Grant Management Software Recommendation Copyrighted
June 4, 2018
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 15.
ITEM TITLE: Grant Management Software Recommendation
SUMMARY: City Manager recommending approval of the selection of
eCivis to provide grant management software.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Approve
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Grant Management Software Recommendation-NNM City Manager Memo
Memo
Staff Memo - Grant Management Software Staff Memo
Recommendation
Citywide Grants Management Software Supporting Documentation
Cost of Service Supporting Documentation
THE CITY OF Dubuque
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Grant Management Software Recommendation
DATE: May 29, 2018
Four proposals were received in response to a Request for Proposal for a firm to
provide grant management software. After review of the proposals, the RFP Review
Committee selected three firms to give a demonstration, however, one of the firms
declined.
The RFP Review Committee recommends City Council approval of the selection of
eCivis to provide grant management software because of their ability to search for grant
opportunities, ability to track subrecipients within the software, and intuitive layout and
ease of use.
The implementation cost will be a one-time fee of$12,500 and includes data integration
and on-site training and implementation. There is also a yearly licensing fee that is
contingent on the number of users. With an estimated 30 users, the yearly licensing fee
would be $32,250. Both amounts were within the budgeted amounts for the project.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
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Mic ael C. Van Milligen �� �
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Jean Nachtman, Finance Director
THE CTTY OF Dubuque
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2013 2017
TO: Michael C. VanMilligen, City Manager
FROM: Jean Nachtman, Finance Director
SUBJECT: Grant Management Software Recommendation
DATE: May 21 , 2018
INTRODUCTION
A Grant Management Software committee was established to review proposals and
recommend a firm to provide grant management software to the City. Committee
members included; Jean Nachtman, Finance Director; Chris Kohlmann, Information
Services Manager; Tami Lansing, Assistant Finance Director; Arielle Swift, Accountant;
Bob Schiesl, Assistant City Engineer; Erica Haugen, CDBG/HCV Supervisor; John
Tharp, Grant Administrator; and Dawn Young, Confidential Account Clerk,
The committee developed a Grant Management Software Request for Proposal (RFP).
The RFP was posted on the City of Dubuque website on February 20, 2018.
DISCUSSION
Four firms submitted proposals: eCivis, Innovation Network, Streamlyne & Wizehive
The committee reviewed the proposals. Three firms were selected for demos: eCivis,
Innovation Network, and Steamlyne. Streamlyne declined the demo after a phone call
in which they expressed concern that their current software wouldn't meet our needs.
After viewing both eCivis and Innovation Network's demos, the committee
recommended moving forwarding with eCivis. Significant factors for selecting eCivis
include; 1) ability to search for grant opportunities; 2) ability to track subrecipients within
the software; 3) intuitive layout and ease of use.
The implementation cost will be a one-time fee of $12,500 and includes data integration
and on-site training and implementation. There is also a yearly licensing fee that is
contingent on the number of users. With an estimated 30 users, the yearly licensing fee
would be $32,250. Both amounts were within our budgeted amounts for the project.
Based on the consensus of the committee, I recommend seeking City Council approval
to issue a contract with eCivis.
A copy of the eCivis proposal and dollar cost bid are enclosed.
ACTION
The audit services review committee requests your review and submission to the City
Council for the approval of eCivis to be the vendor for the Grant Management software
for the City of Dubuque. If there are any questions on the process or recommendation,
please feel free to contact me. Thank you for your consideration.
TLL
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Jenny Larson, Budget Director
Chris Kohlman, Information Services Manager
2
City of Dubuque
Request for Proposals 2018
Citywide Grants Management Software
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Table of contents
CoverPage................................................................................................................................................. 1
1. Executive Summary..................................................................................................................... 3
2. Contact Information and Organizational Information .......................................................... 4
3. Qualifications and Experience ................................................................................................... 5
4. Service Proposal .......................................................................................................................... 7
5. Scope of Works........................................................................................................................... 8
6. Cost of Service .................................................................................... Separate Sealed Envelope
7. Identification of Subcontractors ................................................................................................ 21
8. Attachment A—Authorized Representative Certification Form (in packet)
9. Attachment B—RFP Requirements &Specifications (in Packet)
2
1. Executive Summary
March 2, 2018
Dear Readers,
eCivis is pleased to present this response to the City of Dubuque's solicitation for a Citywide Grants
Management Solution. This proposal responds to each of the requirements of the City's Request for
Proposal and outlines our expertise in delivering effective grant solutions to improve the impact of your
grant funded projects on your communities. eCivis meets each of the primary objectives outlined in the
RFP: A robust Grant Research Tool, Grant Tracking and Management centralized for all departments
throughout the city, that interfaces with your Finance System.
Our goal is to do more than simply automate your current process. We are focused on improving and
eliminating ad hoc processes to increase standardization within the City. Collectively, our experience
includes Harris County,The City of Los Angeles, The City of McAllen,The City of Aurora and the City of
Denver as clients. eCivis provides a grants management system used by thousands of government
offices.
We are delighted to offer our services to support Dubuque on its journey to a more automated,
streamlined and cost-efficient grants management program. We believe our sole focus on state and
local government, process design expertise and ongoing professional support will help maximize the
impact of each grant dollar while eliminating administrative burden of the City's staff. We look forward
to an opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities
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James Ha
Chief Executive Officer
eCivis, Inc.
418 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Suite 301
Pasadena, CA 91103
3
2. Contact Information and Organizational Information
Authorized Contactto Execute Contract
Ryan Baird, Executive Director
Office: 626-204-5363
Email: rbaird(a�ecivis.com
Fax: 626.578.6632
RFP Questions- Mark Manfre
Authorized Negotiator- Mark Manfre
Mark Manfre
eCivis Senior Account Executive
Office: 480-696-8847
Email: mmanfre(a�ecivis.com.
Fax: 626.578.6632
eCivis, Inc.
418 N. Fair Oaks Ave,Suite 301
Pasadena, CA 91103
https://www.eCivis.com
Phone: 877-232-4847
4
3. Qualifications and Experience
Founded in 2000,eCivis provides grants management services to state and local governments and
nonprofits across the United States. eCivis was established in 2000 and registered in the State of
Delaware as an S-Corporation on August 26, 2004. eCivis Grants Network '"'is a grants management
system used by thousands of government offices and is the foundation for some of the most successful
grant organizations in the country. Grants Network '"' incorporates over a decade of best practices from
dozens of successful grant organizations into a single,seamless grants management solution to ensure
eCivis customers benefit from proven processes and efficient workflow. Our mission is to transform and
simplify the grant funding process to help enrich the communities our clients serve. Today, we continue
the strong tradition of relying on government leaders and innovators to help us shape our product. We
work with an exceptional Client Advisory Board and maintain strong partnerships with government
associations and leaders.
eCivis'Grants Network'"'grants management system provides end-to-end grant lifecycle automation.
Grants Network '"'is a commercial off the shelf(COTS)vendor-hosted system. Our Software as a Service
(SaaS) solution promotes consistency in application,while allowing the customer to configure workflows
and processes in a simple the accuracy of both internal and external reporting.
eCivis engagements are focused on combining programmatic grant data with financial information to
create transparency, increase compliance and eliminate ad hoc reports and processes. By focusing on
these elements eCivis has designed software features to eliminate time spent on grant activities and the
retrieval and processing of data throughout the grants lifecycle. In selecting eCivis, the Department will
implement a highly scalable, proven and effective grants management system that requires little to no
support from IT, allowing both grantor and grantee resources to reduce the administrative burdens of
the grant process.
Customization is not typically needed or recommended to achieve our clients' goals. eCivis software
integrates with all modern Enterprise Resource Systems (ERPs) and financial systems to further
eliminate double data entry and improve efficiency.
Comparable Projects
• City and County of Denver,Colorado: On an annual basis,the City and County of Denver
manages between 200-250 active grants, totaling approximately$200-$300 million while
approximately 20-25%of the City's budget is grant funded.The City and County sought out
eCivis to assist with managing cumbersome pre-and post-award grant process that were
resulting in efficiencies for staff. The City and County worked with eCivis to implement a
comprehensive grant management system with functionality including grant research,
solicitations, process workflow,award management and tracking outcomes.
Agencies within the City and County now use the system to research and select grants and
initiate the pre-award process workflow. Currently the City and County of Denver can better
5
manage the entire grant process from research to post-award functions and monitoring via
automation and enhanced management reporting(e.g. win rates,grants by agency,grants by
funder, etc.). Initial cost including additional services$103,400,Current annual Cost$85,627
• City of Aurora, Co: In 2010, the City of Aurora had a need to increase grant funding. Aurora
implemented eCivis' pre-award services in June of 2010 in an effort to quickly access funding
opportunities and strategically pursue grant funding. As a result of the growing number of grant
awards, staff inembers found it cumbersome to continue to manage awards and track project
outcomes with spreadsheets. In 2014,Aurora sought eCivis'assistance to implement a grants
management system which provided a single system for finding critical funding and manage
grant tasks,deadlines,and documentation and reporting. Initial Cost$14,820,current Annual
cost$41,586
References:
Matthew Hanson, GPC
State of Arizona, Statewide Grant Administrator
ADOA, Office of Grants and Federal Resources
100 N. 15th Avenue, 4th Floor Phoenix,AZ 85007
Phone: 602-542-7567
Email: Matthew.Hanson(a�azdoa.eov
Services—Pre/Post Award Management, SRM, Data integration as well as hosting all AZ state grants
Hank Griffith
Deputy Director,Grants
Harris County Budget Management Department, Grants Coordination Section
Phone: 713-274-1135
Email: hank.�riffith(a�bmd.hctx.net
Services—Pre/PostAward Managementand Data Integration
Rory Regan
City and County of Denver,CO,Senior Financial Management Analyst
1437 Bannock Street, Denver Co 80202
Phone: 720-865-9000
Email: rorv.re�an(a�denvereov.or�
Services Pre/Post Award Management, Data Integration
Carla Rodriguez
City of McAllen, Director of Grants Administration
1300 Houston Avenue
McAllen,TX 78501
Phone: 956-681-1030
Email: carlarodri�uez(a�mcallen.net
Services Pre/Post Award Management
6
Nancy Wishmeyer
City of Aurora,CO,Controller
15151 E Alameda Parkway,Aurora Co 80012
Phone: 303-739-7789
Email: nwishmev(a�auroraeov.or�
Services—Pre/Post Award Management
eCivis has no judgements, pending litigation or any other financial reversals that could materially affect
the viability or stability of the project.
4. Service Proposal
a. SupportServices
eCivis Grants Network'"'comes with dedicated support. This includes page help, a docs and training
section that includes monthly live web training as well as a support contact method. . Included in
Dubuque's SaaS subscription is a dedicated Client Services Representative (CSR) who serves as the main
point of contact, an implementation specialist that serves as the escalation point of contact for any
questions that the CSR is not able to answer regarding highly technical software or grant process needs,
and an Executive Sponsor who ensures that Dubuque is provided with the service they expect. Also
included with the subscription are unlimited toll-free telephone support and unlimited email support.
Dubuque's dedicated CSR can be contacted Monday through Friday from 7:30 am until 5:30 pm PST,
toll-free at(877) 232-4847.
eCivis approaches each client relationship as a consultative partnership. The Grants Network'"'suite of
applications offers a unique integration of grant content,educational resources,and grant management
solutions,all designed specifically around the critical path of a grant or project lifecycle. eCivis
understands that every client brings a unique organizational structure and process flow,and Grants
Network'"'has been built to be configured accordingly.
In addition, eCivis is committed to helping Dubuque evolve its grant operations not only through
powerful technology solutions, but also with the dedicated support of a strong team of grant
professionals who will provide both technical and consultative support throughout the entire contract
term.
b. Related Services
In the event that a user identifies a bug in the system,the user is encouraged to communicate directly
with his or her CSR. Software bugs are given the highest priority when identified and are resolved in a
timely manner. As a SaaS company,eCivis ensures that fixes that are seamlessly integrated into our web
service. Clients are not required to download updates or take any action for the fixes to take effect. All
fixes will automatically be available upon log in after fix occurs. Fixes are included in the quoted pricing.
c. Central Point of Contact
Mark Manfre will be the central point of contact for issues related to the account as whole IE change in
service or issue resolution. Mark can be reached at480-696-8847 mmanfre(a�ecivis.com. eCivis takes a
team approach to supporting our clients. You will have dedicated Account Manager, Account Support
Representative and an Executive Sponsor.
7
d. Response Time
eCivis provides 24/7 monitoring services and real-time alerts on our IT systems. While IT response times
depend on the urgency of the situation, we strive to keep all our services running with a 99.9% up-time.
In the event a customer has an issue, our in-house support team is available by email or telephone to
address problems during normal business hours. Many customer service cases have a quick turnaround
time of a few hours or less. In some situations, more complicated cases requiring additional support or
other department help could take longer.The speed of a solution is always on a case-by-case basis, but
our response and transparency is heralded by our clients as one of the top benefits of using eCivis.
5. Scope of Work
a. Project implementation and timeline
eCivis'standard timeline is 12 weeks, which includes building one integration. The eCivis project
schedule sample below includes sample milestones or initiatives and assignments in each project
phase. These will be further customized to the clienYs needs. eCivis understands clients often have
unique project and documentation and task requirements and the schedule can be flexible to meet
those individualized needs. The chart below offers an example of a typical implementation.
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b. Software
This solution consists of all users accessing eCivis Grants Network '"' Pre/Post-Award Grant Management
module. It will also utilize Data Integration,this will allow the ability to push financial information to
map within the clients eCivis Account. Future expansion could comprise addition of users,additional
modules such as Sub Recipient management for grant makers and additional licensing specific to and for
Community based organizations. No third party software is needed.
• Ease of use, ease of user access, and ability for easy input and output for users
8
eCivis Grants Network Civis is a software as a service (SaaS) platform hosted in the cloud. A SaaS based
solution means that our clients only need modest computer systems or mobile tablet devices,a web-
browser and access to the internet to adopt our solution. SaaS solutions such as ours have a lower
initial cost because they are subscription based. As a SaaS provider, we maintain our own IT
infrastructure and ongoing maintenance so our clients don't have to plan for those IT hardware,
software and human resources from their budgets. As a SaaS solution,we provide regular ongoing
painless upgrades as part of your subscription. There are no patches that customers must plan to install
across servers or individual computer systems
• Collaboration amongst users
User are able to collaborate within the system via a project based structure allowing teams to be
determined by project lead, either within or cross departmentally.There is also a very robust task
system that will allow workflows to be set up per client preference.This could be anything from an
approval process to scheduling reports.This is very configurable and integrates with standard email
platforms such as outlook or Gmail. There are also dashboards throughout allow aggregate visibility to
different aspects of the city's grant portfolio, access to these can be configured on a permission based
model.
• Providing efficiencies throughout the overall grant process
Based on our experience with thousands of local and state governments,we believe standardization and
collaboration are critical to implementing a successful grants management system. Standardization is
achieved through uniform project/grant data and processes to manage various federal and state
reporting mandates. During implementation,eCivis will propose the client considers establishing
common/standard workflows, groups and tasks to automate processes and data entry.
eCivis Grants Network'"'helps grantees eliminate confusion, reduce administrative time and promote
self-help. eCivis Grants Network'"'promotes collaboration between organizational units allowing
separate departments to share access to common projects. Within the same department, programmatic
and financial users are all assigned to projects and have visibility into the entire grant record for the
duration of the lifecycle.
• Assistance via on-line help and productivitytools
eCivis Grants Network '"'has a robust tutorial section called Insight. This includes a section of grant
training tutorials, an electronic version and quick reference tool for the CFR 200 as well as an electronic
version of the series of Thompson Publications grant manuals. Along with a host of other grant related
efficiency tools. Through the help tab located on every page of the website are several options for help.
This includes page help,a docs and training section that includes monthly live web training as well as a
support contact method.
c. Hardware and Server/Desktop Environment
eCivis Grants Network '"'is a software as a service (SaaS) platform hosted in the cloud. A SaaS based
solution means that our clients only need modest computer systems or mobile tablet devices,a web-
browser and access to the internet to adopt our solution. SaaS solutions such as ours have a lower
initial cost because they are subscription based. As a SaaS provider, we maintain our own IT
9
infrastructure and ongoing maintenance so our clients don't have to plan for those IT hardware,
software and human resources from their budgets. As a SaaS solution,we provide regular ongoing
painless upgrades as part of your subscription. There are no patches that customers must plan to install
across servers or individual computer systems.
d. Tracking and Reporting
eCivis Grants Network '"' is accessible via web browser, Files and reports can be imported or exported
to/from Microsoft Office, Data will be imported from Superion Financial System/Finance Plus, Reports
for all of the above examples as well as many more are able to be generated.
With eCivis Grants Network '"' report builder functionality you will have the ability to pull the
information needed for Federal OMB reporting. Reporting will include pertinent information for the
grant and funder as well as the details specific to Dubuque. Examples would be CFDA, Funding agency,
Duns#as well as the specifics from the implementation of the grant program.
Users will be able to run ad hoc queries on a wide variety of data points. Examples would include but not
be limited to queries on grants awarded, applications submitted, research activity, win rates,funding
source, tasks, and many others. Typical query criteria would be date range, grant type,department etc.
There is a very robust custom reporting ability based on information gathered throughout the lifecycle
of the grant. End users will be able to create ad hoc reports as well as save the report parameters for
future use utilizing the above referenced report builder. Reports can be customized to your preference
and parameters can be saved for future use creating future efficiency. Capability to track Grant
application success/win rate reporting and the ability to create an audit trail of every action taken on a
gra nt.
Specifics addressed above with the following included to summarize and illustrate Tracking and
Reporting.
POST-AWARD MANAGEMENT
Grants Network: Post-award was designed with the end user in mind and follows the typical grants
lifecycle,allowing the end user to track grants/projects from inception through grant closure, with
minimum data entry at each stage.This allows grants-active organizations the ability to track activities
required to manage grants and to provide regular status reports throughout the grants lifecycle with
ease. GN: Post-award will help centralize many of the administrative functions currently done in hard
copy or through multiple systems.The Financial Systems Integration option will seamlessly automate
the transfer of grants data from the county's financial system into GN: Post-award,driving down costs
and increasing organizational capacity to seek new funding and focus on other critical grant activities.
Features
Project Management
• Access via the web
• Build custom reports
10
• Create an unlimited number of projects
• Set up project teams with specific permissions for each team member
• Select project teams across multiple departments
• Align projects to organizational and departmental strategic objectives
• Associate projects with departments
• Track both original funding and allocation of a funding pool to multiple projects
• Support usage by both internal organization staff,as well as give limited access to users outside
the organization
Grants workflow
• Supports a traditional grants workflow including application, award, implementation, reporting,
close-out and archiving
• Integrates grants information from Grants Network: Pre-award,such as due date and matching
information
• Automates alerts to project team upon material change in grant application or compliance
requirements
• Automates alerts sent to central management or finance when key milestones are achieved
• Collects key financial, performance period, and compliance information
• Permits task assignment to project team members
• Allows customized task creation and sets reminders
• Lets managers schedule and assign all post-award financial and progress reports
• Automates alerts to indicate when tasks are not completed
• Lets users configure calendar functionality
• Validates critical data entered to ensure they are completed correctly
• Detects and notifies if multiple departments are evaluating or applying for the same grant
progra m
• Configurable to conform to the required grant process flows of the organization
File management
• Upload an unlimited number of documents at each stage of the grants workflow
• Automatically associate documents with grants workflow steps
• Support retrieval of documents at project,departmental,and organizational levels by document
category.
Task Management
• Create and assign permissions to your grants team
• See pending and completed tasks
• View spending reports
• View metrics
• Establish your approval process and routing
11
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Customized Report Building
At each stage of the grants lifecycle, the software gathers critical data points and documents.This
process not only allows your grants team to create an electronic audit trail but also allows users to easily
export information into customized reports, helping to provide analytics across the Lewis and Clark
County grants portfolio and keep key stakeholders informed every step of the way, as shown in the
illustration below.
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Simple Dashboards
View activity from an agency-wide perspective or by department, as shown in the illustration below.
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Budget Creation
Standard Federal and customizable and budgets can be created and exported including calculation of
the Indirect cost rate and any applicable Match/Cost Share requirement.
Grant budgets created in eCivis can be integrated with a financial system to provide immediate updates
on expenditures made against particular grants and categories.
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Track and Report Goals, Objectives and KPIs Goals and Metrics can be created on a project and grant
level to track key organizational outcomes associated with a grant as well as specific outcomes that must
be tracked to demonstrate performance progress.
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Activity Reports
At each stage of the grants lifecycle, the software gathers critical data points and documents.This
process not only allows your grants team to create an electronic audit trail but also allows users to easily
export information into customized reports. Any ad hoc report created can be saved and re-run at any
time for future use. Manage Lewis and Clark County's activity through standard reports.These reports
provide managers and staff the ability to assess progress, determine next steps, and drive visibility
across the county, as shown in the illustration below.
14
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Programmatic and financial reports required by the granting agency can be configured to any recurrence
to ensure that all reports are completed on time and assigned to the appropriate responsible party. For
future auditing purposes all the individual responsible and activities they performed for the submission
of reports is captured, logged, and available for future reporting.
All tasks and reports are assigned an owner who will received at minimum a reminder on the day the
task is due. Additional reminders can be set as desired by the user or administrator. Tasks can also be
assigned to more than one individual, alerts in this case would go to all assigned users.
Centralized Document Storage
Manage all of your documents and files in one centralized file system. Our cloud-based file storage
system provides unlimited storage for invoices and any other document related to your grants. Each file
is uploaded in the appropriate phase of the grants lifecycle for easy access.
e. Research
PRE-AWARD GRANT RESEARCH
eCivis' Grants Network: Research provides all of the functionality listed as required and much more.
eCivis invests tens of thousands of hours of research each year on federal, state, local, and foundation
grants to ensure that users will find the best grants for their projects. With our proprietary research and
grant analysis, users enjoy longer lead times to produce better applications. Our customized search tools
allow users to enjoy rapid results across any and all parameters. Rollover summaries reveal the details of
a grant without opening it, so users can quickly assess the relevance of grants to their projects. With our
automated search agents, updates, and daily/weekly emails, Grants Network: Research does all the
heavy lifting for you and enables your organization to become more proactive in grantsmanship. Grants
Network: Research provides the following:
Features
15
• Search grant listings by keyword,eligibility, matching requirements,and funding agency.
• Save search criteria and automatically generate email alerts when new data meets search criteria.
• Route grants information to users both within and outside the system.
• Save individual grants with application intention and personalized notes.
• Report usage and grant research activity for any time period by role.
• Review of all user-saved grants by role.
Content
• View original analyses of grant information, as opposed to a direct copy of or simple link to publicly
available information. eCivis is NOT a grants information clearinghouse.
• Find all application materials, including notices of funding,application files,guide files, federal and
state forms.
• Examine information culled from agency program officers (e.g., information that increases the
chance of winning) that is publicly unavailable.
• Obtain monthly federal legislation updates on key legislation affecting local. governments
• Look at specific scoring criteria for grant proposals.
• Review available financial and matching information, including allowable types of in-kind support.
• Use application procedures that are clearly delineated.
• View lists of previously awarded grantee applications — examples of funded applications.
• Make use of grant-specific keywords for each grant to enhance "search ability" and identify the
most relevant grant opportunities.
Executive Summary of Grants
We review tens of thousands of local government grants each year. We read and analyze these grants so
you don't need to spend hours deciding whether to pursue funding.
16
� Executive Summary
�
The Executive Summary allows clienis � � �� � �� - ��- �
to quickly determine if ihe grant �c��+xK�me.�sm.�Mo.eMo.��.rza,x
opportunity is right for iheir project(s). � -_""� """_,.
��e
-- � .: ..:A.'�..::°..���;::,.�....�..�m .,_v
Standardization
All grant information loaded into Grants Network is in a standardized format.This standardization allows
for easier review and qualification of every grant.
; Standard Funding Research
�
Each gwnt is onrorod using tho samo -
boy dara olonwnts ond poblizhod in . � . . . ,. ,. . . -
oor rauarch produa prodocing o
stantlard format. This ollows our �
diw+fz ro quickly dorormina if/vndng ; -�- . •-'-
is rigM for tbw�� - . __
-__ '_ . _` �_'
� e�e' � .-_� �_� �
� � .•____ _._
�_ __...__.S __.._-�� -� _'
17
Refining Result
Filteryour search byfunding agency,granttype,due date,and match requirement. Set automatic alerts
for grants available in interest areas and save and import/export research, as shown in the illustration
below.
y Search Results and Filtering
seor<h engine
renr sWis
onkedby `°"`�z°`°��`
keyword � �
relewn<e. . . . . . . , . .. .,
�
_... . ....,e..: . . ..,.
Flteryourseor<h � . --- `1 v � C v
by fundin9 ..��:T .:..w. .�:: •^
ogen<y,fedeml, . ��
.:..,,, ..... _,. ..,. u.
smte. ond . _ __._ ��. ...... ... �.«
foundoilon9�n1 ' ____e �. • �.� ���w •
.. ,_.�, "_' . � .
rype; due dote; . � ,,,,a ,,.,a.
o�d e �mm<n � ^ •--� -�� .
re9ui emerRs. . • '•_�" ••�••• •••• •
Previously Funded Applications
eCivis Grants Network: Research includes a Previously Funded Application (PFA) library.The PFA library
provides quick access to applicationsthat have been awarded funding in previousyears.The PFAs can
be retrieved as needed to give grant writers insight into successful grant writing techniques used for
specific applications they are pursuing.All PFAs can be reviewed and downloaded as needed.
Easy filtering
The PFA library uses the same searchingfeatures as our grant research database. Use Keywords and
Categoriesto narrow down to the specific PFA needed.
f. Maintenance and Support
As a SaaS company,eCivis makes updatesthat are seamlessly integrated into our web service on a
regular basis. Clients are not required to download updates or take any action forthe updatesto take
effect. All upgrades will automatically be available upon log in after an upgrade occurs. Upgrades and
maintenance are included in the quoted pricing. eCivis Business hours for live telephone and web
support are 7:30am to 5:30pm PST.
Return of Your Data. Upon request by You made within 30 days after the effective date of termination of
a Purchased Services subscription, We will make available to You for download a file of Your Data in
comma separated value (.csv)format along with attachments in their native format. After such 30-day
period,we shall have no obligation to maintain or provide any of Your Data and shall thereafter, unless
18
legally prohibited,delete all of Your Data in Our systems or otherwise in our possession or under our
control.
g. Warranty
Please see sections 2 and 3 of the attached sample contract.
h. Documentation
eCivis will provide custom user documentation tailored to their specific use case. All documentation will
be provided electronically within one week of completion. Also available through the help tab users will
find page help, tutorials and on demand or live training. There is also a webinar channel for additional
training.
i. UserTraining
An eCivis subscription includes the cost of training your users on system usage and best practices. eCivis'
standard training approach is to host web-based basic training, which introduces internal users to
system functionality. Additional webinars will be tailored to City of Dubuque workflows. Many of our
trainers have decades of government experience and they understand the public sector's unique
requirements.
Custom training manuals are developed during the implementation,the City of Dubuque can make
available to users. In addition,eCivis has several guides within the system, help features that provide
contextual tips, and an easy link to email eCivis'support team for one-on-one help.
eCivis will work with the City of Dubuque to define training requirements and develop appropriate
material. In addition, eCivis will make available video recordings for their roles and use cases.
eCivis Grants Network'"'comes with dedicated support, including unlimited online trainings. Included in
Dubuque's SaaS subscription is a dedicated Client Services Representative (CSR) who serves as the main
point of contact, an implementation specialist that serves as the escalation point of contact for any
questions that the CSR is not able to answer regarding highly technical software or grant process needs,
and an Executive Sponsor who ensures that the City of Dubuque and its agencies are provided with the
service they expect. Also included with the subscription are unlimited toll-free telephone support and
unlimited email support.The City of Dubuque's dedicated CSR can be contacted Monday through Friday
from 7:30 am until 5:30 pm PST,toll-free at (877) 232-4847.
eCivis approaches each client relationship as a consultative partnership. The Grants Network'"'suite of
applications offers a unique integration of grant content,educational resources,and grant management
solutions,all designed specifically around the critical path of a grant or project lifecycle. eCivis
understands that every client brings a unique organizational structure and process flow, and Grants
Network'"'has been built to be configured accordingly.
In addition, eCivis is committed to helping Dubuque evolve its grant operations not only through
powerful technology solutions, but also with the dedicated support of a strong team of grant
professionals who will provide both technical and consultative support throughout the entire contract
term.
19
As an example, a typical training model is organized into three online courses. Multiple sessions of each
course will be planned dependent on the number of users.
Course#1: Pre-Award System Training
• Creation of a project, including goals and objectives
• Researching grants; federal,state,foundation,other
• Distribution of funding opportunities
• Project management to include various types of tasks
• Creation of a pre-award budget
• Collaboration of a budget narrative
• Capturing of documentation
• Documentation to include:
1. Training outline and workbook for note taking
Course#2: Post-Award System Training
• Dispositioning of grant and capturing award data
• Creation of a locked post-award budget
• Defining performance metrics
• Scheduling compliance requirements
• Project management to include various types of tasks
• Tracking expenditures,drawdowns
• Standard and ad hoc report capabilities
1. Documentation to include:
• Training outline and workbook for note taking
Course#3: Policies, Procedures, Best Practices
• Persona/role based training
• Managing business practices
• Automated,semi-automated workflows
• Approvalprocesses
• Template/form submissions
• Documentation to include:
1. Training outline and workbook for note taking
2. Custom User Manuals
Training for Version Updates
If a version update is substantial, Dubuque will be contacted to arrange for additional web-based
training for internal users. Documentation will also accompany the webinar.
Office of Management and Budget Uniform Guidance Training
eCivis Grants Network: Insight'"' provides access to the single largest collection of expert resources to
help you address requirements throughout the grants life cycle. From general news to technical
handbooks to webinars, Insight subscriber's access tools that improve performance and help them
achieve desired program outcomes.
• Reference expert grant management handbooks from Thompson Information Services
20
• Read about best practices to improve grant acquisition and management performance
• Attend eCivis and Thompson grant management and grant writing webinars including webinars
solely focused on Uniform Guidance
Uniform Guidance reference guide will help you locate definitions,determine allowable indirect costs
and search the entire 2 CFR 200 to support your proposal develop and award management
Courses 1 &2 are web based computer training. eCivis will provide On-site training consisting of course
3 above and a separate administration training. Courses 1, 2 and 3 are 90 minute trainings and the
administrative training is 60 minutes. Once implemented you will have training recordings,outlines and
a guidebook for new users. All users are welcome to attend any of the live trainings per the schedule
and your dedicated support representative is available during business hours for support.
Pre-Award Training Schedule: January-March 2018
Tuesday,January 9: 10:00 AM -11:00 AM PST,Monday,January 22: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST,
Thursday, February 8: 11:00 AM -12:00 PM PST,Tuesday, February 20: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PST,
Monday, March 12: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PST,Thursday, March 22: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM PST
Trainer— David Shea
Click Here to Register.
Post-Award Training Schedule: January-March 2018
Thursday,January 11: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM PST,Thursday,January 25: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PST,
Monday, February 12: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM PST,Thursday, February 22: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST,
Wednesday, March 14: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST,Tuesday, March 27: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PST
Trainer— Anthony Torres
Click Here to Register Now.
6. Cost of Service Provided in Sealed Separate envelope
7. Identification of Subcontractors
There are no subcontractors that will be used for the proposed scope of work.
8.Attachment A included in packet
9.Attachment B included in packet
21
Attachment A
Authorixed Representative Certi#ication Form
Gty Wide Grant Management Software
Company Narne: ��1�'xs
By signing this form the Authorized Representative is signifying their understanding and abiJity ta provide
the products(s�and/or servite(s)stated 6ased upon the info�mation supplied in the RFP.
I cQrtify that in referente to the Request for Proposa3 (RFP) for a Grar�t Managemeni Software system,
issued by the City of Dubuque tha#:
� I have read and understand the RF�.
CI I have contacted appropriate City staff regarding any need for clar�fications.
�f I am entitled to represent the above named company.
� I am empowered by the above named company to submit the following proposal.
� All information presen#ed in the RFP and submitted by #he above named company is true and
accurate.
�] The above named company can and will provide the service and do the work as described if seletted
to do so.
Authorized Representative's Name(pl�ase print):�� C}�;/� 1�U,��'C�
Authorized Representative's
Signature:_ � � '
Date:
� � �b ��-01`� �
Page 1 of 1
Attachment B
RFP Requirements&Specifications and Summary of Scope
Ci#y Wide Grant Management Software
Summary—
5upport 5ervices List days, hours and time zone for support
Monday—Friday 7 .30am 5 :30pm PST
List web-based and other support
Web & Dedieatecl Live Support
Related Services Does the application vendor maintain a user
i forum and/or listserv? Y/N No
Response Time List normal and emergency response time:
Norm 24 hrs Emergency 1. Hour
Saftware Is supporting software needed? Y f N
No
Requirements&Specifications—�Please mark each categary with an X,if future versian,please list
expected release date.}
FEATURE IN THf IN A AS A CUS70M NOT
CURRENT FUTURE ENHANCEMENT SUPPORTED
VERSION VERSIDN
Software
Collaboration amongst users x
Assistance via on-line help x
Pr�ductivity tools x
Web browsers running Internet Explorer 11 X
Okher Browsers?(Chrome,Firefox,etc.) X
Client Computers running MS-Office 2016 �
Compatibiiity with non-Window's based x
platfprms
Hardware Compatibility(if on premise) NA
FfP servers running Windows 2Dlb Server
operating system(64-bit preferred) N.A
MS-5QL Server 2016(b4-bit preferred) NA
W�b servers running Microsoft 115 version 8 NA
VM Ware ESXi for virtual server environment NA
Active Directory 2012 in native mode for all
directory services N�
Tracking and Reporting
Abiiity to access application via web browser X
Ability to import/export files and reports X
toffrom Microsofit Office
Page 1 of 2
Ability to ale�t v+�hen a draw hasn't been �
done fvr X number o#days
Ability to generate repo�ts iisted in Scope X
Ability to automaticaily generate federal
OMB financial reparts X
Ability for ertd-users to create and run ad
x
hoc queries
Ability to build custorn reports x
Ability to create an audit trai)of every actfon
taken on a grant X
Ability to#rack grant application success rate x
Ability#o identify grant by type(state,
federal,state pass through,etc) X
Single Audit,CFDA �
R+esearch x
5amples of previousfy funded application for
the grant being considered x
Executive summaries of grants, including
eligibility,match required, maximurn X
funding available,program officer notes
Tracking who at the City is applying for or
interesied in the grant in specific grants X
Research by iceywords x
Filter grants by
• Funding agencies:federal,state,
foundation,corporate,etc. X ,
• Due date
• Match requirement
Auto alerts for grants available in interest
areas X
Ability to save and import/export research x
User Train�ng x
Computer-based training on proposed
software system X
Computer-based trainmg on how to apply
for a grant X
Document Sharing �
Grant Tracking-Alerts users when an�ther x
employee is looking at funding source X
Page 2 of 2
��v�s
Cost of Service !,
# Licenses Product Cost I�I
1-5 GN: Grants Network
$2,400 avg per user
Pre/Post Annually
5-15 GN: Grants Network $1,600 Avg per user
� Pre/Post Annually
15-25 GN: Grants Network $1,075 Avg per user
Pre/Post Annually
Unlimited GN: Grants Netw�ric
$49,995 Annually
Pre/Post
1 Data Integration $7,500 One-time Cost
� (Financial)
1 Onsite Training and $5,000 One-time Cost
implementation
Cost Example
30 GN: Grants Network $32,250
Pre/Post
1 Data Integration
(Financial) $7,500
1 - Onsite Training and $5,000
implementation
Total Year 1 . $44,750
Year 2-5 $32,250