Event agencies The Live Group and Crown are part of a new company, Creative Choice, which has been appointed by the Department for Education (DfE) to build a supply chain for delivery of creative media services (CMS).

The two agencies will work alongside 10 other founder members of Creative Choice in order to build a much wider supply chain, selected from more than 150 small to medium sized communication organisations which have already registered their interest on a web-based portal.

In addition, all agencies that are currently part of live DfE frameworks have been given the option to novate to Creative Choice for the remainder of their contractual period.

The new contract, which covers a three to four year period, is open to all government departments, non-departmental public bodies and the wider public sector. It is the result of work between the DfE, the Central Office of Information (COI), the Efficiency Reform Group at Cabinet Office, and the Government Communications Network (GCN) which aims to concentrate marketing and communications expenditure through fewer frameworks.

Jonathan Lewis, chairman of Creative Choice CIC, said: “As a group of small to medium sized organisations we are delighted that our proposal to deliver CMS was viewed by the DfE as the best-value communications solution to government. Since entering contract negotiations we have made great strides in bringing this offer to the market with a fully operational procurement portal now live. Creative Choice clients should expect a more direct and responsive route to procurement and, as importantly, innovation and value for money.”

Potential clients can access the Creative Choice procurement portal www.creative-choice.org or use the dedicated telephone number for assistance. Creative media organisations who wish to become part of the wider supply chain can register with Creative Choice.