Question: Some requirements talk about emails through Microsoft. Can you elaborate on how you want this to work? Our platform already sends automated notifications (email and push). For mass communications through MS, what’s the expectation? Is it just surfacing the volunteer database in Outlook?

Answer: Our objective isn’t to force all emails to be sent through Microsoft, but to integrate Outlook with the CRM so that all relevant email communications are automatically logged against the correct volunteer record without manual copy/paste. This ensures an auditable, complete communication history and reduces admin time.

How this should work:
Individual emails: Emails sent or received via Outlook automatically sync to the CRM and attach to the volunteer’s profile (including subject, timestamp, sender/recipient, and body, with attachments where feasible).
Mass communications: Whether bulk emails are sent via the CRM or Outlook, a copy of the message should be logged against each recipient’s CRM record.

New events: An email is sent out to notify volunteers on that project when a new event is created, with the option to automatically send follow up emails to events that still require volunteer cover

We are open to alternative approaches, such as server-side sync, Outlook add-ins, or API-based integration. The aim is automatic, accurate logging in volunteer records, that respects permissions, and avoids manual duplication.

Yes. Milestones should be created, managed, and tracked within the platform, with the ability to:

• Notify stakeholders (volunteers, staff) via in-platform notifications and, optionally, email for key milestones.
• Log every milestone creation, update, and notification in the CRM timeline for auditability.
• Configure which milestones trigger emails (e.g., onboarding complete, training passed, placement start/end) at project level.

Question: There’s no mention of activity-specific requirements. Should volunteers be able to contact beneficiaries, submit reports, see previous reports or hidden info? For events—request attendance, directions, resources, see others attending, check in, report back?

Answer: Our projects vary, but we need a configurable baseline that supports volunteer-beneficiary models.

Core requirements:

• Beneficiary contact via platform: Volunteers can send messages within the system (or via proxied email/SMS) so all interactions are logged against both volunteer and beneficiary records.
• Activity reporting: Volunteers can submit structured activity reports (date/time, outcomes, notes, time logged), with the ability to view previous reports where permissions allow.
• Safeguarding: Volunteers can raise safeguarding concerns via a dedicated workflow that escalates to staff, logs the incident, and enforces permission-based visibility.

Potential Configurable features:

• Request/confirm event attendance (with approval rules if needed).
• Access event details, directions, and resources.
• See attendees
• Check-in
• Post-event reporting (reflection, outcomes, hours).
• Permissions & visibility: Granular controls to manage who can see sensitive notes or safeguarding flags.

Certification is preferred but not mandatory. At minimum, we expect:
Demonstrable alignment with ISO/IEC 27001 principles (risk management, access control, incident management, continuous improvement).

Documented security controls and policies (available via your Trust Centre or equivalent).

GDPR compliance and clear data protection practices (data processing agreements, data retention/deletion, subject rights handling).

Evidence of regular audits/assessments (internal or third-party) and clear responsibility matrices for shared controls (e.g., email integrations, data flows between systems).

Yes, while not mandatory, videos and images are welcome and can certainly be helpful.

Yes, please include an appendix of any additional capabilities. While the tender focuses on core requirements, if multiple platforms meet these within budget, additional relevant functionality will be used to aid the decision in awarding the contract.

Budgetary figures are VAT-inclusive. Please note that exceeding the indicative budget does not result in mandatory exclusion; all bids will be assessed based on their comprehensive merit and cost-effectiveness.

Question: Considering the number of projects that need to be established within the CRM, would you be amenable to a phased implementation approach to ensure each project is configured with precision?”

Answer: Yes, we are fully supportive of a phased implementation approach, as it provides the opportunity to configure each project within the CRM with the highest level of precision.

Question: Would you be able to provide examples of the data tables you use to manage projects, along with a description of the expected volunteer journey from initial engagement through to completion.

Answer: Please see on this page  documentation. The project data file provides examples from two of our projects and illustrates the types of data we routinely collate. The second document outlines the expected volunteer journey, noting that specific project pathways may vary slightly depending on operational requirements.

Question: We would welcome the opportunity to learn more about Volunteering Matters, to ensure that the CRM solution we propose is fully aligned with your values and operational needs. Do you have any further resources or documentation that would support this understanding?

Answer: As well as visiting our website, please find attached on this page our 2024/25 Impact Report, which provides a comprehensive overview of our charity and the work we deliver.