Over 100 Jobs are in Jeopardy after digital marketing agency – I-Level heads into administration.

The UK’s largest independent digital marketing agency, I-Level, has gone into administration after losing out on a large contract with the government.

It has been estimated that the Central Office of Information (COI) provided over two fifths, (£40 million) of I-Level’s revenue until earlier this year. Despite their best efforts, teaming up with top media agency, Starcom, the COI awarded the renewed, premium contract to WPP’s GroupM.

Andrew Walmsley, co-founder of I-Level, and group chief executive, Stephen Rust, have called in the help of Zolfo Cooper as administrator following a severe cash flow crisis as a result of losing out on the government contract.

Zolfo Cooper’s, spokesman Alastair Beveridge, released a statement saying that, ‘the joint administrators will be assessing the business, before gauging and evaluating the interest in the company, with their main priority being with the companies’ creditors.’

Created in the late 1990s by Charlie Dobres and Andrew Walmsley, the founders have expanded the marketing agency by taking on a further 120 employees. Furthermore, in early 2008, the firm sold a 60 per cent stake to private equity group, ECI, in a £45 million deal.

I-Level have won numerous awards and have an impressive roster of clients including: Sky, Procter & Gamble, The Sun, Macmillan, Samsung and Renault. Their marketing activities include: social media and mobile marketing, display ads and search marketing.

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