Central electronic file and document management system for the BAföG offices (short: E-file)

The subject of the tender is the provision, implementation, integration, and operation of a production-ready, commercially available electronic records and document management system (short: "E-Akte") for BAföG offices at student services organizations (Studierendenwerke) and universities as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution. A completely new development is not the subject of this procurement.

The E-Akte must enable uniform, low-media-discontinuity, and traceable electronic record-keeping for processing grant proceedings under the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG). The leading specialized application for BAföG casework remains Bafög21. The E-Akte supplements this with electronic file and document management. A functional replication of the substantive BAföG processing is not part of this procurement. The CMIS interface provided by Bafög21 must be used to import documents and the XML data stored within them from Bafög21.

1. Scope of Services The services to be provided by the contractor include, in particular:
   • Provision of the E-Akte as a SaaS solution, including the technical infrastructure required for this purpose
   • Integration with the specialized application Bafög21 via the CMIS interface provided by Bafög21
   • Required conceptual work, e.g., for file naming and structure
   • Setup of the role and authorization structure
   • Implementation services, including piloting, training, rollout support, and testing
   • Expected migration of datasets already available in digital form from individual student services organizations that already use an e-file system
   • Implementation of the necessary data protection and information security measures for processing personal data, including social data
   • Operation, maintenance and care, updates, releases and security patches, data backup and recovery, monitoring, as well as support and service provision within the scope of SaaS operations
   • Exit support upon termination of the service
2. Functional Requirements The E-Akte is expected to support, in particular, the following functions: Electronic file management: structured electronic files according to the structure file
   • case/process
   • document, with the possibility of creating additional intermediate and lower levels; configurable file reference and classification structure; document management with an integrated viewer, versioning, and protection of finalized documents against unauthorized modification or deletion.Inbound document processing: automated import and assignment of documents and metadata provided by Bafög21, as well as the capability for controlled manual post-processing and assignment of unassignable documents; generation and/or import of PDF and PDF/A; audit-proof capture of emails and their file attachments.Outbound document processing: traceable documentation of email dispatch with assignment to the respective case or file, provided the dispatch is executed directly from the document and the sent email is automatically filed; controlled export of individual documents, cases, or sub-files, particularly for file inspection purposes.Tasks, deadlines, and resubmissions: assignment of tasks to users or organizational units with binding due and resubmission dates, as well as deadline monitoring. Electronic workflow/case processing: forwarding of cases and documents among authorized employees, as well as standardized approval processes and consultations based on configurable standard functionalities of the offered system.The substantive BAföG casework remains within the leading specialized application Bafög21. Search: high-performance search across individual and combined metadata, within document content (full-text search), and combined across metadata and full text, restricted to objects within the respective scope of authorization.Roles, permissions, and data separation: differentiated, role-based authorization system; strict logical separation of the data of the procuring parties as well as the participating…