Fukuoka City and PR TIMES Strengthen Partnership, Re-sign Agreement to Expand Public Relations Support for Local Businesses

## Fukuoka City and PR TIMES Strengthen Partnership, Re-sign Agreement to Expand Public Relations Support for Local Businesses **Subtitle: Developmentally dissolving the 2018 partnership agreement to further enhance information dissemination support for city-based companies** **PR TIMES, Inc. (Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Takumi Yamaguchi; TSE Prime/NSE Premier: 3922) has signed an "Agreement on Information Dissemination Vitalization" with Fukuoka City, effective April 1, 2026 (Reiwa 8). The purpose of this agreement is to vitalize the information dissemination of Fukuoka City's policies as well as its local companies and organizations. This agreement is a re-signing that developmentally dissolves the "Partnership Agreement on Startup Support" concluded by both parties in 2018, updating the scope and measures to be broader and more aligned with current support needs.** ### Initiatives Under This Agreement - Provide "PR TIMES" free of charge for Fukuoka City's municipal information dissemination. - Offer a program allowing businesses and organizations supported by Fukuoka City to use "PR TIMES" for free. - Hold information dissemination seminars on the theme of public and media relations within Fukuoka City. ## Background and Purpose of the Update Since September 2018, our company has been supporting the cultivation of an entrepreneurial spirit and the information dissemination of startups in Fukuoka City through a partnership agreement on startup support. The newly signed agreement aims to further expand support for information dissemination, including Fukuoka City's policies and local enterprises, by updating the support targets and services provided. In recent years, our company has been collaborating with local governments nationwide to develop a new framework that directly supports the public relations activities of regional small and medium-sized enterprises and organizations (such as holding PR seminars and offering PR support programs). We have decided to apply this framework to our partnership with Fukuoka City to update the support to be more effective. While carrying on the spirit of the previous agreement, we are developmentally dissolving it and concluding a new "Agreement on Information Dissemination Vitalization." By expanding the target from startups to all businesses and organizations supported by Fukuoka City, we expect to contribute to the further vitalization of the regional economy. *Caption: 2018 "Partnership Agreement on Startup Support" signing ceremony (from left): PR TIMES President Takumi Yamaguchi, Fukuoka City Mayor Soichiro Takashima* ## Partnership Details: Free Press Release Distribution, PR Seminars, and Promotion of Municipal Information Dissemination Based on this agreement, we will collaborate and cooperate on the following three items, in principle, free of charge. 1. Support for strengthening Fukuoka City Hall's information dissemination. 2. Provision of a "Special Program" for businesses in Fukuoka City (conditional free program). 3. Holding of "Public Relations & PR Seminars" for businesses. ### 1. Support for strengthening Fukuoka City Hall's information dissemination We will provide "PR TIMES" free of charge for information dissemination by Fukuoka City. We will offer opportunities for press release distribution to help brand Fukuoka City as a city, by widely disseminating information ranging from startup support and economic support measures for local companies to external promotional information. We hope that this will not only inform many people about the city's initiatives but also provide an opportunity to spotlight the actions of each city employee through press release dissemination. Furthermore, prior to this partnership, we have also provided operational support, such as holding training sessions for staff in charge at each division of the Fukuoka City Economy, Tourism, and Culture Bureau. ### 2. Provision of a "Special Program" for businesses in Fukuoka City (conditional free program) For eligible companies introduced by Fukuoka City, we will offer a certain number of press release distributions on PR TIMES, which is normally a paid service, free of charge for a certain period. This will serve as an opportunity to expand their recognition by delivering information to media and consumers nationwide. **Program Name**: Fukuoka City x PR TIMES Information Dissemination Support Program **Content**: Local companies in Fukuoka City introduced by the city can use the press release distribution service "PR TIMES" for free for up to 3 releases within 6 months from an arbitrary start date. *Subsequent releases or releases after 6 months from the start date will incur standard fees (continuation is optional).* **Eligible Companies**: Businesses that have never used PR TIMES before, introduced by Fukuoka City. ① Corporations, incorporated entities, or sole proprietors. ② Companies, organizations, or individuals with no prior usage history of the "PR TIMES" press release distribution service (use through an advertising agency is permissible). ③ Companies, organizations, or individuals who meet the screening and distribution standards set by PR TIMES and also meet separately defined criteria. ④ Must apply through the dedicated form for the Fukuoka City x PR TIMES Information Dissemination Support Program. **Start Date**: Wednesday, April 1, 2026 **Guidance Method**: Eligible parties will be notified separately upon introduction from Fukuoka City. ### 3. Holding of "Public Relations & PR Seminars" for businesses To enhance the information dissemination capabilities of companies in the city, we will hold seminars on topics such as public relations, PR, and press releases. The seminars will cover a wide range of content from basics like "What is PR?" and "How to write an effective press release" to practical workshops. This initiative is an evolution of the cooperative matters from the 2018 agreement, expanding the target from startups to include small and medium-sized businesses. ## Comments on the Partnership ### Mr. Ryujiro Yamashita, Policy Coordination Division, General Affairs and SME Department, Economy, Tourism, and Culture Bureau, Fukuoka City "The partnership between Fukuoka City and PR TIMES began with the 2018 agreement, supporting the challenges of startups. This time, we are expanding that collaboration to the entire city. We believe it is crucial to deliver the 'now' of Fukuoka—a city where diverse people and companies gather and continue to challenge—to the nation as accurate primary information. Especially in the age of generative AI, we have high expectations for our partnership with PR TIMES, which possesses both trust and dissemination power." ### Mr. Yuya Mori, Partner Business Development Office, PR TIMES, Inc. "We are greatly honored to conclude a new agreement with Fukuoka City, with whom we signed a partnership agreement in 2018, to further expand the circle of information dissemination. Fukuoka City is a city full of enthusiasm that creates new waves and strongly supports those who take on challenges. With this agreement, we will support the dissemination of municipal information and support measures undertaken by Fukuoka City, while also fostering an environment where all businesses in the city can communicate in their own words. We believe that a press release is a testament to a challenge, born from thinking of someone, struggling, and taking action. We will do our utmost to deliver the vitality of the entire Fukuoka City, including its many attractive initiatives, to the nation." ## Regional Partnerships Expanded to 106 Cases "PR TIMES" aims for information distribution originating from local regions and is promoting tie-ups with financial institutions, media, and local governments rooted in various regions across Japan. Our alliances for local information distribution with regional companies and government bodies have expanded to over 100 cases in all 47 prefectures (43 local financial institutions (35 banks, 8 credit unions), 40 local media companies, and a total of 106 cases including 1 metropolitan area, 1 urban prefecture, 3 prefectures, 13 cities, and 5 organizations). Note that this agreement is a developmental form of the 2018 partnership, so there is no increase or decrease in the total number. The number of companies using these regional partnership programs (including former special plans) has exceeded 4,200 in total, providing an opportunity for companies and organizations in various industries across all 47 prefectures to utilize our service. In addition to providing free press release distribution through partnership programs, we also hold study sessions and seminars across the country to support information dissemination, covering topics from the basics of public relations to how to utilize press releases, in cooperation with our certified press release evangelists. ## About PR TIMES, Inc. PR TIMES operates under the mission, "**To an era where information from action-takers moves people's hearts.**" We are challenging ourselves to create a society where positive information from "action-takers" becomes the center of news, encouraging and empowering individuals. We believe that a press release is a way to spin and present the crystal of human action and effort, along with the passion behind it. We are developing our business with the aim of democratizing PR, allowing "action-takers" of any company size to disseminate information themselves. The number of companies using our press release distribution service "PR TIMES" has exceeded **121,000**, and it is used by over **64%** of listed companies in Japan. We have over **28,000** registered media journalists for information gathering, site access reaches approximately **90 million PV per month**, the number of press releases exceeds **46,000 per month**, and the cumulative total has surpassed **2 million**. We publish content on over **260 partner media outlets**, including national newspaper websites (as of November 2025). In addition, we support information announcement and its dissemination through services like **"PR TIMES STORY"** for storytelling, **"PR TIMES TV"** for video, a **PR partner business** that accompanies clients from PR strategy design to execution, an **art-specialized PR platform "MARPH"**, and news media businesses like **"STRAIGHT PRESS"**. To support "action-takers" in a multi-faceted way, we also operate the task and project management tool **"Jooto"** to help projects move forward to announcement, and the customer support tool **"Tayori"** to streamline post-announcement customer service and information organization. Our subsidiaries include **THE BRIDGE, Inc.**, which operates the startup media "BRIDGE"; **GLUCOSE, Inc.**, which handles custom software development; and **NAVICUS, Inc.**, which provides SNS marketing support.