If you are looking to be involved in next year’s America’s Cup, now is the time to step forward.

Bermuda’s businesses and residents are invited to register their interest in a number of commercial opportunities ranging from food and beverage services to local entertainers.

Plans for the event village in Dockyard have progressed to the stage where restaurants, caterers and other local food suppliers are being selected.

Separate requests for cleaning services and a call for local entertainers has also been distributed this week.

The America’s Cup Event Authority, under the guidance of Bermudian Chris Garland, who heads the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce’s restaurant division, has released a Request for Proposal and is seeking submissions from local restaurants, caterers, bars, small unique food vendors and food trucks to be a part of America’s Cup Village.

The village will include seven team bases, including the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup teams, three hospitality facilities with approximately 500 people each, a media centre hosting up to 200 international and local media, a 750-seat grandstand, a retail store, kids zone and technical areas, restaurants and bars, cafés and food trucks and TV broadcast studios.

Attendance is expected to peak at over 10,000 for the America’s Cup match days and may average several thousand on other days.

Local food service businesses interested in being involved are encouraged to respond to the food and beverage RFP. Organisers are looking for food trucks and small business unique food offerings and confectionery to large catering companies and also service for the America’s Cup workforce lunches.

Mr Garland, ACEA public food and beverage concessions manager, said: “We don’t expect any one or two companies to manage it all; we’re not looking for that. So we encourage all local food and beverage businesses to apply — don’t shy away because you’re a small shop as many hands make light work.”

There is also a RFP for cleaning services to the hospitality facilities and buildings inside and outside the event village.

Local entertainers are being sought for a variety of roles, including playing on a stage daily at the America’s Cup Village.

Organisers are looking for comedians, steel band players, calypso, gombey troupes, dance troupes, bands, fire-dancers, soloists, rappers, poets, stilt-walkers, jugglers, street theatre and others with talent.

Bermudian Sancha Durham, ACEA’s event and business support coordinator, is developing an extensive database of local entertainers. She said: “If you’re an entertainer interested in performing in the America’s Cup Village, we want to hear from you.

“Let your friends and family know. We are not limiting the number of entertainers we engage so we urge everyone who is a talented musician or entertainer to apply.”

Additionally, Bermuda’s best musicians are being sought to audition to be a part of The Band, which will play at various events during the America’s Cup.

Minibus owners and drivers will also be needed. The event will have parking bays and park and ride tickets which must be booked online in advance. The details will be available in February.

Deborah Brown, park and ride manager, would like to hear from minibus owners who are looking for drivers and from drivers who hold a public vehicle service licence and preferably also a certified tourism ambassador. She said: “We really need a commitment from operators, if they register to be working, they absolutely must be there.”

Information on more local business opportunities will be made available in the new year.

Details of the RFPs can be downloaded at: www.acbda.bm/about/request-for-proposals/

The submission deadline for food and beverage businesses and services is January 6.

Submissions for cleaning services are requested by January 30. Some cleaning services will be needed beginning in February during the build up to the America’s Cup, which takes place over five weeks in May and June.

Entertainers should e-mail to talent@americascup.com, while auditions for The Band will be held in the Earl Cameron Theatre, City Hall, on January 14 and 15.

Minibus owners and qualified drivers should contact Ms Brown by e-mail at brownsminivan@hotmail.com.