I had the same problem in academia. They asked me what I would need to get that project evolving (and thus funded), at that time a single medium xp dev, and the salary range was the same as their tenure track professors. Then they ask if a student can do it instead... There is no way anything can be done in mainland US in term of software for institutions that can't pay. I know places where they hire companies oversea to do their dev, bit thats complicated with federal funding.