NIGP 91573: Public Information Services (incl. Press Releases)

NIGP 91573 Public Information Services (Including Press Releases) is an Item code under which state and local governments procure press release distribution, media outreach coordination, crisis communications support, public awareness campaigns, and integrated strategic communications services. State and local issuing bodies—including state departments, county transportation authorities, municipal utilities, school districts, community colleges, state fairs, and environmental agencies—use this code to contract for professional public relations firms, communications consultants, and media specialists to execute campaigns, manage stakeholder engagement, develop messaging frameworks, produce media materials, and serve as primary media contact points. Recent state and local procurement activity under the code reflects a shift toward outcome-driven, multi-channel campaign execution paired with measurable community engagement, particularly in transportation, environmental compliance, and public health contexts where agencies seek unified accountability rather than fragmented vendor models.

Representative recent opportunities span Florida, California, Utah, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Oregon. The Florida Department of Transportation, District 4 issued multiple RFPs for districtwide modal development communication and outreach (response dates September and October 2026) with $1.5 million budgetary ceilings across five-year terms; the Orange County Transportation Authority requested public outreach consultant services for seven rail capital projects under RFP 250187 with a $801,000 initial contract value (February 2026 response deadline); and the California Air Resources Board solicited communications and outreach services for Climate Investments programs under RFP 25STC009 with a $400,000 initial award (May 2026 response deadline). Supporting opportunities include the State of Utah Division of Purchasing seeking America250 Utah communications services (May 2026), Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standards Board requesting law enforcement public relations services (August 2026), and Washington State Department of Commerce contracting energy resilience community outreach through 501(c)(3) nonprofits (August 2026, $230,000 maximum, reimbursement-based). Pricing structures vary widely—hourly labor rates with fully burdened classifications, time-and-expense arrangements, fixed annual fees, lump-sum project pricing, and hybrid models combining retainers with performance commissions and per-project fees. Most contracts require 24/7 media availability, demonstrated crisis management experience, multilingual capability, social media and digital platform fluency, and community engagement across diverse and disadvantaged populations, with general liability insurance floors of $1 million per occurrence standard across awards.