Expression of Interest - Place-making - Campus Master Plan

1. INTRODUCTION

The University of Sydney is commencing an update of its Camperdown-Darlington Campus Master Plan to guide the next generation of campus transformation, and ensure the campus continues to evolve in alignment with the Universitys strategic vision, operational needs, and community aspirations.

The Campus Master Plan (CMP) will establish a strategic plan and series of campus-wide strategies that integrate campus experience, public realm, building and space planning, innovation and enterprise, development and capital investment planning with academic purpose, sustainability, community impact and cultural values.

Why a new master plan is needed

The Universitys previous Campus Improvement Program (CIP) 2014-2020 enabled over $1.3 billion of transformational infrastructure development over the last 10 years. While the pandemic-induced infrastructure pause extended the life of the CIP, it is now out of date and a new strategic direction for campus evolution is needed.

Since the CIPs inception, the University has undergone significant transformation - accelerated student growth, evolving pedagogical models, increased diversity, heightened expectations around sustainability, inclusion, and civic engagement, and the emergence of Tech Central. External factors such as climate change, geopolitical shifts, and data/digital acceleration further underscore the need for a new master plan with a future-focused planning approach.

The new CMP also needs to address critical challenges including deficits in teaching spaces, ageing infrastructure, and low student experience metrics; plus prepare for a resilient future with a Country-centred, sustainable and inclusive approach.

Master Plan Aspiration (to be refined as part of the Campus Master Plan process)

The CMP is a long-range aspirational plan guiding student experience and place transformation, and ongoing campus development. It will also be a flexible and practical framework for sustainable growth to enable the Universitys academic purpose and strategic plan, address critical challenges and accommodate future change. This will include the following, and more:

A transformed student experience across all dimensions

- Leading-practice teaching and learning facilities

- A range of University-operated student accommodation

- New student-focused and mixed-use building typologies and live/learn facilities

- Enhanced campus connections (within and beyond) physically, socially and digitally

- A vibrant campus experience with enhanced social belonging and wellbeing

A Country-led, reimagined and regenerated public realm

- An embedded Country-centred approach

- New community green spaces and regenerating public realm

- Programmed cultural and community activation and placemaking, within renewed public spaces

- A sustainable and resilient campus

Enabled excellence in research, innovation and partnerships

- Leading practice research facilities

- Optimised space and workplace planning

- Integrated capital investment, development and asset planning for sustainable development

- New co-investment, co-location, collaboration and commercialisation initiatives

- New industry, community and civil partnerships for shared impact

Refer Appendix A for the Camperdown-Darlington boundary and study area.

Program Scope and Workstreams

The Campus Master Plan program scope will comprise a range of campus-wide strategies - many of which are interdependent - across three major workstreams:

Workstream #1 Public Realm and Infrastructure

Workstream #2 Building and Space Planning

Workstream #3 Development, Enterprise and Funding.

2. PLACE MAKING / CAMPUS EXPERIENCE CONSULTANT - Workstream #1 Public Realm & Infrastructure

The University is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from suitably qualified and experienced consultants to be considered for the subsequent Request for Tender (RFT) stage.

International firms are welcome to submit in partnership with Australian firms.

Three other Campus Master Plan EOI processes are running concurrently, and consultants are encouraged to review all.

3. PROCUREMENT PROCESS

This procurement will be conducted as a two-stage selection process:

Expression of Interest (EOI) - to identify suitably experienced and capable consultant teams.

Request for Tender (RFT) - to be issued to shortlisted respondents.

The Procurement Approach for the Campus Master Plan program across ALL three major workstreams, is outlined in Appendix B.

4. PURPOSE OF THIS EOI The purpose of this EOI is to invite suitably qualified and experienced consultants to submit their interest in being considered for a future Request for Tender procurement process - to be appointed as Campus Master Plan Workstream #1 Place-making / Campus Experience consultant.

The objectives of this EOI are to:

Identify innovative and leading practice companies with the capacity, expertise, and resources to deliver a range of strategies, plans and outcomes for the Campus Master Plan.

- Engage with the market, inviting the market to shape the optimal consultant team structure with lead, sub consultant and/or standard consultants (i.e. procured/managed by the University) to deliver optimal deliverables and outcomes.

- Engage with the market, inviting innovative expertise, approaches, processes and technologies across all disciplines relevant to a global leading practice university master plan.

Promote fair, transparent, and competitive procurement practices in line with the Universitys procurement policy.

Establish a shortlist of qualified consultant teams for invitation to the RFT.

5. WORKSTREAM #1 - CONSULTANT TEAM AND STRUCTURE

The indicative Workstream #1 Consultant Team is outlined in Table 1 in the attached EOI document. These disciplines, their engagement type (Lead Consultant, Sub-consultant, or Standard Consultant), and sourcing strategy may evolve as the Program progresses and in response to market feedback.

The University requires EOI responses to include a complying consultant team structure aligned with Table 1. In this EOI phase, respondents are to identify their proposed team composition, clearly listing the lead consultant, subconsultants and standard consultants including company names per discipline.

Respondents may also propose a non-complying team structure, where the composition, discipline mix, or engagement types differ from the indicative structure - provided that the alternative approach demonstrably supports the Universitys Master Plan aspiration. Non-complying proposals must also include company names per discipline. The University reserves the right to accept or decline any non-complying EOI submission.

This approach - allowing both complying and non-complying team structures - is intended to support a flexible market response. It enables participation by larger, multidisciplinary firms capable of covering multiple disciplines; while also ensuring smaller, specialist firmscan contribute through targeted roles without the need to manage extensive subconsultant teams.

6. SCOPE OF WORKS

All Workstream #1 consultants are required to meet required timelines, complete progress reports, coordinate with other consultants, deliver high quality deliverables and advice, and present to University staff and executives as required. This will be further articulated in the RFT process.

Deliverables as Place-making / Campus Experience consultant

To develop and deliver, either directly or with subconsultants and standard consultants, the following plans, advice and associated reports. This indicative list may be updated for the RFT:

Campus Experience Strategy/Plan (physical, social, digital)

Campus Activation & Event Strategy

Wayfinding Strategy (including digital wayfinding)

Smart Campus Strategy

Cultural Strategy

Input into overarching Campus Master Plan

Sport and Recreation Plan

Others as required

The consultant must coordinate with Workstream #1 lead consultant and other consultants, plus other workstream consultants as required.

University Engagement

Under the direction of the internal Program Management team and Engagement Consultant, the Workstream #1 Place-making / Campus Experience consultant will engage across the University community via a range of engagement and communication channels. This will be further articulated in the RFT process.

7. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Respondents are requested to submit:

- A completed EOI Response Form by copying the following link into your browser: Expression of Interest - Place-making - Campus Master Plan – Fill out form

The EOI response form addresses:

• Supplier information
• Minimum requirements for participation, including nominated team
• Capability
• University compliance (including company profile)

- Expanded responses requested in the EOI form, which need to be submitted into the allocated TenderBox, including the following:

• Experience leading subconsultant teams:Demonstrated capability leading subconsultants, providing relevant and specific examples of leading subconsultant teams within complex planning programs, including integrated plans, documents and reports.
• Discipline capability: Demonstrated capability as Place-making / Campus Experience consultant, providing relevant and specific examples of similar and exemplary work in a complex institutional setting
• Team synergies: How the team collaborates and complements each other
• Innovation and value proposition: Innovative methods, technologies and processes relevant to a global leading practice university master plan
• Approach, methodology, and timeline

8. PROGRAM TIMING

The University requires the Campus Master Plan to be delivered in 2026. This will be followed by a more detailed 10-year Place & Development Plan in 2027 (a future scope, which is not part of this submission). The indicative timeframes for engagement of this contract are as follows:

Activity

Estimated Date

EOI opens: 25 November 2025

EOI closes: 22 December 2025

Shortlisting and notification: February 2026

Request for Tender (RFT) release: February 2026

Contract commencement: March/April 2026

Please note:

- This EOI is not a request for a formal tender or proposal, but it is a prerequisite for progressing to the Request for Tender stage. University of Sydney reserves the right to accept or reject any EOI submission at its discretion.

- The University will not be holding an EOI briefing. The University campus is generally accessible for inspections, whilst certain buildings may have restricted access.

For any queries or support please contact Fred Bengtsson on fredrik.bengtsson@sydney.edu.au

Kind regards,

Fred Bengtsson

The University of Sydney: One of Australias top universities