OpenWater

OpenWater is an application and review platform for awards, grants, scholarships, fellowships, and abstracts. It is best suited to associations, foundations, and higher education institutions coordinating configurable submissions and judging. Its appeal is the breadth of workflow it brings together; custom subscription pricing and the absence of direct recommendation requests are meaningful trade-offs.

Overview

OpenWater combines applicant forms and a portal with reviewer assignments, scoring, workflow automation, payment collection, and reporting. Conditional form logic and broad attachment support suit programs with varied requirements, while dashboards bring review scores together. The system can also support processes beyond applications, including collecting payments, but its fit depends on whether the organization can accommodate a custom quote tied to usage, functionality, and backend users.

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, OpenWater was acquired by Advanced Solutions International in 2022.

Key features

Configurable submissions and judging

Teams can build forms with conditional logic and accept attachments of nearly any type, size, and format. That flexibility is useful when different programs need different application materials, though it also puts form design and workflow configuration in the hands of the organization. Multiple reviewers can be assigned to a submission, with scores compiled in a dashboard. Scoring rubrics, reviewer collaboration, and optional double-blind judging support coordinated evaluations, including processes that need applicant identities concealed during judging.

Reporting, integrations, and controls

Configurable dashboards and exports in multiple file formats help teams review program activity and take results into other workflows. OpenWater says it connects with more than 65 association management, CRM, directory, and payment gateway solutions, including iMIS, Salesforce, Higher Logic, Stripe, and PayPal. That range can make it a stronger fit for institutions already using those systems, although the breadth of integrations does not remove the need to assess which connections matter to a particular setup.

Security features include single sign-on, encryption, two-factor authentication, CAPTCHA, and password-strength requirements. GDPR-related consent and data-deletion options are also supported. Mobile-responsive submission pages help applicants using phones, while the app lets teams handle administrative and review work from mobile devices. WCAG compliance features are supported. OpenWater AI is an opt-in beta for existing customers; it analyzes submissions, surfaces insights, and automates data collection, so it should be treated as an optional early-stage capability rather than a reason to choose the platform on its own.

Support and notable gap

OpenWater reports an average support response time of 10 minutes and guarantees an answer within one business day. The principal functional gap is recommendation requests: the platform does not support them directly, which can disrupt programs that need recommenders to submit materials inside the same system.

Pricing

OpenWater is paid, with custom pricing rather than a published rate. Its Custom subscription is billed on a subscription basis, with a quote based on usage needs; the price may vary with functionality and the number of backend users. That structure can suit organizations whose programs need a tailored configuration, but it makes budget comparison harder before a quote and means costs can depend on both the chosen features and the size of the administrative team. There is no published lower-cost plan or free tier to compare against.

Platforms

OpenWater supports web, Android, and iOS. Applicants can use mobile-responsive landing pages, and teams can manage administrative and review functions in the mobile app. This combination serves both applicants and staff away from desktop, while retaining the web platform for broader program administration.

Who it's for

OpenWater is aimed at professional and trade associations, private and public foundations, and higher education institutions running application-based programs. It is a strong candidate when a team needs configurable forms, reviewer collaboration, scoring, payment collection, and reporting in one workflow, especially when existing systems can benefit from its integrations. It is a weaker fit for programs built around in-platform recommendation letters or for buyers that need a predictable, published price before engaging with a vendor.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Conditional forms and broad attachment support accommodate varied application requirements.
• Pros: Multiple reviewers, rubrics, score dashboards, and double-blind judging support structured evaluation.
• Pros: Reporting, payment collection, and more than 65 claimed integrations can connect program administration with other institutional workflows.
• Pros: Mobile administration, accessibility features, and security controls address practical needs for distributed teams and applicants.
• Cons: Custom subscription pricing based on usage, features, and backend users makes costs less transparent and potentially configuration-dependent.
• Cons: Direct recommendation requests are not supported, leaving a gap for programs that collect recommender materials.
• Cons: OpenWater AI is an opt-in beta limited to existing customers, so it is not a mature core capability for prospective buyers.

Alternatives

Scholarship Management Software and Application Management Software are useful starting points for comparing options by category. Consider Scholarship Commons if a free web option for students, reviewers, and recommenders is more important than OpenWater's institutional workflow scope; organizations pay for its operating membership. SurveyMonkey may suit teams seeking a freemium survey tool, though its Basic plan is limited to 10 questions per survey and limited responses. Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT is another paid, web-based option with custom quotes based on organizational needs. BrightAccess is a paid alternative with a free plan, while GO SGO is a paid web-based alternative. CommunityForce, Ellucian Advising, and Foundant CommunitySuite are also paid options with pricing supplied after contacting the provider.

Verdict

Choose OpenWater if your association, foundation, or institution needs a configurable system for submissions, review, scoring, payments, and reporting across web and mobile. Its integration range and workflow controls make a persuasive case for established organizations coordinating complex programs. Look elsewhere if recommendation requests must happen inside the platform or if custom quote pricing is a barrier to choosing software.