Cultural Access Program Grant Software

The vendor required to provide cultural access software program should manage the grant through its entire cycle and serve as a portal for communication between the applicant and grant manager(s).
- Core functions
•    The grant manager should be able to independently design, copy, and modify custom workflows, forms and reports to suit each grant type and cycle iteration. 
•    Forms should include file upload options, form logic, and admin-only question visibility. 
•    Ideally the file upload option would be reusable or on demand by the applicant and not require the applicant to combine multiple files into one submission.
•    Forms should also have a collaboration mechanism where the applicant can invite others to work on the form, preferably as guests and without login. 
•    Data should be accessible to the grant manager(s) through custom reports and have the ability to be merged into contract and email templates. 
•    The workflow system should be configurable with custom email templates that auto-send based on task completion, due dates, or dates pulled from form data. 
•    The grant making program should also serve as a communication hub between the grant manager and applicants with the ability to send out template emails, from scratch emails, or leave notes within the forms or on the applicant's dashboard. 
•    Ideally these communications would be visible between all grant managers.
- Desirable features
•    The applicant audience for this program will be nonprofits of all sizes working in the arts, culture, heritage, and science sectors. 
•    Strong ease of use for a diverse pool of applicants is essential. 
•    Multiple language access through on-page translation and ability for the applicant to complete forms on a variety of devices (phone, tablet, desktop browser) is desired. 
•    Strong video components such as the ability to embed instructional videos are preferable. 
•    Ideally, the software would also integrate with a service to collect signatures, like DocuSign. 
•    City would prefer DocuSign but it is not required. 
•    Proposer shall indicate the signing system that it uses. 
•    If the city must purchase an additional third-party system, the additional cost would be considered in the cost criteria.
- Data import, export and retention requirements
•    Include a mutually-agreed-upon data migration plan to import historical city data into the contractor’s system. 
•    The plan should include: inventory of data to be converted, data mapping, secure method of data transfer, validation and testing by city staff. 
•    Provide data mapping best practices between old system and new system. 
•    Provide a list of canned reports available and cost for customized report development (as needed). 
•    Methods available to the city to develop its own reports within the system. 
•    Ensure city can export data at any time without additional cost (self-service exports) and purchase professional services for customized data exports as needed. 
•    Support the ability to purge city data at the individual record level after records have passed their required retention period.
- Documentation
•    Services workflow, file layouts, system technical specifications (e.g., data transport mechanism requirements, port and firewall rules, secure networking requirements)
•    Message details as applicable (e.g., error handling, application alerts and notifications, filtering, throttling, queuing, transaction record retention period, and resending and republishing of messages) 
•    System monitoring and reporting (e.g., exceptions, transaction processing, bandwidth requirements for x transaction volume).
•    If the contractor does not have this documentation readily available, it should provide in its bid the cost for professional services to create this documentation for city’s use case.

- Contract Period/Term: 5 years
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: November 26, 2025