Payments Strategy, Selection and Implementation Advisory Services

Overview

Financial, Legal, HR & Staffing

United StatesPosted about 1 month agoDeadline: April 30th, 2026

Fit Score

Settle Intelligence

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SUMMARY

Seeks a firm to advise on payment strategy and systems for higher education, including PCI compliance, operations, and ongoing support.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

Must be a manufacturer, provider, or fully authorized dealer/reseller
Must comply with E&I procurement and business practices
Must provide proof of financial stability
Must provide three references for similar services delivered to education institutions within the past three years
Must be able to provide one or more of the specified scope areas (payment advisory, merchant services, PCI compliance, implementation, or ongoing support)
Must agree to E&I's protest procedures and bond requirements
Must provide proof of insurance
Must be able to report sales and pay a contract administrative fee

BUDGET

Estimate

$50,000 – $500,000

CONTRACT DURATION

60 months

TIMELINE

Request for Proposal issued: April 1st, 2026

Deadline for submission of RFP-related written questions: April 21st, 2026

E&I response to RFP-related questions: April 24th, 2026

Deadline for receipt of proposals: April 30th, 2026

Evaluation and clarifications: May 8th, 2026

Negotiations: May 22nd, 2026

Letter(s) of intent to award issued: May 29th, 2026

Acceptance and execution of agreement: June 1st, 2026

QUESTION DEADLINE

April 21st, 2026

Issuing Agency

E&I Cooperative Services

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DESCRIPTION

The project seeks a qualified vendor to provide comprehensive advisory services encompassing payment strategy, selection, and implementation for higher education institutions. The scope of work includes payment processing advisory, support for merchant services operations, PCI compliance and risk management consulting, and assistance with both implementation and transition phases. Ongoing support and governance are also integral to the engagement.

The contractor will be required to deliver expertise in payment and merchant services advisory, guide operational aspects of merchant services, manage PCI compliance requirements, and facilitate risk management practices. The selected firm will offer ongoing support throughout the five-year contract term, ensuring robust governance of payment systems and continual alignment with industry best practices.

Source attribution

This Settle analysis is based on the issuing organization’s public RFP listing.