Contests for Government logos

Consultancies have been shortlisted to work up identities for two newly named Government departments.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport has established a 13-strong shortlist of design groups to create its identity. But a spokesman for the department, previously the Department of National Heritage, says it is still accepting expressions of interest from other consultancies. “We are not going to exclude anyone at this stage,” he says.

The department wrote to the 13 unnamed shortlisted groups, all UK-based, less than a fortnight ago asking for credentials by 29 August. “They range from up-and-coming groups to major established design consultancies,” says the spokesman.

Department officials will then take advice from the Design Council to reduce the shortlist to four or five, prior to a more detailed credentials and proposals pitch. No creative work will be expected until the final stage of the pitch which, unless a clear winner emerges, will be between two companies.

“The payment decision [for the final creative pitch] is still to be taken. But clearly we don’t expect companies to work for nothing,” says the spokesman.

The Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) is in the middle of a competitive tendering process for its identity, following the merger of the departments of Transport and the Environment.

A spokeswoman cannot comment on the competing groups or the type of pitch. But she says an appointment is close – the DETR hopes to have the identity in place by the end of September.