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RFP 2025-06 Event Planning for Signature Events

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to enter into a contractual agreement with up to two qualified vendors for Event Planning Services.

Terms: Five (5) years (anticipated start date in October 2025) 

  • Release Date - February 27, 2025
  • Bidders' Conference & Application Training - March 4, 1:30 p.m. Click Here to View Recording
  • Deadline for Submission of Questions - April 1, 5 p.m. ET
  • Application Deadline - April 3, 5 p.m. ET
  • Proposal Review Period: April 7 - 18, 2025 
  • Award Recommendations to Committee: June 26, 2025
  • Award Recommendations to Board of Directors: July 14, 2025

Please be advised that some of the links on the RFP "Downloadable PDF" document posted on the top of the solicitation page on February 27, 2025, were not linked properly. The document has been replaced as of March 4, 2025, and the links have been fixed. To ensure you have the correct and updated information, please make sure to download the new document. Thank you for your attention to this matter. 

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Timeline

RELEASE 2/27/2025 12:00 PM
BIDCONF 3/4/2025 1:30 PM
QADEADLINE 4/1/2025 5:00 PM
APPDEADLINE 4/3/2025 5:00 PM
REVIEWSTART 4/7/2025 - 4/18/2025
DEBRIEFIGSTART 4/22/2025
COMMITTEE 6/26/2025
BOARD 7/14/2025

Q & A

Fiscal
What is your current cost estimate for your 2025 Champions for Children event? The RFP provides overall costs from 2024, but with a new venue for 2025, we would like to know what the projected expenditure is. We understand that the budget is $200K for 2026 but knowing the differences between 2024 and 2025 will help in allocating percentages of expenditures in our budget proposal.
The estimated cost for the 2025 Champions For Children event is the same as 2024 ($185,000).
Would the Children’s Trust consider paying us (the event planner) directly so we can distribute funds to vendors, rather than requiring our company to front the costs and wait for reimbursement?
As stated on page 5 of the RFP, “The Children’s Trust operates on a reimbursement basis, and Event Planner can expect to make payments to vendors directly, fully reimbursable by The Children’s Trust. However, on a case-by-case basis, and at the sole discretion of The Children’s Trust, some large purchases (e.g. event venue) may qualify for an advance payment from The Trust.
Is there an expected budget for these events?
As detailed in the RFP document, the estimated budgets (including event planner’s fee) for each event are as follows: Champions for Children Award Ceremony: $200,000.00 (p. 6 of the RFP); Family Expo: $455,000.00 (p. 8 of the RFP).
General
The system is not accepting our agency's EIN number. I have reached out to the helpdesk@thechildernstrust.org. Is there anything else I can do to move forward?
Thank you for your patience. All helpdesk tickets have been addressed. Every person who submitted a request for technical assistance should have received individual responses.
For the Family Expo main event, what is the total square footage (both indoor and outdoor) used for previous events?
Before the pandemic, the Family Expo was a major annual event traditionally held at The Miami-Dade County Fair and Exposition grounds, utilizing approximately 126,000 sq. ft. of indoor space and 30,000 sq. ft. of outdoor space. Post-pandemic, the event transformed into multiple smaller events hosted at various school gyms throughout Miami-Dade County, including venues such as Miami Dade College Kendall Campus, Florida Memorial University, and Booker T. Washington High School. These events occupied around 30,000 sq. ft. of indoor space and 20,000 sq. ft. of outdoor space. For 2025, the main Family Expo will return to the fairgrounds on a smaller scale, with an estimated footprint of 50,000 sq. ft. of indoor space and 20,000 sq. ft. of outdoor space.
It is clear in RFP that the planner would be responsible for disbursing the payments to vendors, however can you clarify if the legal agreements and contracts made are between the vendor and the Trust or the vendor and the event planner?
Legal agreements with event vendors will be between the vendor and the event planner.
Our team is not based in Florida, but has extensive experience planning events remotely, with on-site support for setup/strike and event days. To ensure we’re not wasting time on both sides, would we still be considered, or is local residency a strict requirement?
Applicants should be qualified to conduct business in the State of Florida under the laws of Florida per Chapter 607, F.S., and must be qualified to conduct business on or before the contract beginning date. Given the nature of these events and their focus on children and families in Miami-Dade County, it is imperative that the staff working on the event reside close to or in Miami-Dade County to ensure their availability for venue walkthroughs and in-person meetings as needed, in addition to setup day, event day, and post-event strike/break-down
If we are registered as a Foreign Corporation in FL, does the use of an agent in that case exclude us from this RFP?
As stated on page 2 for the RFP document, “Applicants should be qualified to conduct business in the State of Florida under the laws of Florida per Chapter 607, F.S., and must be qualified to conduct business on or before the contract beginning date.” The RFP requires documentation to be submitted demonstrating that the company is authorized to conduct business in the State of Florida. This documentation includes proof of registration on Sunbiz.org. However, as stated on Page 2 of the RFP document, “No applicant may apply to this RFP through any agent, affiliate, or other individual or entity".
Can I submit supporting material using a file-sharing vendor like Google Drive, Box.com, DropBox, WeTransfer, etc.?
No. As stated on page 9 of the RFP document, “Links to external websites (e.g., Vimeo, YouTube, applicant’s website) are not allowed nor will they be considered during the review process.” All supporting documents and files must be uploaded to the Trust Central application on their respective section of the RFP response.
Can you share the recording from the bidders conference?
A recording of the Bidders’ conference & Application Training event for this solicitation has been posted in the description area of this solicitation on the Operation Solicitations page of our website and in Trust Central.
For the business registration requirement, does an applicant need to be incorporated in Florida, or is registering as a Foreign Entity with Sunbiz sufficient? If an organization legally operates in Florida with an employee based there, does that meet the eligibility requirement?
It is not a requirement that a business entity be registered as Florida-based or as a “Foreign Entity.” As stated on page 2 for the RFP document, “Applicants should be qualified to conduct business in the State of Florida under the laws of Florida per Chapter 607, F.S., and must be qualified to conduct business on or before the contract beginning date.”
Can you please clarify the difference and/or documentation expectations of a subcontractor as a planning team member versus that of a subcontracted service vendor? Given that vendors will not be know at time proposal.
Team members should be part of the Applicant’s team for the proposed event. Additional support documentation for team members is not required. Instead, provide specific details (not including individual names) to outline the role, requirements, and unit-rate cost of each team member in both the proposal narrative and the itemized event budget template. A subcontractor is a named individual or entity that provides a specific outlined service for the event, and whose name must be disclosed in the application. Any changes to subcontractor(s) named in the winning application will require the prior approval of The Children’s Trust Board of Directors, during a scheduled Board meeting. Each application is limited to two named subcontractors. All necessary support documentation for subcontractors is detailed on page 16 of the RFP document. Any procurement of services outside of the applicant’s project team and/or named subcontractors must follow current best business practices in event planning procurement that are aligned with The Children’s Trust procurement policies, including securing quotes.
For the business registration requirement, does our organization need to be incorporated in Florida, or is registering as a Foreign Entity with Sunbiz sufficient? We legally operate in FL with an employee based there—does that meet the eligibility requirement?
It is not a requirement that a business entity be registered as Florida-based or as a “Foreign Entity.” As stated on page 2 for the RFP document, “Applicants should be qualified to conduct business in the State of Florida under the laws of Florida per Chapter 607, F.S., and must be qualified to conduct business on or before the contract beginning date.”
Does this requirement mean that our organization must be registered as a Florida-based entity, or is it sufficient to register as a "Foreign Entity" with the Florida Division of Corporations? If we have an employee residing and working in Florida, does this fulfill the eligibility requirement, or is formal business registration with Sunbiz still necessary?
It is not a requirement that a business entity be registered as Florida-based or as a “Foreign Entity.” As stated on page 2 for the RFP document, “Applicants should be qualified to conduct business in the State of Florida under the laws of Florida per Chapter 607, F.S., and must be qualified to conduct business on or before the contract beginning date.”
Can you clarify this eligibility requirement? We legally operate in Florida. Does this requirement mean that we to register as a FL business or just register our business in FL? "Registered with Florida's Division of Corporations"
As stated on page 2 for the RFP document, “Applicants should be qualified to conduct business in the State of Florida under the laws of Florida per Chapter 607, F.S., and must be qualified to conduct business on or before the contract beginning date.” The RFP requires documentation to be submitted demonstrating that the company is authorized to conduct business in the State of Florida. This documentation includes proof of registration on Sunbiz.org.
Services
In the application section for product/services it states "Discuss your company's methodology and approach to successfully implementing contracted projects, specifically in the areas stated in the solicitation. (Word Limit: 1,000)" yet the answer box limits it to 400 words. We have emailed the helpdesk email twice and have yet to receive a response.
Thank you for your patience. All helpdesk tickets have been addressed. Every person who submitted a request for technical assistance should have received individual responses. The word limit for the question referenced has been updated. Additionally, please note that should applicants need to provide additional information than what space allows, applicants are able to upload support documents on the respective section of the application.

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