Income Insurance (Employer-Sponsored) (FSAIAIAB)

Keywords

• Municipal pension administration
• Defined benefit pension plan
• Disability income insurance
• Group life insurance
• Government employee benefits

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Pension Plan Contributions: Both employees and employers contribute fixed percentages of pensionable earnings. Employee pays 8.3% up to YMPE plus 9.5% above YMPE; employer matches employee contributions.
2. Disability Income Plan Contributions: Effective first pay period in January 2024, contributions are 1.6% of pensionable earnings
3. Group Insurance Premiums: Basic Life Insurance at $0.19 per $1,000 of coverage per month (effective Jan 1, 2023); Family Life at $2.10 per month; Optional Life and Voluntary AD&D at varying rates based on coverage amount selected
4. Plan Administration Services: Administration provided by Coughlin & Associates Ltd. since April 2017; cost-effective pension and benefit services to Manitoba municipal employers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Municipal Employees Benefits Program (MEBP) is a trust-governed, employer-mediated benefits program for Manitoba municipal and quasi-municipal employees and their families. It bundles a Defined Benefit Pension Plan (employee plus employer contributions on a formula-based benefit), a Disability Income Plan providing income replacement up to 70% of pensionable earnings, and a Group Insurance Plan (Basic Life, Optional Life, Family Life, and Voluntary AD&D coverage). Day-to-day administration is delivered by Coughlin & Associates Ltd. through a web-based portal that includes a 24/7 online pension calculator and direct-deposit monthly pension payments.

Product overview

MEBP is a multi-benefit program administered by Coughlin & Associates Ltd. that provides three core products: a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, a Disability Income Plan (DIP), and a Group Insurance Plan. The Group Insurance Plan consists of five components including Basic Life Insurance with AD&D, Optional Life Insurance, Family Life Insurance, and Voluntary AD&D. Members also have access to an Online Pension Calculator for self-service retirement planning. The program serves Manitoba municipal and quasi-municipal employees and their families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Municipal Employees Pension Plan A defined benefit pension plan providing retirement benefits determined by a formula based on average earnings and pension service, with employee and employer contributions set as fixed percentages of pensionable earnings (employee 8.3% up to YMPE plus 9.5% above; employer matches). Available to eligible employees of Manitoba municipal and quasi-municipal organizations.
• Disability Income Plan A disability insurance plan providing income replacement up to 70% of pensionable earnings for members unable to work due to illness or injury, with coverage ceasing 18 weeks prior to age 65. Funded through member and employer contributions at 1.6% of pensionable earnings.
• Group Insurance Plan A consolidated group insurance plan with five coverage components: Basic Life Insurance, Basic Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D), Optional Life Insurance, Family Life Insurance, and Voluntary AD&D, delivered through Manitoba Blue Cross and bundled for Manitoba municipal employees and their families under monthly premium-based pricing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Disability income replacement up to 70% of pensionable earnings
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Coughlin & Associates Ltd.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 April 2017Coughlin & Associates Ltd. has been providing administration for MEBP since April 2017. They handle day-to-day pension administration, member communications, contribution processing, and provide member support through phone, email, video conferencing, and in-person meetings. Located at 1403 Kenaston Blvd, Winnipeg MB.
• Blue Cross (Manitoba)coreTechnology or IntegrationManitoba Blue Cross provides group insurance products for MEBP including Basic Life Insurance, Optional Life, Family Life, and Voluntary Accidental Death & Dismemberment coverage. Blue Cross forms and attending physician statements are used for insurance claims.
• Reciprocal Transfer Agreement PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEBP has reciprocal transfer agreements with multiple Registered Pension Plan (RPP) administrators, allowing members to transfer credited service and employment service between plans. This facilitates career mobility across public sector employers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BC Municipal Pension Plan: Jointly trusteed DB pension plan for British Columbia municipal employees — directly comparable in target membership, regulatory framework, and product offering to MEBP.
• Saskatchewan Pension Plan: Multi-employer pension plan operating in Saskatchewan — comparable in structure and cross-employer design to MEBP, though with a broader eligibility footprint.
• Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP): HOOPP provides defined benefit pensions and ancillary benefits to Ontario's healthcare sector; structurally similar to MEBP as a multi-employer public sector DB pension plan with disability and ancillary benefits.
• OMERS: Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System administers a multi-product defined benefit pension and benefits program for Ontario municipal employees — the closest analog to MEBP in structure, membership base, and product mix.
• Ontario Public Service Pension Plan: DB pension and ancillary benefits for Ontario public service employees — comparable structure and product offering to MEBP, though focused on provincial rather than municipal employees.
• Local Authorities Pension Plan (LAPP): Alberta's LAPP provides defined benefit pensions and ancillary benefits to municipal and public sector workers — directly comparable plan structure and municipal employee base to MEBP.

Broad incumbents

• Manitoba Blue Cross: Manitoba's largest health and group insurance provider and MEBP's actual insurance partner for Basic Life, Optional Life, Family Life, and AD&D coverage — operates across the same employer-sponsored group benefits market as MEBP.

Others

• People Corporation: Canadian provider of group benefits, retirement, and HR solutions, parent of Coughlin & Associates — serves the same Canadian employer benefits market that MEBP's participating employers could otherwise access.
• Coughlin & Associates Ltd. Third-party pension and benefits administrator that has administered MEBP since April 2017 — comparable as an ecosystem participant providing the operational backbone for similar Canadian multi-employer benefit plans.

Regional players

• Manitoba Civil Service Superannuation Board: Operates within Manitoba, administering the Manitoba Civil Service Superannuation Plan — directly comparable provincial DB pension plan, but covers provincial rather than municipal employees.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/municipal-employees-benefits-program

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Municipal Employees Benefits Program