Scholarship Award Management Software

The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) is conducting a Request for Proposals (RFP #VCCS-WIDE-25-69091) to procure a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) Scholarship Award Management Software for its 23 colleges and central agencies. The software must provide a comprehensive, paperless solution for managing scholarship applications, including online student application processes, administrator interfaces for scholarship management, application review, award processes, and student communications. Key deliverables include a flexible, configurable system with automated workflow management, robust reporting capabilities, and integration with the existing PeopleSoft Student Information System. The evaluation criteria will assess proposals based on plans and methodology (20%), experience and qualifications (20%), technical requirements (15%), maintenance and support (15%), proposed pricing (10%), and small business plan (20%). Proposals are due on August 29, 2024, at 2:30 PM EST, with questions accepted via email to Aubrey Wilcher until August 2, 2024, at 5:00 PM EST. The contract term is four years, with eight two-year renewal options at VCCS's discretion.

The RFP encourages small business participation, with 20% of the evaluation weighting dedicated to the small business subcontracting plan. Current scholarship management solutions across VCCS colleges include Blackbaud, AwardSpring, and Foundant, indicating no single incumbent vendor. The system must comply with extensive security requirements, including storing all data within the continental United States and maintaining SOC 2 Type II certification. While no specific budget has been defined, vendors can propose pricing based on enrollment statistics available on vccs.edu. The VCCS does not guarantee usage by any specific entity but intends to award one or more contracts through competitive negotiation. The software must support multiple languages, including Spanish, and provide data retention capabilities for five years after student graduation or withdrawal. Integration capabilities with the existing PeopleSoft system are crucial, with each college managing its own software instance and the System Office handling integrations.