6 firms bid on lobbying contract for Little Rock.

Six government affairs and lobbying firms are vying for a Little Rock federal government relations contract, according to the city.

A request for qualifications issued by the city on behalf of several municipal entities closed in late January. In response to a public records request, the city released a list of the six firms that have submitted bids.

The applicants are Thorn Run Partners; Carpi and Clay; Merchant McIntyre Associates; Cassidy and Associates; the Ferguson Group; and the Peter Damon Group.

All have offices in Washington, D.C.

Individual bids submitted by each entity could not be released, the city said, citing the response of the records custodian, city finance director Sara Lenehan.

City officials have said the federal lobbying contract is expected to serve the city and related entities: Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field, the Little Rock Port Authority, the Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority and Rock Region Metro.

Central Arkansas Water is not participating in the effort to hire a lobbying firm, a spokesman has said.

A selection committee is expected to review the bids before sending a contract recommendation to the Little Rock Board of Directors for approval.

Each of the municipal entities will contribute a representative to the selection committee, Little Rock mayoral spokeswoman Stephanie Jackson said last month.

It’s unclear how soon the selection committee could choose a firm for the contract.

The executive director of the airport, Bryan Malinowski, received the OK from the Airport Commission to serve on the selection committee last month.

Little Rock city spokesman Lamor Williams has said that goals of the government relations contract include identifying federal funding opportunities and providing advice to the city on legislation that has the potential to affect the city on issues like public safety, infrastructure and transportation.