Request for Proposal: Event Management Services for the Girls Go STEM project (EIT Women and Girls in STEM Forum on 25-26 November in Prague, Czechia)

1. Overview  

• Project: Girls Go STEM 
• Contracting entity: EIT RawMaterials GmbH 
• Scope: Event management services for EIT Women and Girls in STEM Forum 2026 (Prague, 25–26 Nov 2026) 
• Budget ceiling: €137,500 (excl. VAT) 
• Language: English 
• Clarification deadline: 20.07.2026 
• Submission deadline: 25.07.2026 
• Contact: girlsgostem@eitrawmaterials.eu 

2. About EIT RawMaterials  

EIT RawMaterials is a Knowledge & Innovation Community (KIC) established by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) to strengthen innovation, education, and entrepreneurship across Europe's raw materials sector. Since its establishment in 2015, EIT RawMaterials has supported initiatives that contribute to a sustainable and resilient raw materials value chain.  

3. Girls Go STEM

The Girls Go STEM Initiative (https://eit-girlsgostem.eu/), formerly the Girls Go Circular initiative, is led and coordinated by EIT RawMaterials with six other EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs): EIT Health, EIT Food, EIT Urban Mobility, EIT Culture & Creativity, Climate KIC, and 28 Digital. The initiative aims to close the gender gap in STEM by training and inspiring 14-19-year-old girls to pursue STEM higher education and careers.

4. The EIT Women and Girls in STEM Forum  

The EIT Women and Girls in STEM Forum is the initiative's annual flagship event, bringing together secondary school girls and their teachers from across Europe alongside policymakers and industry partners. At its heart is the Girls Go STEM Student Challenge — a European competition in which girls aged 14–19 develop and pitch STEM solutions to a real-world problem. National winning teams present their projects on stage at the Forum, where a jury selects the overall winners.  

The 2026 Forum is planned for 25-26 November in Prague, with an expected attendance of max. 200 participants (including student teams and teachers, Girls Go STEM student and teacher ambassadors, industry partners, policymakers, EIT and partner KIC colleagues). Day 1 is designed exclusively for competing student teams and their teachers (max. 120 people), featuring interactive workshops and a site visit. Day 2 opens to all participants with a livestreamed stage programme including panel discussions, a fireside chat, and the Student Challenge finale culminating in a live award ceremony. The stage programme is followed by a ‘student fair’ featuring partner booths and parallel mentoring sessions for the girls and training for the teachers. As part of the wider EIT Community, the Forum also welcomes representatives from partner KICs and initiatives, who may contribute as speakers, workshop facilitators, or exhibitors.  

As an EU-funded initiative, Girls Go STEM is committed to responsible and sustainable event practices. The selected agency is expected to reflect this in its approach to catering, travel, procurement, and waste management throughout the planning and delivery of the event.  

5. Event Objectives

• Deliver an engaging, high-quality event experience for approximately 200 participants, including secondary school students and teachers, policymakers, and industry partners.  
• Ensure smooth end-to-end logistics from registration and travel through to on-site delivery and post-event wrap-up.  
• Provide a high-quality stage for the Girls Go STEM Student Challenge finale and award ceremony 

6. Scope of Work

The selected agency will be responsible for the following tasks:  

Venue & Logistics Coordination  

• Liaise with the venue provider already selected by EIT RawMaterials (Spojka Events s.r.o) on space allocation, floorplan design, event flow, catering menu proposals, and dietary management.  
• Ensure accessibility compliance, contingency and risk planning, and adherence to child safeguarding requirements, given that a significant proportion of participants are minors, aged 14-17 (e.g. clear signage and wayfinding, staff support during hotel–location transfers, no alcohol at meals, incident reporting procedure).  
• Manage regular coordination meetings with the venue and report to the EIT RawMaterials project team.

Participant & Registration Management  

• Set up and manage a participant registration workflow, including confirmations, reminders, and helpdesk support.  
• Produce and manage participant badges and on-site check-in.  
• Prepare and distribute practical information packages for all participant groups (students, teachers, speakers, and partners).  

Travel, Accommodation & Hospitality  

• Coordinate travel logistics for up to approximately 120 participants, including student finalist teams, accompanying teachers, and invited speakers.  
• Manage flight bookings and transfers (e.g. bus from hotel to venue) for eligible participants.  
• Source and manage dinner venues for student and teacher groups, including identification of suitable restaurant spaces (preferably privatised) for up to three group dinners during the event period.  
• Administer participants' and speakers’ travel reimbursement processes, including verification and documentation for EU audit compliance.  

Programme Implementation Support  

• Coordinate speaker logistics, including scheduling, travel and accommodation guidance, and reimbursement administration.  
• Provide technical support for speakers on-site.  
• Support rehearsal coordination with venue technical staff.  
• Manage session scheduling support and coordination of technical transitions between sessions.

On-Site Operations  

• Provide a dedicated on-site event coordination team for the full duration of the event (25-26 November, including setup and welcome dinner on 24 November), including an event manager and sufficient support staff to cover registration, room management, and participant assistance.  
• Source, procure, and manage branded merchandise and participant giveaways (e.g. tote bags) in line with Girls Go STEM brand guidelines.  
• Book and coordinate participant interaction activities (e.g. 360-camera, 3D printer, etc.) as well as up to 10 booths for partners.  
• Manage teardown, storage, and return shipment of unused printed materials, signage, and merchandise following the event.  

Streaming & Hybrid Delivery  

• Procure and manage a streaming supplier for the livestreaming of the stage programme/Student Challenge Finale.  
• Ensure recording and post-event access to streamed sessions.  
• Automated subtitle translation for online viewers (up to 24 languages) is a desirable feature.  

On-site Materials & Production Implementation  

• Print, produce, and manage all physical event materials (signage, banners, name badges, printed programmes, etc.) based on final designs provided by EIT RawMaterials or the Girls Go STEM communications agency.  
• Coordinate transport, on-site placement, and installation of all physical materials.  
• Implement approved digital assets (presentation templates, animations, screensavers, jingles) across all event screens and AV systems.  
• Facilitate on-site access and logistics support for the communications agency's content capture team (photography, video, interviews).  

Financial Management & Reporting  

• Contract and manage all subcontractors (catering, streaming, transport, etc.) within the approved budget framework.  
• Maintain detailed budget tracking with approval thresholds and provide regular financial updates to EIT RawMaterials.  
• Manage invoicing timelines and approval processes in compliance with EIT RawMaterials' requirements.  
• Deliver a post-event debrief meeting and a final implementation report, including statistics on participant profiles (in-person and online).  

Please note that venue rental, as well as accommodation services for students and teachers, are outside the scope of this Request for Proposals (RFP). These services are procured directly by EIT RawMaterials.  

7. Cooperation  

The agency will be engaged for a single-event contract covering the period from contract award through to the completion of post-event reporting, expected by December 2026. The contract covers all services required for the preparation, delivery, and wrap-up of the Women and Girls in STEM Forum on 25-26 November 2026 in Prague.  

The contractor will plan and manage project timelines to ensure all milestones and deliverables are met on schedule. A regular coordination meeting between the contractor and the EIT RawMaterials project team is expected throughout the planning period. EIT RawMaterials will provide access to relevant project management tools to facilitate task tracking and collaboration.  

The contractor shall maintain comprehensive documentation covering all work implemented and staff effort devoted to the tasks. Such documentation shall be made available to EIT RawMaterials upon request within three working days, for audit or legal compliance purposes.  

8. Team Requirements  

The working language is English. All team members delivering the work are expected to have full professional proficiency in English.  

The contractor is expected to provide the following key capabilities as part of the project team. Each team member should have a minimum of three years of relevant experience. Demonstrated experience delivering events in Prague or in the Czech Republic is considered an asset, as is familiarity with local suppliers and venue infrastructure:  

• Event Project Manager / Key Account Manager — overall coordination and single point of contact for EIT RawMaterials  
• Logistics Coordinator — venue liaison, catering, transport, and supplier management  
• On-site Event Manager — leading event operations during the event  
• Production & Visual Assets Coordinator — event materials, signage, branding implementation  
• Travel & Reimbursement Administrator — travel bookings and EU-compliant reimbursement documentation  

9. Budget  

There is a budget ceiling of €137,500 (VAT excluded) for the full scope of services. This ceiling is all-inclusive and covers the agency fee as well as all pass-through costs, including but not limited to catering, participant flights, transport, subcontractors, and any other costs necessary for the delivery of the event. As an indication, approximately €51,500 is allocated for participant travel expenses (flights and local transport), and approximately €86,000 for all remaining event delivery costs including the agency fee. Tenders exceeding this ceiling will be excluded from further proceedings.  

10. Timeline and Contact 

• Publishing the RFP on EIT RawMaterials website: 15 July 2026  
• Deadline for requesting clarification from EIT RawMaterials: 20 July 2026
• Deadline for submitting proposals: 25 July 2026  
• Intended date of notification of award: 4 August 2026  

• Intended date of contract signature: 7 August 2026

   

Proposals must be emailed in English to the following address:  

Contact name: for the attention of Silke Müller  

E-mail: girlsgostem@eitrawmaterials.eu