Higher education institutions are facing a spatial paradox. On one hand, footprint expansion is increasingly cost-prohibitive. On the other, hybrid learning models, changing faculty work habits, and evolving student needs have made legacy space planning models obsolete.
To bridge this gap, universities need data. But as top-tier consultants consistently advise higher ed leadership, procuring a space utilization solution isn't just about buying technology; it's about investing in a strategic capability.
Writing the Request for Proposal (RFP) is where this initiative either sets itself up for campus-wide success or gets bogged down in IT delays and institutional resistance. As you draft your space utilization RFP, here is the strategic playbook to ensure you select the right partners and the right technology to deliver actionable, scalable insights.
Before you evaluate a single piece of hardware or software, you must define the structure and scope of your project.
One of the most common mistakes universities make is issuing a single, bundled RFP for both the utilization data technology and the architectural/consulting services.
Our advice: Break the RFP into two separate components. Choose your data provider separately from your strategy consultant or Architecture & Design (A&D) firm. When you force these two services into a single bid, you are often subjected to pre-existing partnerships. You might get a world-class A&D firm paired with a mediocre, proprietary sensor technology, or vice versa. Unbundling the procurement allows you to select the absolute best-in-class spatial intelligence technology and the best-in-class strategic advisors, ensuring neither compromises the other.
You don't necessarily need to measure every square foot of campus on day one. Your RFP should clearly state what space types you are targeting and why.
How deep do you need the data to go? Your RFP must define the spatial resolution required to meet your goals:
Ensure your campus floorplans are ready and organized before launching your RFP. To provide an accurate quote—especially for hardware-based or hybrid solutions—vendors need to see the layout of the space. Gather clean, up-to-date floorplans (CAD or high-quality PDFs) for the in-scope buildings and have them ready to share under an NDA. This eliminates guesswork and prevents costly change orders down the line.
Once your scope is defined, your RFP must rigorously evaluate the data providers.
Your RFP must establish the right operational philosophy: Utilization data is there to help you ask the right questions, not to magically provide all the answers. A high-quality dataset won’t immediately tell you to demolish a specific library wing; it will highlight that the third floor is consistently at 15% capacity, prompting you to investigate why. Seek a vendor whose platform facilitates this kind of strategic, behavioral inquiry.
In higher education, the phrase "tracking" immediately raises red flags for the student body, faculty unions, and the administration. Your RFP must rigorously demand privacy-by-design.
Ask Vendors:
Many RFPs default to requesting solutions that solely integrate with the university’s existing Wireless Access Points (WAPs). As an organization that provides WAP integration, Occuspace can speak with deep candor about this: relying exclusively on WAP data is often a trap.
Vendors frequently sell WAP integration as "plug-and-play." The reality is starkly different:
If you have WAP coverage gaps (due to incompatible old hardware or low WAP density), can the vendor still fill these needs and provide the right data granularity and accuracy without burdening your IT team?
To separate theoretical capabilities from proven performance, include these targeted questions:
A brilliant technical deployment will fail if the campus community rejects it. Look for vendors who have experience helping universities draft transparent messaging for students and faculty. The narrative should clearly explain what is being installed, why it’s being done (to create better study spaces and fund renovations), and how their privacy is 100% protected. Transparency prevents rumors.
A well-crafted RFP protects the university from investing in solutions that crumble under the complexity of a real-world campus. By decoupling your tech and consulting bids, defining your scope early, demanding rigorous accuracy proofs, and protecting privacy, you position your institution to make spatial decisions backed by unimpeachable data.
If you're considering a space utilization initiative, or planning an RFP – this guide is a useful place to start. Whether you ultimately work with Occuspace or another provider, these are the considerations that lead to a smarter, more successful outcome.
If you'd like a free consultation - or just want to get some input on your upcoming RFP, please reach out to us.
