Can Beneficial Bacteria live anywhere for a while?

Hi all!

So I’m emptying my mature tank so I can move it so my new tank can go in its place. I will add the water back into the old tank for now and keep it running, while I slowly work on getting my new tank set up. My goal is to use water, gravel muck, and some filter media from the old tank to help jump start the new tank.

My question is, can I leave this bowl of muck just sitting out for a while until I’m ready to use it? Will the beneficial bacteria survive for a while outside the tank? Or should I add everything back into the old tank for now?

I hope I explained that well enough, Thanks