OpenWater Application and Review Cloud
Awards management software
Scholarship management software
Grant management software
Education software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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What is OpenWater Application and Review Cloud
OpenWater Application and Review Cloud is a cloud-based platform for collecting applications and managing review workflows for grants, scholarships, and awards programs. It supports configurable application forms, reviewer assignment and scoring, and administrative tracking from intake through decisioning. The product is used by foundations, associations, universities, and other program administrators that run recurring or multi-program cycles. It emphasizes workflow configuration and role-based access for applicants, reviewers, and administrators.
Configurable application workflows
The platform supports building application forms and program workflows that can be tailored by program, cycle, and applicant type. Administrators can configure stages such as eligibility screening, review rounds, and final decisions. This flexibility helps organizations run multiple programs in one system without forcing identical processes. It aligns well with complex grant and scholarship programs that require structured review steps.
Structured reviewer management
OpenWater provides tools to assign reviewers, manage conflicts, and collect scores and qualitative feedback. Review stages can be organized to support panel-style or multi-round evaluation. Centralized review data supports consistent decisioning and auditability compared with ad hoc spreadsheets and email. This is particularly useful for programs with many reviewers and high submission volumes.
Multi-program administration support
The system is designed to manage multiple programs and cycles, which helps organizations that run grants, scholarships, and awards concurrently. Role-based permissions help separate applicant, reviewer, and staff access. Program administrators can standardize common elements (e.g., scoring rubrics) while keeping program-specific requirements. This reduces operational overhead when compared with maintaining separate tools per program.
Implementation and configuration effort
Because the product is highly configurable, initial setup can require significant time to map workflows, forms, and review processes. Organizations with limited administrative capacity may need vendor assistance to reach a stable configuration. Changes to complex workflows can also require careful testing to avoid disrupting active cycles. This can be more involved than simpler, template-driven submission tools.
UI complexity for occasional users
Applicants and reviewers who use the system infrequently may face a learning curve, especially when programs include multiple stages and requirements. Navigation and task completion can feel less straightforward than lightweight submission portals. This can increase support requests during peak submission and review periods. Clear guidance and training materials often become necessary for smooth adoption.
Integrations depend on scope
Organizations often need integrations with CRM, finance, identity management, or reporting tools for end-to-end grant operations. The depth of integration available can vary by use case and may require professional services or custom work. If a program relies on extensive downstream processing (payments, contract management, advanced analytics), additional systems may still be required. Buyers should validate integration options and data export capabilities during evaluation.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | Custom pricing (contact sales) | Up to 150 applications in an active program (archived programs not limited). Intended for smaller or price-sensitive organizations; base entitlements not published publicly. |
| Standard | Custom pricing (contact sales) | No application limit. 1 TB media storage included by default. Standard support included for primary admin; additional admin support available for a fee. |
| Unlimited | Custom pricing (contact sales) | No application limit. Intended for higher-scale / enterprise use; pricing and entitlements not published publicly. |
Additional documented add-ons (vendor site):
- Media / database storage upgrades: 1–2 TB = $1,500/yr; 2–5 TB = $3,000/yr; 5–10 TB = $4,500/yr; additional 5 TB increments = $1,500/yr.
- Database storage: 1 GB included; upgrades mirror media storage pricing (1–2 GB = $1,500/yr; 2–5 GB = $3,000/yr; 5–10 GB = $4,500/yr).
- API activation / speed tiers: API activation (3 calls/sec) = $2,000/yr; up to 10 calls/sec = $4,500/yr; up to 25 calls/sec = $7,500/yr; up to 50 calls/sec = $12,500/yr; dedicated environment (faster) ~ $60,000 + license fees.
- Virtual conference modules (example pricing on vendor site): Mobile app integration = $3,500; Sponsorship gallery = $1,250; Higher Logic integration = $1,250; Live chat + 1:1 video meeting rooms = $5,000. Example per-session subtotal shown on vendor site.
Notes: The vendor does not publish base subscription prices or per-seat/year fees for the main editions publicly; the site directs prospective customers to contact sales or request a demo/quote.
Seller details
OpenWater, Inc.
Unsure
Private
https://www.getopenwater.com/
https://x.com/getopenwater
https://www.linkedin.com/company/openwater/
