By Greg Hazley
The Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has picked up an $800K option on Jasculca Terman & Associates’ PR contract as the state agency bides time to develop an RFP.
JT&A won the business with a $2.4M pact in 2007.
The DCO includes several entities, including the state’s offices for film, business development and trade and investment, among others.
The extension runs through the end of the year and the state agency said it will be putting the pact out for bids later this year. In justifying the extension, DCEO officials reported that they tried calling several PR firms to gauge current rates but were rebuffed. They said JT&A’s rates were compared with other state PR pacts and found to be competitive.
Officials also said in filing the extension that they were without a firm for the first three months of the year “and we would argue that a lack of marketing support hurts the ability for all citizens to have access to state grants, by not having a firm for the period before the next RFP process is finalized.”
The Prairie State's Finance Authority has also reupped PR pacts with Marj Halperin Consulting ($75K) and Hill & Knowlton ($40K).
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