Provision of a Cloud-Based Grant Management System

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1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

The Arts Council requires a cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) Grant Management System (GMS) to replace its existing, decade-old platform. The primary objective is risk mitigation and service continuity for the distribution of public funding to the arts sector. The new system must support the entire grant lifecycle, from application to post-award monitoring, for applicants, assessors, panellists, and Arts Council staff.

The scope encompasses:

• System Provision: A mature, proven, cloud-hosted SaaS product or platform.
• Configuration: Primarily using established product functionality, with limited development or extension permitted only where necessary. A bespoke software development solution is not envisaged.
• Data Migration: Transfer of data from legacy systems and spreadsheets.
• User Management: Role-based access and personalised portal views for various user types.
• Grant Lifecycle Support:
• Funding application submission.
• Assessment workflows, including reviewer assignment, scoring, and feedback.
• Decision-making and award administration.
• Post-award monitoring.
• Form Management: No-code, configurable input forms with conditional logic, file uploads, eligibility screening, multi-phase submissions, and duplicate/conflict checks.
• Collaboration: Review panel functionality and collaborative assessment workflows.
• Audit Trails: Full audit histories for edits, actions, and communications.
• Integration: Interoperability with existing and future finance, accounting, identity, email, and reporting platforms.
• Bilingual Service: Support for Irish and English language delivery.
• Accessibility: Compliance with accessibility requirements.
• Reporting: Dashboards and reporting on volumes, approvals, spend, and outcomes.
• Security & Resilience: Information security, data protection, resilience, backup, and disaster recovery capabilities, aligning with public sector best practice and emerging NIS2 requirements.
• Implementation Services: Including testing, training, change support, and guided transition to live service.
• Ongoing Support: Maintenance, technical support, upgrades, service management, and reporting.

A phased implementation approach, including a Proof of Concept (PoC) using a live funding programme, is planned post-contract award.

3. Background & buyer context

The Arts Council is the Irish government agency responsible for developing the arts. Its current Grant Management System (GMS) is over a decade old and has exceeded its supported lifecycle. This presents significant operational, cybersecurity, governance, and business continuity risks. The procurement is driven by the need to mitigate these risks and ensure the continued secure, reliable, and efficient distribution of public funding. The strategy "Making Great Art Work" guides the Arts Council's operations. The procurement aligns with national and EU regulations, including the Employment Equality Acts and the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty, aiming to embed inclusive practices and sustainable procurement principles. The organisation's strategic preference is for a cloud-first, off-the-shelf solution with minimal custom development.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Criterion Requirement