Expression of interest: Calling Country Creative Services 2023 and 2024 Sydney New Year’s Eve

We invite an experienced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation to provide creative production services for the Calling Country segment for Sydney New Year’s Eve 2023 and 2024. (with the option to extend to 2025)

Applications now open

Stage 1 applications close 11am Sydney time on Wednesday 3 May.

Apply now

Lina Rouzios

Procurement Specialist

: [email protected]

Calling Country

Produced by the City of Sydney, Sydney New Year’s Eve is a local and global celebration that reaches an audience of more than 425 million people worldwide and is attended by more than 1 million people around the harbour foreshore.

Research conducted found that Sydney New Year’s Eve has a direct economic impact of more than $280 million to Sydney.

Calling Country respectfully acknowledges the custodians of the land on which Sydney New Year’s Eve is held and showcases Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and culture on a global stage. Calling Country is a harbour-wide ceremony embracing and honouring the Dreaming of this place and our relationship to it.

The applicant must work with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artists to present Calling Country and collaborate with the City of Sydney’s creative team on ceremony, projections, pyrotechnics, music, and live performance.

The Calling Country component of the event consists of the following:

8:57pm – 9pm Welcome to Country created by a third-party supplier working with the City of Sydney
9:00pm – 9:08pm Calling Country fireworks includes soundtrack, Sydney Harbour Bridge lighting and projections.
9:08pm – 9:11pm Calling Country live performance on TV broadcast partners stage includes Sydney Harbour Bridge lighting and projections.

This will be a 2 staged procurement. Following this expression of interest, shortlisted applicants will be invited to tender for services. Participation in stage 2 – select tender will be at the City of Sydney’s discretion.

The service provider is responsible for the following elements:

Pylon projections – you must supply an overarching creative concept including sample imagery and/or curated original artworks. The City of Sydney’s projection content supplier will work with you to turn the concept and imagery or artwork into projection animations.
Live performance – including performers, instruments, props, costumes, hair, and makeup. The TV broadcast partner will supply the stage, stage management and production elements.
Fireworks soundtrack – the soundtrack must be an original commissioned work with rights assigned to the City of Sydney in perpetuity including any musical compositions used in the Calling Country performance comprising music and lyrics, sound recordings and live performance. The right to reproduce, publish, communicate to the public or engage a third party to reproduce, publish, or communicate to the public. The right to use the material in City of Sydney reports, print media, social media or other promotional publications.
Artist management – hiring and paying performers or artists.

Selection process

Stage one is an open call for applications.

The City of Sydney isn’t seeking a proposal for the full Calling Country production scope outlined in the specification. This scope information is being provided for the information of respondents only.

The City of Sydney is seeking information from respondents outlined in the application form. This includes details of your organisation, key personnel, experience and capacity, knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, acknowledgement of the requirements and a proposed creative concept for 2023 Sydney New Year’s Eve.

Please ensure that all files are clearly labelled with the applicant’s name. The maximum file size for each file is 5MB.

In applying, respondents accept all the City of Sydney’s terms and conditions listed in expression of interest document below.
Following the review of the expression of Interest proposals, the City of Sydney will invite shortlisted applicants to file a formal tender.

Applicants invited to tender will be:
- issued with formal request for tender documents to complete within a timeframe
- invited to attend a pre-tender briefing to outline the process for tender as well as provide an opportunity to ask questions.
- be required to attend a meeting with the City of Sydney to present their creative concept for consideration. It is anticipated this presentation will be up to 60 minutes in length. Further details will be provided to shortlisted applicants as required.
Stage two fee

The City of Sydney will pay a fee of $3,000 (ex GST) to invited stage two applicants on receipt of a complete and conforming tender application. This fee is to acknowledge the work required to complete this stage of the process. Selection for stage two is at the sole discretion of the City of Sydney.
Stage 1 closes at 11am, Wednesday 3 May 2023.

We won’t accept applications after the closing time and date.

Expressions of interest open: Thursday 6 April 2023

Expressions of interest close: 11pm, Wednesday 3 May 2023.

Shortlisted respondents notified: Thursday 16 May 2023

Select Tender documents issued to shortlisted respondents: Friday 19 May 2023

Stage two applications briefing: Thursday 25 May 2023

Stage two – Select Tender closes: Tuesday 13 June 2023

Stage two – Select Tender presentation of proposed concept: Week commencing 19 June 2023

Successful Tender informed and contracted: Week commencing 7 August 2023
For the purposes of the EOI, The City of Sydney isn’t seeking a full fee proposal for the Calling Country creative services scope as outlined in the specification. The following information is being provided for the consideration of EOI respondents only.
- The City of Sydney can’t accept any quotes that exceed $125,000 (excluding GST) per year of contract. In the interests of our communities and public funds, we strongly encourage you to provide the best price for the term.
- Respondents selected to stage two – select tender will be asked for a detailed budget that has a total fixed fee within the budget range of Calling Country for 2023 Sydney New Year’s Eve.
- If selected for stage two - select tender, the fee must include detail on all expense items including payments to artists, costumes, artwork commission or licensing, soundtrack commission fee and licensing fee, and performance fees.
- The Creative Services Provider is responsible for the contracting and payment of fees for all artist collaborators.
- You must provide your quote in the manner required and respond to all parts outlined in the returnable information.
Proposed creative concept: including reference images, presentation of theme and story, calibre and experience of collaborating artists, and cohesiveness of curatorial vision and detail for each program element.

Demonstrated capacity to produce the program including relevant experience in carrying out services of a similar scale and nature, details of key project members.

Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultures combined with experience in large-scale programs showcasing their art and culture.

An Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander enterprise demonstrated by either Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander ownership of 50% or more, or majority of employees are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander or a registered or certified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses maintained by Supply Nation or other similar Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander registration/membership.

Acknowledge that the services must be produced within the budget provided by the City of Sydney and that a detailed costing breakdown will be provided if selected to proceed to stage two – select tender

Acknowledged commitment to workplace health and safety.

Acknowledge commitment to required insurances.

See clause 8 in the standard conditions for further detail.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enterprise

As part of the City’s intention to stimulate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business development by providing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians with more opportunities to participate in the local economy, it is a mandatory condition for participation in this EOI (and subsequent RFT) that Respondents are an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Business (as defined in the Contract).

The City will exclude any response from further consideration if it considers that the Respondent does not meet the evaluation criteria of being an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Business.

The Respondent acknowledges and agrees that if it is successful, it will be a condition of the resulting Contract that the Respondent declares that it is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Business).

The City retains the right to exclude a Respondent from further consideration if, at any time prior to entering into the Contract, the City becomes aware that the respondent is not an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Business).

Expression of interestPDF · 434.88 KB · Last modified 5 April 2023

Event services agreementPDF · 528.64 KB · Last modified 5 April 2023

Applications now open

Stage 1 applications close 11am Sydney time on Wednesday 3 May.

Apply now

Expression of interest: Calling Country Creative Services 2023 and 2024 Sydney New Year’s Eve

Applications now open

Lina Rouzios

Calling Country

The Calling Country component of the event consists of the following:

Selection process

Stage one – Expression of Interest

Stage two – Select tender

Stage two fee

Key dates

Fee

Evaluation criteria

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enterprise

Applications now open