CATALYST vs OpenWater

CATALYST is a web platform for collecting and administering applications to awards, grants, and scholarships. Applicants can answer eligibility questions, upload supporting files, save applications to finish later, and receive automated email reminders. Review teams can use automated reviewer assignments, custom or blind scoring, and multiple rounds of review. Organizations can run multiple programs with configurable workflows, role-based permissions, dashboards, and real-time reporting. Omnipress configures workflows around each program’s structure, and each project includes a dedicated project manager for setup, training, everyday questions, and continuing support. Payment collection through a gateway is available, including nomination fees where applicable. Listed integrations include YourMembership, Abila/NetForum, iThenticate, Authorize.Net, and BluePay. The product page describes GDPR-compliant functionality, fraud prevention for payments, and secure system data backup. CATALYST is designed for program managers, applicants, reviewers, judges, and organizations managing these programs. It is paid, with pricing available by quote; prospective customers can request a quote and schedule a demo.

OpenWater manages application and review workflows for abstracts, awards, scholarships, fellowships, and grants. Organizations can create submission forms with conditional logic and accept attachments in nearly any type, size, or format. Submissions can be routed to multiple reviewers, with scores collected in a dashboard and optional double-blind judging. Rubrics and reviewer collaboration support scoring, while an applicant portal and workflow automation cover other stages of the process. Users can configure dashboards and export reports in multiple file formats, and the platform can collect payments. OpenWater lists Android, iOS, and web access; mobile-responsive submission pages and its mobile app support applicants and team administrators. Security options include SSO, encryption, two-factor authentication, CAPTCHA, and password requirements, with GDPR-related consent and deletion options. It integrates with more than 65 AMS, CRM, directory, and payment systems, including iMIS, Salesforce, Higher Logic, Stripe, and PayPal. The paid subscription uses a custom quote based on usage needs, functionality, and backend user count. OpenWater does not support recommendation requests directly within the platform.