FOGO Marketing, Engagement, Education and Behaviour Change Project

MidCoast Council invites tenders from suitably qualified consultants to design, develop, deliver and evaluate a comprehensive Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) marketing, engagement, education and behaviour change campaign.

The successful Consultant will translate Council’s Education and Behaviour Change Strategy and Plan Framework into a coordinated campaign that helps residents understand the new service, prepare for its introduction and correctly separate food and garden organics.

Services include community research and audience analysis; behaviour change and campaign planning; creative development and message testing; production of accessible content and reusable engagement materials; media planning and buying; community outreach and face-to-face engagement; launch support; ongoing reinforcement; and evaluation and handover.

Tenderers must propose the quantities, formats, frequency, coverage and resources for each deliverable for Council’s assessment, supported by pricing and estimated professional effort in the response schedules.

The proposed consultancy period is contract execution to 30 September 2029, subject to the contract’s milestone and time-adjustment provisions. 1 July 2028 is the planning assumption for facility operations, not a confirmed household FOGO service commencement date. Council will confirm service commencement and authorise date-sensitive activities when facility and collection readiness permit.

Services will support communities across the MidCoast Council local government area, NSW. Research, planning, design and reporting may be undertaken remotely where appropriate. The Consultant must provide on-ground engagement and other attendance required by its accepted delivery proposal.

Background information / Compatibility requirements

The consultancy forms part of Council’s integrated FOGO Program, comprising the processing facility, collection service transition, and education and behaviour change projects. The successful Consultant will report to Council’s FOGO Program Manager and coordinate with Waste Services, Communications and Engagement teams, and relevant contractors through Council-approved arrangements.

The MidCoast includes towns, villages and dispersed rural communities with different waste service arrangements. Current arrangements include standard three-bin services, rural two-bin services and properties without a green bin. These arrangements do not, by themselves, establish future FOGO eligibility. Campaign content must use Council-confirmed service information so residents receive instructions applicable to their property and implementation stage.

The campaign must:

- Align with Council’s Education and Behaviour Change Strategy, Plan Framework and branding requirements.

- Address audience needs identified through the supplied evidence and approved research, including accessibility, literacy, digital access and rural communication needs.

- Integrate Council-owned channels with appropriate television, social media, digital, print, newspaper, billboard and other physical media.

- Include reusable materials for community stalls, displays and education activities.

- Provide accessible final outputs and editable source files, templates, records and campaign assets that Council can maintain and adapt.

Facility readiness controls service commencement. Tenderers must demonstrate how they will sequence early research and reusable work, manage approval gates, and reprogram or pause activities while minimising avoidable expenditure. The response schedules include common 3-, 6- and 12-month delay scenarios for evaluation purposes; these are not forecast delays or guaranteed additional work.

Council’s tender documents define the detailed requirements, acceptance criteria, pricing arrangements and conditions of contract.

Desired Outcomes ('Nice to haves', Conditions & Warranties, SLA's, Project benefits): Council seeks a practical, evidence-based campaign that builds community understanding and supports correct participation in the FOGO service before, during and after its introduction.

Desired outcomes include:

- Clear, consistent and service-specific information that helps residents understand what changes, when it changes and how to use their service correctly.

- Research-informed messages and activities that address behavioural barriers and motivators.

- Accessible engagement that reaches relevant audiences across the MidCoast.

- Reliable delivery of approved campaign assets, media and community activities.

- Transparent reporting on outputs, reach, engagement and behavioural outcomes, distinguishing the Consultant’s contribution from factors controlled by service design, facility performance or other parties.

- A complete handover that enables Council or another supplier to maintain and adapt the campaign.

Council will assess relevant experience, behaviour change capability, methodology, delivery capacity, program flexibility, demonstrated outcomes and value for money. Tenderers may identify optional enhancements separately, with their benefits and costs clearly stated.

The contract requires defined deliverables, documented approvals, regular program and risk reporting, and written acceptance against agreed criteria. Correction of poor work, errors, omissions or non-compliance is the Consultant’s responsibility and does not consume an included review round.

Publication, launch activities and non-refundable commitments require the applicable written Council approvals. Changes to scope, fees or delivery dates must follow the contract’s authorisation processes. Critical milestones and delay damages apply as specified in Part B.

The Consultant must also meet the contract’s professional standards, insurance, privacy, security, intellectual property, accessibility, records, safety and handover requirements. Council requires transparency about subcontractors, third-party costs, supplier benefits and proposed use of AI.

Questions asked by the buyer:

Have you completed and attached all required Part D response schedules?

Does your tender cover the complete design, development, delivery and evaluation of the project described in Part C?

Have you provided a delivery program addressing Council inputs, review periods, approval gates, dependencies and critical milestones?

Can you provide the on-ground engagement and attendance required by your proposed delivery program within the MidCoast Council area?

Will all campaign materials comply with Council’s branding, accessibility and approval requirements?

Have you disclosed any actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest?

Does your tender contain any qualifications, exclusions or departures from Parts A, B or C?

Buyer: MidCoast Council

Buyer location: 2 Biripi Wy, Taree, New South Wales 2430, Australia

VendorPanel reference: VP531174

Buyer's reference: WS_TEN_FOGO_EDUCATION_AND _BEHAVIOUR _CHANGE_2027_2028

Opens: Friday 06 November 2026 (AUS Eastern Standard Time)

Closes: Friday 27 November 2026 05:00 PM (AUS Eastern Standard Time)

Supplier query cut-off: Friday 20 November 2026 05:00 PM (AUS Eastern Daylight Time)

Expected decision: Friday 25 December 2026 (AUS Eastern Standard Time)

Categories: Advertising & Media Services; 1: Advertising: Internet; 2: Advertising: Print; 3: Advertising: Radio; 4: Advertising: Television; Marketing & Communications; 1: Branding; 2: Communications Services; 3: Market Research Services; 4: Market Surveys; 5: Marketing Services; 6: Public Relations Regions of service: New South Wales; 1: Hunter; 2: Mid-North Coast; 3: Sydney; Queensland; 1: Brisbane; 2: Gold Coast; All Regions of Service locations are within Australia.

Tender documents: 5

Published on VendorPanel Public Tenders. Documents and responses require free VendorPanel supplier registration.