Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a nutrient-rich agro-industrial byproduct harbouring diverse microbial communities. This study aimed to isolate and characterise putative heavy metal-tolerant and plant growthpromoting (PGPR) bacteria from POME. Bacterial isolates were obtained using nitrogen-free Ashby agar and tryptic soy agar (TSA). Genus-level identification was based on colony morphology and selective growth characteristics. Hemolytic activity, heavy metal tolerance to Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺, Cd²⁺ removal efficiency, and indole- 3-acetic acid (IAA) production were evaluated under laboratory conditions. Five morphologically distinct isolates were obtained, tentatively assigned to the genera Azotobacter (three isolates) and Pseudomonas (two isolates). Most isolates exhibited γ-hemolysis, while one isolate showed β-hemolysis. All isolates demonstrated growth at 115 mg/L Pb²⁺ and 11 mg/L Cd²⁺ in agar-based assays. In liquid culture containing 15 mg/L Cd²⁺, removal efficiencies exceeded 98%. IAA production ranged from 44.15 to 74.91 μg/mL in tryptophan-supplemented medium. These findings indicate that POME may serve as a source of putative heavy metal-tolerant and IAA-producing bacteria. However, molecular identification, expanded biosafety evaluation and soil-based validation studies are required to confirm their applicability in bioremediation and sustainable agriculture.