Market operator, Fitzroy Gardens, Potts Point: Register your interest

The City of Sydney invites applications to licence an operator for a community market in Fitzroy Gardens.

Project Status: Closed

Applications are now closed.

Public consultation period31 August 2021 to 29 September 2021

Application criteria for a community markets operator

We encourage applications from a market operator who can:

provide a clear point of difference to existing markets within the City of Sydney local area through a curated offering
work with the local community, including businesses and organisations to provide workshops and activities that connect the local community
complement the surrounding area and existing businesses
show a clear commitment to zero waste to landfill, including a ban on single-use plastic bags and use of biodegradable containers and cutlery within the market
commit to reducing food waste by using food rescue organisations for unsold food or food waste collection for recycling.

The market operator must be able to:

operate the market as an interesting and vibrant destination
operate a market that sells quality goods and services representing value for money
maintain high standards of presentation and customer success
ensure the market’s operation complements and adds value to the area’s existing businesses
organise and manage the market professionally
have regular contact with the City of Sydney and provide ongoing performance reports
meet all the requirements of the licence and relevant legal and planning obligations.

Each of the evaluation criteria listed above is considered to be critical to this request for proposal. They are not of equal weight for evaluation and are not listed in order of priority.

The City may undertake financial assessments of bidders to determine their financial capacity to undertake the proposal to be under the Licence. This may be undertaken by a third party appointed by the City.

On request the applicant should provide recent years financial information which may include financial statements (P&L, balance sheets and notes) and management accounts/financial statements.

Applicants must complete all parts of the request for proposal forms. Council may reject any submission which does not provide all the required information.

Fitzroy Gardens market – Request for ProposalsDOC · 214.5 KB · Last modified 30 August 2021

Example of a market license agreement with standard terms and conditionsPDF · 359.17 KB · Last modified 30 August 2021

We will review all applications. Selected applicants will be invited to prepare and deliver a presentation to a City of Sydney assessment panel.

Presentations should include more details on the proposal, including information on safety and security, traffic management and waste management.

See our guide to setting up a market on council land for details on things to include in the market proposal.

1. Initial application

Applicants must complete the necessary forms and details included within the request for proposal document for submission. These include:
- form 1 – applicant details for the registration of interest;
- form 2 – company/operator profile to detail relevant experience and key personnel (1-page maximum);
- form 3 – a maximum 2-page proposal outlining a vision for the market proposal, how it will assist Council to meet the goals within Sustainable Sydney 2030 (and beyond) and give consideration on the logistical details to running a market on the identified site;
- the market site forms and initial proposal document should be lodged by email to [email protected] by 29 September 2021.
2. Presentation
- shortlisted applicants will be asked to prepare and deliver a presentation to an assessment panel consisting of 4 City of Sydney employees
- applicants will be asked a series of questions relating to the assessment criteria and the proposed operational management of the market
- applications and presentation will be scored in line with the assessment criteria, and other applicable considerations deemed reasonable by the City of Sydney.
Market applications and proposals will be assessed against criteria set out in this request for proposal, the markets policy and the markets guide. This includes any other relevant assessment criteria applicable to determine the feasibility and suitability of a market in Fitzroy Gardens. We will not proceed with market site applications and market proposals that do not meet the assessment criteria or the needs of local communities.
After the assessment panel presentations and our review and assessment of all proposals is completed, we may identify a successful proposal and operator to be invited into a market licence agreement for Fitzroy Gardens.

If a proposal is accepted and permitted by the City of Sydney, the applicant will be asked to provide the necessary documents to support the initial application, as detailed below in the approval process.

Once these additional documents and details are received and accepted by us, a licence agreement will be prepared and executed for the successful applicant.

A bond payment will be required before the start of the first market. This will cover any possible damages or remediation required in Fitzroy Gardens from market activities during the licence period. Bond payments will be refunded at the end of a final licence agreement term, minus any remediation costs for damages that may have been caused, where applicable.
As part of the final licencing process, the successful applicant will be required to lodge the following documents:
- public liability insurance
- risk management plans
- traffic and pedestrian management plans (where deemed necessary)
- waste management plan
- site plan
- temporary food stall approval
- any additional licences required to operate a market.
Once the documents are received and accepted by the City, the licence agreement will be prepared and executed. The bond payment needs to be made before the markets start.