International out of home business (OOH) JCDecaux has refuted claims made by the Australian Financial Review that it is the front runner for the lucrative City of Sydney OOH contract.
In a statement from the company, JCDecaux said it was surprised by the claims, as it had made the decision not to submit a bid proposal under the "current tender terms".
The article claimed that JCDecaux had partnered with Telstra in a bid to strengthen its proposal to nab the $300 million contract, which encompasses street furniture, buses and trains.
While a decision is expected to be made over the coming weeks, news that JCDecaux has opted not to enter a formal proposal is surprising considering the business has held the contract since 1998.
However, the statement is also unclear as to whether this decision will also include its recently acquired APN Outdoor business, which had also put forward a proposal prior to the merger. It was previously believed that APN would continue forward with its original proposal.
Ooh!Media (formerly Adshel) is the largest contender remaining, with JCDecaux confirming that APN Outdoor is also out of the running. Ooh!Media is thought to be working with Optus to provide the free Wi-Fi service that City of Sydney requires.
In July 2018 The City of Sydney called for a renewed expressions of interest for its $500 million street furniture and outdoor advertising contract.
At the time, Lord Mayor Clover Moore said it had “refined” contractual requirements following the first EOI as interested providers said they needed more time to respond to the complex nature of the contract.
AdNews will continue to update readers as further news on the contract is announced.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.