Remote Procurement Tech Partner for End-to-End P2P & RFX

Request for Proposal - Procurement Technology Provider (Project Acordo)

Final date to receive applications: 1 September 2026

Location: Remote

Contract: Consultancy

End Date: Multi-year

BCI is seeking proposals from Technology Providers interested in the next stage of our transformation journey- the selection and implementation of a digital procurement solution.

BCI has named this transformation,
Project Acordo (meaning contract in Portuguese). Project Acordo encompasses:

• Improvements to our Procurement and Accounts Payable processes, policies and procedures
• A digital transformation through the adoption of an integrated technology solution covering sourcing, contracting, ordering, through to payment

This project is the first of its kind for BCI and will have a significant impact across multiple functions, including Finance, Operations, Governance, Planning & Strategy (including Legal), and IT Operations & Security. By introducing integrated procurement technology and enhanced processes, the project will improve visibility, efficiency, governance, and accountability across the organisation. The programme is overseen by the Senior Director of Finance & Services and governed by the Executive Group Steering Committee.

Building on the outputs from the initiation stage, which defined the scope, governance, target operating model, and high-level requirements for this transformation, BCI now seeks to identify and engage a technology provider (or partnership of providers) capable of delivering an end-to-end procurement system that meets the organisation's needs.

To support the successful delivery of Project Acordo, BCI has engaged an independent third-party procurement and technology consultancy (3

VRM) to provide specialist advisory and technical expertise throughout the project lifecycle. 3

VRM will continue to support BCI during the procurement process, solution selection, implementation, and deployment phases. The selected provider(s) will be expected to work collaboratively with both BCI stakeholders and the appointed consultancy to ensure a successful outcome.

The selected provider(s) will play a critical role in helping BCI achieve a step-change in procurement capability, providing the digital foundation needed to support our continued organisational growth, operational excellence and long-term procurement transformation objectives. BCI views this engagement as an opportunity to build a long-term strategic partnership with a provider that is committed to supporting a leading global sustainability-focused not-for-profit organisation throughout its transformation journey and future growth.

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is seeking a digital procurement solution that supports the full Procurement Process. The required core modules are:

• Procure-to-Pay (P2P)

Requisition creation, approval workflows, purchase order generation, goods/services receipts, three-way matching, and 'ok to pay’ data sent to Salesforce (as BCI’s ERP).

The solution must be optimised for service-based/indirect procurement, supporting flexible scope of work, and milestone-based invoicing. It must be capable of configuring an Approval hierarchy, 3-way matching and invoice reconciliation.

Creation and management of RFPs and other sourcing events, including supplier invitations, bid submission, Open/Public tenders, evaluation, and award workflows, RFX capabilities are a mandatory requirement. Providers unable to offer this capability directly must demonstrate a partner or pipeline solution.

• Supplier Intake & Onboarding

Management of new supplier requests and approvals, supplier onboarding, and supplier master data, including supplier information capture, validation, approval workflows, record creation, maintenance, and updates. These capabilities are a mandatory requirement. Providers unable to offer them directly must demonstrate a partner or pipeline solution.

• Contract Repository

Centralised digital repository for storing and tracking contracts, renewal alerts, and version control. It is essential that the repository can accommodate a parent/child hierarchy in relation to contracts (i.e. Master agreements linked to statements of Work (SoWs) or Work orders). Providers unable to offer this capability directly must demonstrate a partner or pipeline solution.