Event Management, Capacity Building & Event Planning Support Service

1. Introduction

Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council (PIASC) invites suitably qualified and experienced organisations or consultants to submit a quotation for the provision of Event Management, Event Planning and Capacity Building Support Services for the 2026/2027 and 2027/2028 financial years.

The purpose of this engagement is to provide strategic event planning support, mentoring, training and event management expertise to strengthen Council's internal capability to successfully deliver major community, cultural, civic and tourism-related events.

Council seeks a partner who will work collaboratively with local staff to build sustainable event management skills, create repeatable planning frameworks and improve the long-term coordination of community events on Palm Island.

The successful respondent will support Council to plan, coordinate and evaluate events while progressively transferring knowledge and skills to PIASC staff.

2. Background

Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council coordinates a range of community, cultural, civic and ceremonial events each year including, but not limited to:

• NAIDOC Week celebrations
• Spring Festival
• Strike 57 annual day
• Youth and family events
• Cultural celebrations
• Australia Day activities
• ANZAC Day activities
• Christmas and New Year events
• Community sporting events
• Official openings and civic ceremonies
• State and Federal Ministerial visits
• Community engagement activities
• Other events as identified

Council is seeking to improve event planning outcomes by:

• Increasing forward planning capability
• Improving event scheduling and coordination
• Identifying resource requirements well in advance
• Enhancing stakeholder and community engagement
• Developing event documentation and procedures
• Building local workforce capability
• Reducing operational risk
• Improving event budgeting and sponsorship opportunities

3. Objectives

The objectives of this engagement are to:

• Capability Development - Build the capacity of PIASC staff to independently plan, coordinate and evaluate community events.
• Knowledge Transfer - Provide mentoring and coaching to local staff through practical event delivery and planning activities.
• Forward Planning - Assist Council to adopt a proactive approach to event planning through the development of annual and multi-year event schedules.
• Organisational Improvement - Develop templates, procedures, systems and resources that support consistent event management practices.
• Community Outcomes - Ensure events are culturally appropriate, inclusive, well-coordinated and deliver positive outcomes for the Palm Island community.

4. Scope of Works

4.1 Event Planning Support

The successful respondent will:

• Assist with planning and preparation for major Council events.
• Attend planning meetings as required.
• Develop event action plans and project schedules.
• Assist with event budgeting and cost estimates.
• Identify resource requirements and procurement needs.
• Assist Council team members in securing quotes and suppliers where appropriate.
• Provide logistical planning support.
• Assist with permit and approval requirements.
• Establish event timelines and key milestones.

4.2 Development of an Annual Event Calendar

Develop and maintain a rolling:
12-month Event Calendar

Including:

• Major Council events
• Community events
• Cultural events
• Sporting events
• Civic ceremonies
• School and community partnership events

24-Month Forward Planning Schedule

Including:

• Key planning dates
• Funding opportunities
• Sponsorship opportunities
• Procurement requirements
• Marketing deadlines
• Resource requirements

4.3 Event Management Framework

Develop an Event Management Framework for PIASC including:

• Event planning procedures
• Event approval processes
• Governance arrangements
• Risk management processes
• Procurement guidelines
• Sponsorship guidelines
• Community engagement requirements
• Event reporting requirements

4.4 Staff Mentoring and Capability Building

The principal objective of this engagement is to build the capability, confidence and capacity of Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council staff to independently plan, coordinate, deliver and evaluate major community, cultural, civic and tourism-related events into the future.

While the successful Respondent will provide event planning and management support, Council's preferred outcome is the long-term development of local knowledge, systems and expertise rather than reliance on external event management services.

Respondents must demonstrate a commitment to mentoring, coaching and empowering local staff through practical involvement in all stages of event planning and delivery. The successful Respondent will be expected to work alongside Council staff, transferring skills, systems and knowledge to ensure that event management capability remains within the organisation following completion of the contract.

Workforce Development Requirements

The successful Respondent will be required to:

• Develop the event management skills of Council officers through structured mentoring and coaching.
• Provide practical, hands-on training during the planning, implementation and evaluation of events.
• Support staff to progressively assume greater responsibility for event coordination and decision-making.
• Assist in identifying staff with an interest in event management and community engagement and provide targeted development opportunities.
• Build organisational knowledge to reduce reliance on external consultants for future event delivery.
• Assist Council to establish clear roles and responsibilities for event planning across the organisation.
• Promote strong project management and planning practices within Council.

Mentoring and Coaching

Respondents must provide a mentoring framework that includes:

• One-on-one coaching sessions with nominated staff.
• Group planning workshops.
• Practical event planning training sessions.
• Attendance at event planning meetings.
• Support during event implementation.
• Post-event debriefing and lessons learned sessions.
• Ongoing advice and coaching between major events.

The mentoring approach should focus on developing skills in:

• Event planning and coordination.
• Project management.
• Budget preparation and financial management.
• Procurement and supplier engagement.
• Community consultation and stakeholder engagement.
• Event logistics and operations.
• Volunteer management.
• Risk management and compliance.
• Sponsorship and partnership development.
• Grant identification and funding applications.
• Marketing and communications.
• Event evaluation and reporting.

Development of Event Planning Systems

A key component of capability building will be the establishment of practical planning tools and systems that can be maintained by Council staff.

The successful Respondent will assist Council to develop:

• Event planning templates.
• Event project plans.
• Event schedules and timelines.
• Budget templates.
• Risk assessment templates.
• Procurement planning tools.
• Stakeholder engagement plans.
• Communications plans.
• Sponsorship registers.
• Post-event evaluation templates.
• Event operations manuals.

These resources will become the property of Council and must be designed to be easily used and maintained by staff following completion of the engagement.

Succession and Knowledge Transfer

Respondents must incorporate a formal knowledge transfer program throughout the contract term.

The knowledge transfer program should ensure that:

• Staff understand all event planning processes and systems.
• Key event information is documented and retained within Council.
• Event planning activities are not dependent on individual consultants.
• Internal capability is progressively increased over the life of the contract.
• Council staff can lead future events with minimal external assistance.

Desired Long-Term Outcome

By the conclusion of the engagement, Council expects to have:

• A skilled and confident local event planning workforce.
• Established event management processes and procedures.
• A rolling annual and multi-year event planning program.
• Reduced reliance on external event management services.
• Improved community engagement and event outcomes.
• Stronger organisational planning and project management capability.
• A sustainable framework for the ongoing delivery of Palm Island's major events and community celebrations.

Demonstration of Capability

Respondents must clearly outline within their submission:

• Their approach to workforce development and mentoring.
• Previous experience building event management capability in local government or community organisations.
• Examples of successful knowledge transfer outcomes.
• Proposed training, mentoring and coaching activities.
• How they will measure improvements in staff capability over the contract period.

4.5 Community Engagement and Stakeholder Consultation

Assist Council to undertake consultation and engagement with:

• Community members
• Traditional Owners
• Elders
• Community organisations
• Government agencies
• Sponsors
• Schools
• Sporting groups
• Local businesses

The consultant must support culturally appropriate engagement practices suitable for Palm Island.

4.6 Event Funding and Sponsorship Support

Support Council to identify:

• Grant funding opportunities
• Government funding programs
• Corporate sponsorship opportunities
• In-kind partnership opportunities

Assist with:

• Sponsorship prospectus development
• Funding applications
• Partner engagement strategies

4.7 Event Evaluation and Continuous Improvement

Develop processes and templates for:

• Event debriefs
• Lessons learned workshops
• Attendance reporting
• Economic and social impact reporting
• Sponsor reporting
• Community feedback collection

4.8 Resource and Procurement Planning

Assist Council to establish:

• Preferred supplier registers
• Event equipment inventories
• Venue requirements planning
• Procurement schedules
• Resource forecasting tools

This should include identification of items and services requiring procurement well in advance of major events.

5. Deliverables

The successful respondent will provide:

1. Annual Event Calendar
2. Two-Year Event Planning Schedule
3. Event Management Framework
4. Event Planning Toolkit
5. Event Budget Templates
6. Event Risk Assessment Templates
7. Event Run Sheet Templates
8. Event Evaluation Framework
9. Sponsorship and Funding Toolkit
10. Quarterly Capacity Building Workshops
11. Monthly Mentoring Sessions
12. End-of-Year Improvement Reports
13. Mentoring local team

6. Performance Measures

The successful respondent will be assessed against:

• Timely delivery of agreed services
• Quality of advice and support provided
• Staff capability improvements
• Quality of event planning documentation
• Community engagement outcomes
• Knowledge transfer achieved
• Stakeholder satisfaction

7. Term of Engagement

The engagement will be for a period of two years and will commence on or about:

1 September 2026 and conclude on 31 August 2028.

8. Respondent Requirements

Respondents must demonstrate:

• Experience in event management.
• Experience delivering community and cultural events.
• Capacity building and training experience.
• Experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
• Experience working with local government.
• Relevant qualifications and certifications.
• Strong stakeholder engagement capabilities.
• Demonstrate how you will maximise opportunities for Palm Island residents to participate in event planning, coordination, delivery, employment, volunteering, training or supplier opportunities.
• Hold, or be willing to obtain where required, appropriate Blue Card clearances for personnel involved in youth-focused events or activities involving children and young people.

Desirable:

• Experience working in remote and regional Queensland.
• Experience supporting Indigenous local governments.
• Knowledge of grants, sponsorship and event funding.

9. Evaluation Criteria

10. Submission Requirements

Respondents must provide:

• Company profile.
• Relevant project experience.
• Proposed methodology.
• Proposed mentoring and training program.
• Personnel and qualifications.
• Fee proposal.
• Referees.
• Evidence of insurance coverage.
• A statement outlining how you will maximise opportunities for Palm Island residents to participate in event delivery, including employment, volunteering, mentoring, supplier engagement or other local participation pathways.

11. How to Submit a Quotation

Quotations must be submitted in writing and received by Council no later than 5:00pm on 19 August 2026. Late submissions may not be accepted unless otherwise determined by Council.

Submissions should be clearly marked with the RFQ title and RFQ number: PIASC-EVENTS-2026-01 – Event Management, Capacity Building and Event Planning Support Services.

Quotations may be submitted by email to amy.russell@palmcouncil.qld.gov.au. Respondents are responsible for ensuring their submission has been received by Council before the closing date and time.

Electronic submissions should be provided in PDF format where possible. Supporting documents may be attached separately, provided they are clearly labelled and referenced in the respondent’s submission.

Contact for Enquiries

All enquiries regarding this RFQ should be directed to:

12. Conditions of RFQ

By submitting a quotation, the respondent acknowledges and agrees that the following conditions apply to this RFQ process.

a.     No obligation to accept
Council is not bound to accept the lowest priced quotation, any quotation, or any part of a quotation. Council may accept the quotation that, in its absolute discretion, represents the best overall value and outcome for Council and the Palm Island community.

b.     Right to vary, suspend or cancel
Council reserves the right to amend, vary, suspend, withdraw or cancel this RFQ process at any time, whether before or after the closing date, without incurring liability to any respondent.

c.     Clarification and additional information
Council may seek clarification, additional information, revised pricing, presentations, interviews or further documentation from any respondent. Council is not required to seek the same information from all respondents where it considers this unnecessary or inappropriate.

d.     Evaluation and discretion
Quotations will be assessed against the evaluation criteria set out in this RFQ and any other matters Council considers relevant to achieving value for money, compliance, service quality, risk management and community outcomes.

e.     Negotiation
Council may negotiate with one or more respondents before making a decision. Negotiations may relate to price, scope, methodology, timing, deliverables, contractual terms or any other matter relevant to the proposed engagement.

f.      Late, incomplete or non-conforming submissions
Council may, at its discretion, accept or reject any late, incomplete, conditional or non-conforming submission. Respondents are responsible for ensuring their quotation is received by Council before the closing date and time.

g.     Respondent costs
All costs associated with preparing, lodging or presenting a quotation are the responsibility of the respondent. Council will not be liable for any costs, expenses or losses incurred by respondents in relation to this RFQ process.

h.     Confidentiality
Information provided by Council as part of this RFQ must be treated as confidential and used only for the purpose of preparing a quotation. Respondents must not disclose confidential information to any third party without Council’s prior written approval, except where required by law.

i.      Conflict of interest
Respondents must disclose any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest that may affect, or be seen to affect, their ability to provide the services impartially and in the best interests of Council.

j.      Canvassing
Respondents must not canvass Councillors, Council employees or representatives in relation to this RFQ except through the nominated Contact Officer. Any attempt to improperly influence the process may result in exclusion from further consideration.

k.     Accuracy of information
Respondents are responsible for ensuring that all information provided in their quotation is true, complete and accurate. Council may rely on the information provided when assessing quotations and determining whether to proceed with an engagement.

l.      Insurance, compliance and approvals
The successful respondent may be required to provide evidence of appropriate insurances, licences, permits, approvals, qualifications, registrations and compliance with relevant legislation, standards, policies and workplace health and safety requirements before commencing services.

m.   Intellectual property
Unless otherwise agreed in writing, all templates, tools, frameworks, schedules, reports and other materials developed specifically for Council under the engagement will become the property of Council upon payment for the relevant services.

n.     No binding contract
No binding contract will exist between Council and a respondent unless and until Council has formally accepted a quotation in writing and any required agreement, purchase order or contract documentation has been executed or issued by Council.

o.     Council policies and procurement obligations
This RFQ process will be conducted having regard to Council’s procurement requirements, applicable legislation, principles of probity, value for money, transparency, accountability and sound contracting practices.