Government reviews £6m N Ireland task

The Government is reviewing its Northern Ireland advertising roster – worth £6m.

The winning agencies will be eligible to pitch for contracts with Government departments in the province, and be expected to offer a full range of services. Potential clients include the Northern Ireland Office, Department of Health, Department of the Environment, local training and development agencies and the Department of Agriculture.

The present list comprises ten Irish agencies: McCann-Erickson Belfast, Anderson Advertising, Roland Long, Navigator Blue, G Cas, Genesis, AV Brown, Coey Advertising, September McConnell and McConnell of Dublin. The roster is reviewed every five years.

The Belfast-based Government Purchasing Agency, which is handling the tender process, has not ruled out bringing in non-Irish agencies.

McCann-Erickson has created several award-winning counter-terrorism and road safety campaigns, and produced ads for last year’s referendum. Chief executive David Lyle says: “There have been no ads for the Northern Ireland Office since the referendum. But that may change at some point in the future, when there is an agreement.”