SCHOLARSHIP AWARD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. Question & Answers.

Mississippi State University
Request for Proposals (RFP) MSU2026069
Scholarship Award Management System
ISSUE DATE: April 29, 2026
ISSUING AGENCY: Office of Procurement Services
Mississippi State University
405 Garrard Road
Starkville, MS 39759
Sealed Proposals, subject to the conditions made a part hereof, will be May 20, 2026 at 2:00
PM in the MSU Office of Procurement and Contracts, same address above, for furnishing
services and potentially, optional services as described herein.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Indicate firm name, and RFP number on the front of each sealed
proposal envelope or package.
All inquiries concerning this RFP should be directed to:
Jay Rester
Office of Procurement and Contracts, (Same address above)
jrester@procurement.msstate.edu
662-325-2550
Any addendum associated with this RFP will be posted at
http://www.procurement.msstate.edu/procurement/bids/index.php located under RFP
MSU2026068. It is the respondent's responsibility to assure that all addenda have been
reviewed and if applicable, signed and returned.
1. UNIVERSITY OVERVIEW
Mississippi State University (MSU) is a comprehensive land grant university of 21,500+
students and approximately 5,000 faculty and staff. The main campus is located adjacent to the
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community of Starkville in northeast Mississippi, with a remote campus located in Meridian
with an enrollment of around 700 students. Additionally, the university operates several remote
agricultural experiment stations and has an Extension office located in each of the eighty-two
Mississippi counties.
Additional information about MSU can be found at our website www.msstate.edu.
2. INVITATION TO SUBMIT PROPOSAL ON RFP
The MSU Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (OFAS) is seeking a web/cloud-based
scholarship award management system that will enable the OFAS, the MSU Foundation, and
the academic colleges/departments to facilitate scholarship administration. This system will
allow these offices to manage scholarship applications and communications, import
incoming/current student data from Banner SIS, conduct reviews of scholarship applications,
select award recipients, and permit the awarding and renewal of scholarship awards. These
individual offices must be able to conduct these processes as separate units.
3. SCOPE OF SERVICES REQUIRED
The MSU OFAS desires a system which provides the functions needed to meet the scholarship
administration requirements. The scope of services includes, but is not limited to, the following:
a) Technical Requirements
The following requirements are absolute minimums that a vendor and their proposed system
must meet. If these requirements are not met, the proposal will be removed from
consideration. The vendor must provide a detailed description of how each of these
requirements will be met.
* System Architecture
Cloud-based, vendor-hosted Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution preferred
o
Scalable architecture capable of supporting future growth in users and
o
transactions
Secure, redundant data centers with disaster recovery and business continuity
o
plans
* Integration with student information systems, Ellucian Banner
* Standards-based APIs (REST, JSON, XML, or equivalent) for bi-directional data
exchange
* Support Single Sign-On (SSO) via SAML
* Support for Multi-Factor Authentication
b) Security and Compliance
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* System must be secure and meet all local, state, and federal data security standards
* System must be GDPR compliant
* Provide applicable certifications such as SOC2 documentation
* Provide a statement stating whether your company is compliant with FERPA,
GLBA, NACH, and Red Flag Regulation requirements
* Provide a completed Higher Education Cloud Vendor Assessment Tool (HECVAT)
(lite version available at https://www.ren-isac.net/public-resources/hecvat.html)
* Provide product interfaces that are compliant with WCAG 2.0 AA and provide
VPAT is available
* Does the system support two-factor authentication? If so, describe solution options
* Does your system support single sign-on (CAS, Shibboleth, or SAML)?
c) Users
* There must be no restrictions on the number of users in the system
* User permissions and accesses must be role based. Role-based permissions govern
each user's rights to add, edit, and view information within the system
* Users should be required to log into the system through MSU's single sign on
authentication service. The only exception would be for external references
d) Downloading/Uploading Reports and Documents
* Reports should be provided in multiple formats. Most reports, if not all, should be
viewable on screen with options to download in Excel, PDF, CSV, Word (.docx,
.rft), or API access
* Capability to upload artifacts or documents in multiple formats including but not
limited to Excel (.xlsx, .xls), Word (docx, .rtf), PDF, text, CSV formats, or API
support. Capability to upload image files such as .jpg or .tiff
e) Function
* System must have the ability to view and track the scholarship awarding for
incoming and current students
* System must allow for the creation of a generalized application for any scholarships
not tied to an academic college/department and the creation of individual
scholarship applications that can be used by the academic colleges/departments
* Our current system has 3,446+ portfolios, 47,515 student general application records
(increases daily), 196 imported data fields
* System must be capable of communicating with students during the various stages
of the scholarship application process. This includes award notification, post-
acceptance requirements, and award acceptance reminders
* System must allow for the tracking of all communications
* System must allow for renewable scholarships
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* Upon implementation, system must allow for the importing of historical scholarship
data for active students to allow the processing of existing renewable scholarships
* System must have the ability to label scholarships based on multiple criteria. For
example, labeling scholarships belonging to a certain academic college/department,
labeling need-based scholarships, labeling freshman only scholarships, etc.
* System must have the ability to add administrative notes/questions that can be
exported in report files
* System must have the ability to create customizable views on different grids
* System must have the ability to mass-update scholarship opportunity open and end
dates
* System must have the ability to create reviewer groups based on the generalized
application, academic college/departmental applications, and individual scholarship
opportunities
f) System Maintenance and Support
* System must be cloud based with a robust data security and backup plan. Provide
applicable certifications such as SOC2 and HECVAT Lite
* The vendor must implement software updates and updates to the system; however,
allowing MSU to implement these upgrades on its own timetable
* The vendor should include initial training and provide additional training as needed
* The vendor must provide email and phone supports in addition to a trouble ticket
system
* The vendor must provide details for maintenance, support, and problem escalation
procedures
* The vendor must provide the implementation plan and process including a timeline
4. INQUIRIES ABOUT RFP
Prospective respondents may make written inquiries concerning this request for proposal to
obtain clarification of requirements. Questions should be submitted either via a Word
document or plainly typed in the email itself. Responses to these inquiries may be made by
addendum to the Request for Proposal (RFP). Please send your inquiries to Jay Rester via
electronic mail at jrester@procurement.msstate.edu.
All inquiries should be marked "URGENT INQUIRY. MSU RFP MSU2026069"
5. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
a) Issuing Office
This RFP is issued by the following office:
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Office of Procurement Services
Mississippi State University
405 Garrard Road
Starkville, MS 39759
b) Schedule of Critical Dates
The following dates are for planning purposes only unless otherwise stated in this RFP
progress towards their completion is at the sole discretion of the university.
RFP Posted April 29, 2026
Questions from Vendors Due May 11, 2026
MSU Q&A Response Due May 13, 2026
Proposal Submission Deadline - 2:00 p.m. May 20, 2026
Award Date (Estimated) June 19, 2026
Contract Effective Date (Estimated) July 15, 2026
6. PROPOSAL CONTENTS
This is a two-step RFP process. The technical proposals and the cost proposals are to be
submitted in separate sealed envelopes. Indicate firm name, RFP# and word "Technical
Proposal" on the front of the sealed technical proposal envelope or package. Indicate the firm
name, RFP# and the word "Cost Proposal" on the front of the sealed proposal envelope or
package.
At a minimum, the following items should be included in the contents of the Technical
Proposal:
* Cover letter, indicating the scope of the proposal. The letter should include an overview
of the services being offered. The letter should include a statement of exceptions to any
of the terms and conditions outlined in this RFP. (Cover letter should be no more than 3
pages in length.)
* Corporate Structure and Credentials
Number of years of experience
o
Staffing levels and support proposed
o
Examples of previous work at universities of similar size and scope.
o
* Operations and Ability To Perform
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Provide operation plan. This should include, but not be limited to,
o
acknowledgement and agreement with all requirements as well as explanations,
where applicable, of the intended plan to achieve the requirements.
Describe how services will be provided to MSU.
o
* References
Please provide 3 references from other current higher education institutions
o
using your services/system. Include the name, address, and telephone number of
the contact who can speak knowledgeably about the quality timeliness, and cost
of your solution.
At a minimum, the following items should be included in the contents of the Cost Proposal:
* Fees for initial purchase of software/items/service (including all preparation,
installation, rollout, training and first year maintenance and support)
* Any annual maintenance, licensing, and support costs after initial purchase
7. DISCUSSIONS/EVALUATION CRITERIA/AWARD PROCESS
MSU reserves the right to conduct discussions with any or all respondents, or to make an award
of a contract without such discussions based only on evaluation of the written proposals. MSU
reserves the right to contact and interview anyone connected with any past or present projects
with which the respondent has been associated. MSU likewise reserves the right to designate a
review committee to evaluate the proposals according to the criteria set forth under this section.
MSU may make a written determination showing the basis upon which the award was made
and such determination shall be included in the procurement file.
MSU reserves the right to award this contract in whole or in part depending on what is in the
best interest of MSU with MSU being the sole judge thereof.
The evaluation factors set forth in this section are described as follows:
* The Vendor's ability to deliver an application meeting the overall objective and
functions described in the RFP
* Competitive fees
* Availability and access technical support
* Vendor's background and experience with similar flagship public institutions
* Compliance with applicable State and Federal laws and regulations
* The committee may invite finalists for interviews and/or presentations
Failure to attend a requested interview presentation before the committee may result in a
proposal not being considered.
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Upon award of contract(s), successful respondent(s) will be asked to provide a transition plan
and timeline and obtain MSU's input and concurrence before moving forward.
Proposals will be scored based on the following weights (100 points total):
* Corporate Structure/Years of Experience/References - 10 pts
* Operation Plan/Ease of Use/Services Offered - 50 pts
* Fees - 40 pts.
8. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
Proposals shall be submitted in two packages (envelopes or boxes) as set forth in Section 7.
Please make sure that the RFP number is clearly visible on the outside of the package.
Technical Proposal - One (1) original and one (1) electronic copy (of the complete technical
proposal in one pdf file on a flash drive) of parts 7(b)(i) (Cover Letter), 7(b)(ii) (Corporate
Structure and Credentials), and 7(b)(iii) (Operations and Ability to Perform) should be sealed in
a package with "Technical Proposal" in the lower left hand corner. Each submitted package
should be a complete copy.
Cost Proposal - One (1) original and one (1) electronic copy (of the complete cost proposal in
one pdf file on a flash drive). Should be sealed in a package with "Cost Proposal" in the lower
left-hand corner. Each submitted package should be a complete copy.
The proposal package must be received on or before 2:00 p.m. on May 20, 2026. It is the
responsibility of the respondent to ensure that the proposal package arrives in the Procurement
and Contracts office on-time. The proposal package should be delivered or sent by mail to:
Office of Procurement Services
Mississippi State University
405 Garrard Road
Starkville, MS 39759
Your response must include the signature page included in this RFP (See Appendix A) and
contain the signature of an authorized representative of the respondent's organization. The
signature on the "Original" signature page can be electronic.
MSU reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive informalities and minor
irregularities in proposals received and to accept any portion of a proposal or all items bid if
deemed in the best interest of the University to do so.
Proposals received after the stated due date and time will be returned unopened. Currently RFP
submissions via facsimile or other electronic means are not acceptable.
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9. PCI COMPLIANCE ISSUES (IF APPLICABLE)
The vendor must provide a PCI compliant processing environment using one of the approved
options below. If the vendor is unable to fully adhere to one of these options, the proposal will
be removed from consideration.
* Option 1 - Integrate with MSU's existing third-party solution (NelNet Business
Solutions - Commerce Manager), because all hardware, software and back end
processing have been vetted and credit/debit card payments are automatically posted to
Banner.
* Option 2 - Use alternative third-party solution. Use a different MSU Merchant ID but
same bank account.
Work with members of MSU's PCI Council and third-party PCI Compliance
o
consultant to review business needs and proposed solution.
Ensure card transactions processed by university personnel are performed using
o
a PCI-validated point to point encrypted (P2PE) solution. The solution must be
listed on the PCI council's website (https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org), must
not be expired, and devices to be used with the solution must have a PIN
transaction security (PTS) expiration date at least 3 years past the date of
installation.
Obtain the following solution information
o
Attestation of compliance (AoC) from all parties involved in handling or that
o
affect the security of cardholder data.
Verify that all devices have a current PTS certification and have an expiration
o
date at least 3 years past the installation date of the solution.
Obtain a data flow diagram showing where payment card data will be introduced
o
to the proposed solution and all steps/hops it will take until payment information
is delivered to the merchant processing bank. This will determine all of the
service providers that must provide an AoC.
Require specific reporting requirements and interfaces to support Banner
o
integration and automatic posting of credit/debit card payments to the ERP. The
exact file layout will be provided upon request.
* Option 3 - Use alternative third-party solution. Use vendor's Merchant ID.
Work with members of MSU's PCI Council and third-party PCI Compliance
o
consultant to review the solution.
Ensure card transactions processed by university personnel are performed using
o
a PCI-validated point to point encrypted (P2PE) solution. The solution must be
listed on the PCI council's website (https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org), must
not be expired, and devices to be used with the solution must have a PIN
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transaction security (PTS) expiration date at least 3 years past the date of
installation.
Obtain the following solution information
o
Attestation of compliance (AoC) from all parties involved in handling or that
o
affect the security of cardholder data.
Verify that all devices have a current PTS certification and have an expiration
o
date at least 3 years past the installation date of the solution.
Obtain a data flow diagram showing where payment card data will be introduced
o
to the proposed solution and all steps/hops it will take until payment information
is delivered to the merchant processing bank. This will determine all of the
service providers that must provide an AoC.
Payments due MSU will be remitted on a predetermined basis, net of all
o
applicable fees and merchant discounts. Banner integration not required.
10. TWO-PHASE, BEST AND FINAL OFFER
If the initial proposals do not provide MSU with a clear and convincing solution, or if MSU
feels it is appropriate to offer the potential providers an opportunity to submit revised proposals,
MSU reserves the right to use a two-phase approach and/or invite Best and Final Offers
(BAFO). Based on the information obtained through the proposal submittals (Phase-One), MSU
may choose a specific business model, and potential providers may be asked to submit revised
proposals based upon that specific model.
The evaluation committee may develop, for distribution to the top-ranked firms, refined written
terms with specific information on what is being requested as a result of information obtained
through initial RFP submittal process. Proposers may be asked to reduce cost or provide
additional clarification to specific sections of the RFP. Selected proposers are not required to
submit a BAFO and may submit a written response notifying the solicitation evaluation
committee that their response remains as originally submitted.
11. TERM OF CONTRACT
It is MSU's intention to enter into a two (2) year contract, estimated to begin July 15, 2026.
MSU reserves the right to terminate this agreement with thirty (30) days-notice, by the Director
of Procurement and Contracts via certified mail to the address listed on the signature page of
this RFP (See Appendix A) if any of the terms of the proposal and/or contract are violated.
In the event the contractor fails to carry out and comply with any of the conditions and
agreements to be performed under the specifications, MSU will notify the contractor, in
writing, of such failure or default. In the event the necessary corrective action has not been
completed within a ten (10) day period, the contractor must submit, in writing, why such
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corrective action has not been performed. The University reserves the right to determine
whether or not such noncompliance may be construed as a failure of performance of the
contractor.
Termination of contract by contractor without cause can only occur with at least one-hundred
and twenty (120) days-notice prior to the proposed termination of the contract.
In the event MSU employs attorneys or incurs other expenses it considers necessary to protect
or enforce its rights under this contract, the contractor agrees to pay the attorney's fees and
expenses so incurred by MSU.
12. ACCEPTANCE TIME
Proposal shall be valid for one-hundred and eighty (180) days following the proposal due date.
13. RFP CANCELLATION
This RFP in no manner obligates MSU to the eventual purchase of any services described,
implied or which may be proposed until confirmed by a written contract. Progress towards this
end is solely at the discretion of MSU and may be terminated without penalty or obligations at
any time prior to the signing of a contract. MSU reserves the right to cancel this RFP at any
time, for any reason, and to reject any or all proposals or any parts thereof.
14. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR CLAUSE
The contractor shall acknowledge that an independent contractor relationship is established and
that the employees of the contractor are not, nor shall they be deemed employees of MSU and
that employees of MSU are not, nor shall they be deemed employees of the contractor.
15. DISCLOSURE OF PROPOSAL CONTENTS
Proposals will be kept confidential until evaluations and award are completed by MSU. At that
time, all proposals and documents pertaining to the proposals will be open to the public, except
for material that is clearly marked proprietary or confidential.
IMPORTANT! The offeror/proposer should mark any and all pages of the proposal considered
to be proprietary information which may remain confidential in accordance with Mississippi
Code Annotated 25619 and 7923 1 (1972, as amended). Each page of the proposal that the
proposer considers trade secrets or confidential commercial or financial information should be
on a different color paper than nonconfidential pages and be marked in the upper right hand
corner with the word "CONFIDENTIAL."
Failure to clearly identify trade secrets or confidential commercial or financial information will
result in that information being released subject to a public records request.
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