Your Guide to Writing a Grant Management Software RFP

Transcription

1 Your Guide to Writing a Grant Management Software RFP Background The AmpliFund team has reviewed and responded to hundreds of grant management software request for proposals (RFPs) for organizations of all sizes. We re also well-versed on current legislative requirements stemming from the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA Act), OMB s Uniform Grant Guidance (UGG) and the Treasury Do Pay Initiative. Drawing from these experiences, we re here to help. This document contains a template grant management software RFP that your organization can customize to meet your software goals. Use it to more effectively assess and select your ideal grant management software vendor. Getting Started Finding a grant management software solution that meets both your organization s needs and federal compliance regulations can be daunting. A well-written RFP, however, can put your organization on the path to success by effectively documenting program goals; features, functionality and services required; scoring criteria; and implementation details. Vendors will then be able to accurately scope services, costs and timelines to align with your needs, and you ll be able to review an apples-to-apples comparison of available options. To build your RFP, you ll first need a firm understanding of your organization s current grant management processes, ideal future state, key stakeholders, ancillary systems, fixed points, timelines and budget. Need help? Our Grant Management Software Purchase Evaluation Guide walks you step-by-step through this assessment process. With these details in hand, you re ready to start writing! For a fully customizable version, please marketing@streamlinksoftware.com

2 Grant Management Software RFP Template Organization Name The cover page should include your organization s name, a main point of contact, address, phone, fax, , and website. Solicitation Title For example: RFP 1234 Enterprise Grants Management System RFP Schedule Summary RFP Released Questions Due Proposals Due Product Demonstrations Selection ification Contract Negotiation Project Kickoff System Go-Live Submission Details Bids must be received at: Bid opening: Purchasing agent: Telephone:

3 Organization Background This section will be custom to your organization. Start your RFP with an executivelevel snapshot of your organization. Provide a brief history of the company or agency (including current grant management processes/systems), the purpose of the RFP, and the business value that you would like to see achieved. Project Overview This section will be custom to your organization. Outline high-level project details, including:. Average annual grant revenue that will be managed within the system.. Important Dates will adhere to the following anticipated timeline when collecting and evaluating RFP responses. This timeline is subject to change based on needs. Any changes made to this timeline will be posted at. RFP released: Proposals due: Vendor shortlist announced: Training completed: System go-live: would like to adhere to the following software installation timeline.

4 Instructions for Responding will be the main point of contact during the RFP process. He/she can be reached at Bidder questions and final proposals should be submitted to via according to the timeline outlined on the RFP cover page. Evaluation Criteria. Evaluation Factors Total Points Functional and Technical Requirements 40% Implementation Services 15% Pricing (includes initial, one-time fees and ongoing costs) 30% Experience, Staffing, References 15% Submission Contents Proposal submissions must include the following content, organized as outlined below. Failure to comply with the required formatting may result in disqualification. Tab 1: Transmittal Letter Letter signed by a binding officer of your company, briefly outlining your understanding of the scope of this project, your ability to meet meet the requirements outlined in this RFP, and a primary point of contact (including contact information). Tab 2: Functional/Technical Requirements Include completed vendor information, functional requirements, and hosting matrices. Tab 3: Implementation Services Include completed services matrix and a sample project plan. Tab 4: Pricing Include completed cost proposal matrix. Tab 5: References Provide a brief overview of your firms experience, staffing and three relevant project references.

5 Vendor Information Provide details on your company below. Basic Company Information Company Name Company Address Company Website Main Products/Services Main Market/Customers Ownership Structure with Ownership Status in Percentage Structure of Mother Corporation, Joint Ventures, Subsidiaries, Partnerships or Other Relevant Relations Number of Years on Market Company Location(s) Contact Information Contact Person Responsible for RFP Contact Phone Number Contact Address

6 Functional Requirements Indicate which of the three categories your product meets for each requirement. Provide explanations and notes as needed. Categories: 1. : Feature is built into the core product at base price. 2. : to the product is required to enable this functionality. 3. : available in the core product and cannot be added. as Grantor Functional Requirement es Build and publish online applications Application materials customizable per opportunity Scoring parameters customizable per question/opportunity Capture application submissions and associated documentation online Automatically check applications for accuracy and completeness Lock opportunities after posted due date, disabling late submissions Manage application review/ evaluation workflows (identify and assign reviewer roles, timelines, etc.)

7 as Grantor Functional Requirement es Assign external users as reviewers Reviewer comments can be marked public (available to other reviewers) or private Individual scores from each review, as well as summary scoring for all reviews Send status updates and other communications (including notification of decisions) to grant applicants Receive communications (as needed) from grant applicants Allow updated grant application materials/revisions from applicants after the posted due date Approve and create awards for selected recipients Application materials (budgets and performance plans) prepopulate within system for ongoing management by award recipient Prepare contract and grant terms based on standard templates Accept and process electronic signatures

8 as Grantor Functional Requirement es Process changes and amendments made to grants post-award Approve and track payments/ refunds to recipients Create fund distributions, containing one or more sources of funding Track budget and performance for fund distributions Multiple grants can be grouped together for a single funding opportunity A single grant can be segmented into multiple funding opportunities Report on budget and performance data entered into system by recipients

9 Applicants Functional Requirement es Searchable online database of available funding opportunities Easily complete and submit applications for funding opportunities Multiple users can collaborate on a single application Track progress of application throughout evaluation and scoring Receive funding award/denial notifications Recipients Functional Requirement es Awards can be managed within the system (budget and performance) forms can be filled out and submitted Reporting capabilities

10 Recipients Functional Requirement es Reports can be submitted within the platform Upload documents and share with funder as Grantee Functional Requirement es Search online databases of available funding opportunities, including grants.gov Receive automatic notifications of grants that meet saved search criteria Create new grant/project records Modify descriptive data about grant (e.g. program type, grant number, project title) Assign unique number to each grant/project

11 Functional Requirement es Assign and modify budget data associated with a grant Adjust budgets during grant lifecycle with proper approval Create, assign, track and measure performance goals (numerical, percentage change, percent achieved) Delegate portions of goals to specific projects or initiatives Fully manage organization projects or initiatives including tasks, deadlines, data and communications Upload and associate documents with grants, projects, contacts, etc. Link multiple grants to one project or category Segment grants into multiple projects, including splitting budget and performance activity data Define and customize workflows based on funding type, approvals required and agency needs Calendar function to track deadlines, tasks and assignments

12 Functional Requirement es Assign workflow notifications and reminders Differentiate budget allocation spread by year and month over the grant s life Differentiate budget allocation spread inside performance goals Track staff time with supervisor approval and time and effort certification Manage funding sources and track cash receipts Apply indirect cost percentages by grant or category Reconcile estimated indirect costs with actuals Access the full grant data repository with configurable reporting Configure standard and custom reports (e.g. budget spend down, sub-recipient performance completion) Output reports to PDF and Excel

13 Functional Requirement es Control grant reporting tracking intervals Support drill-down reporting to view underlying details Report on what each subrecipient achieves and expenses, as well as variances Roll up grant budget and performance activity data into one project Maintain auditable trail of all system activity with date, time and user ID Ability to search or filter to find a particular set of grants, documents or communications within system All data (including recipient, budget, performance, etc.) is captured as unique data elements

14 Security & Infrastructure Functional Requirement es Compatible with most webbrowsers, including but not limited to Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari and Firefox via Windows and Mac operating systems Entirely web-based, not requiring the installation of software Handle storage, extraction and retrieval of unlimited large attachments, including but not limited to PDF, DOC, XLS, and JPEG Handle unlimited concurrent user sessions Require users to login using a unique username and password Security features to restrict access according to user role Communicate with other data structures via an established API Data exportable in Excel format at any time Execute redundant server management

15 Security & Infrastructure Functional Requirement es Execute robust data backup processes Encrypt data in transit and at rest Hosting Provide basic details on infrastructure and hosting below. Licensing Structure Hosted SaaS Standard Install Hosting Provider If Hosted: Security Is Certified By Application Uptime Maximum Number of Users Maximum Storage

16 Services Comment on services and support that will be provided as part of this project. If additional costs will be incurred, please note. Implementation Services Support Description Additional Cost (Y/N) Training Program Scope of Training Offered (number of sessions, sample program outline, onsite vs. remote, etc.) Business Requirements Gathering and Configuration of the Solution Project Management Data Loading/Migration Services Documentation Provided (Technical and Support) Integration Support

17 Ongoing Services Support Description Additional Cost (Y/N) 24/7 Help Desk Live Customer Support Dedicated Account Manager Support Response Times Online Support/Resources Timing & Frequency of Software Updates/Upgrades Project Plan Submit a detailed project plan to meet the requirements and timeline outlined in the Project Overview. If unable to meet the proposed timeline, please include a proposed timeline that can be achieved.

18 Relevant Experience Provide a brief overview of your firm's experience and staffing, including past relevant projects. References Provide references for three customers, preferably in that have used your grant management software within the last three years. sector, Reference #1 Organization Website Contact Name Contact Title Address Phone Number Project Description Reference #2 Organization Website Contact Name Contact Title Address Phone Number Project Description

19 Reference #3 Organization Website Contact Name Contact Title Address Phone Number Project Description Cost Proposal Submit a detailed cost proposal in the format provided below. All initial and ongoing fees must be included. Add line items as necessary to complete the project as outlined within this RFP (including items marked Yes in the Services section of your response). Be sure to list any assumptions regarding what is included within each fee (example: onsite vs. remote training, number of training sessions, number of report templates, etc.). Break expenses down by one-time and ongoing fees. Product Implementation Fee (One Time) Annual Fee (Ongoing) Subscription fee Internal user licenses External (recipient) user licenses Maintenance

20 Product Implementation Fee (One Time) Annual Fee (Ongoing) Hosting Training Implementation Services (Business Requirements Gathering and Configuration of the Solution, Project Management) Data Loading/Migration Services Documentation (Technical and Support) Integration Support Customization Requirements (for all customizations marked within the Functional Requirements matrix) Other Fees