Auction Fundraising Platform

The University of Washington is seeking an auction fundraising platform through a Request for Proposal (RFP) to provide comprehensive event registration and management services for multiple university departments, including University Advancement Gift Services and the Office of Merchant Services. The procurement is designed to support both virtual and in-person auction events with robust technological capabilities, requiring vendors to deliver a platform that offers customizable interfaces, self-service registration, payment processing, in-kind donation tracking, and comprehensive reporting services. Vendors must demonstrate PCI-DSS compliance and the ability to handle multiple departments with separate accounting practices, with system integration capabilities for existing university infrastructure. Critical technical requirements include real-time credit card payment processing, support for multiple auction formats, and detailed reporting functionalities. The RFP was released on February 14, 2025, with vendor questions due by March 10, 2025, and complete proposals required by April 28, 2025. The initial contract term is set for one year beginning around July 1, 2025, with provisions for three optional three-year renewal periods.

The university has established voluntary participation goals for minority and women-owned businesses, specifically targeting 6% Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and 4% Women Business Enterprise (WBE) involvement in this procurement. The contract will be available to all University of Washington campuses, including locations in Seattle, Tacoma, and Bothell, which suggests potential for broad utilization across the university system. While no specific budget amount is explicitly stated in the available documentation, the comprehensive nature of the required services indicates a potentially significant contract value. The procurement appears open to various technology vendors capable of meeting the detailed technical and operational requirements, with a focus on finding a solution that can efficiently manage complex auction fundraising needs across multiple university departments. No incumbent vendor information was provided in the available documents, and the RFP seems to be seeking a new solution to replace or enhance existing auction management processes.