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Higher-ed RFP Essentials: Choosing Your Email Service Provider

Do you have an RFP in the making or are you about to post one for your higher-ed institution? Is this your first time issuing an RFP? Perhaps you're wondering what to include, what not to include, and who to involve in the crafting of it. We at Marigold – and our partners at Email Connect LLC – are here to help. Try not to look at writing and issuing an RFP for your marketing Customer Data Platform (CDP)/Email Service Provider (ESP) as a daunting task – it is more manageable than you think. Our RFP Guide for Higher Education can guide you by laying it out in easily-followed, manageable steps.

Step 1: Get the Big Picture

Mapping out your organization’s goals and objectives will provide you with a great foundation to begin building your requirements list. You’ll do this by first asking your core team specific, integral questions and considerations like:

Your current strategy vs. future plans (6 month, 1 year, 5 year)
New system replacement scope? (replacing components and/or point solutions or an overall CDP)?
Your decision-making team (Marketing, Procurement, Legal, IT, Sales, etc.)
Budget (covering purchase, implementation, launch, new program management)
Relationship Marketing strategy fit (loyalty, experiences)
Organizational goals and email marketing alignment
Subscriber growth tactics and current rate of growth
ROI analytics requirements
Athletics: ticketing system integration
Alumni: branding, colors and other program considerations

These are just a few questions to ask as you prepare to write your actual RFP and choose your preferred vendor from the submittals you’ll receive. Set clear goals and you are on your way.

Download the Guide