Received: 24 July 2024

Please tell me how much has spent on the services of Martis Media by PFEW (including all branches)?  

Responded: 26 September 2024

The PFEW relies on Section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 ("FOIA"). Namely that the disclosure of this information would be prejudicial to the commercial interests of the PFEW. This position is taken on the basis that: 

1. The PFEW is, later in 2024, running a tender/RFP process for external communications advisors.
2. Were details of amounts paid to Martis Media (as a recently engaged communications advisor) to be made public, then this information would be accessible to external agencies contemplating participating in the tender/RFP process prior to them submitting their pricing proposals. This would weaken the PFEW's position in this process and therefore prejudice its commercial interests.
3. Whilst there is a public interest in details of the PFEW's general expenditure being made public (and which is made public via the PFEW's published accounts), to the extent that there is any public interest in the specific amounts paid to Martis Media, this is outweighed by the public interest in the PFEW being able to conduct its search for new communications advisors free from commercial prejudice, and to obtain fair value from its advisors, in a way that a normal commercial party would be able to.