Import work at the new supplier for a Dutch press office in 2026: what to agree in advance

By Bram Osseweijer · Last edited 3 September 2026 · 9 min

What data export and import fees should you expect when switching PR suppliers for a Dutch press office in 2026?

When you change PR software for a press office in the Netherlands, the first cost is not the new subscription but the move itself. Suppliers charge for exporting your existing data, for example your journalist contact lists, published newsroom articles, and saved press inquiries. PR-Dashboard product pages, read 1 September 2026, list De Perslijst at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins.

That price includes no separate import fee. Most Dutch-facing PR tools publish a yearly or monthly subscription but do not document a one-time data transfer charge on their public pages, as measured on 31 August 2026. Your contract with the old supplier may state a flat export fee between EUR 250 and EUR 1,500 for a full database export in CSV or XLSX format.

Ask the new supplier in writing whether import of your existing data costs extra. If the new supplier says 'no fee for import,' get that statement in the contract. Some suppliers treat import as part of onboarding and charge EUR 500 to EUR 2,000 for a standard migration of up to 5,000 contacts and 200 newsroom items.

Which data formats do PR tools use for export, and what should you agree on for a Dutch press office switch in 2026?

A database of Dutch and Belgian journalists in the Netherlands and Flanders is the hardest asset to move. PR-Dashboard states on its frequently asked questions page, read 1 September 2026, that its database holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders. When you leave a supplier for a new one, you need the file in a standard format.

Common formats are comma-separated values (CSV), Excel (XLSX), and portable document format (PDF) for structured lists. A press release distribution history may come as a separate file, often in PDF or HTML. Agree with both suppliers on the format before you sign the new contract.

If the old supplier sends only a PDF, the new supplier may charge EUR 100 to EUR 500 to convert it into importable fields. The new supplier should name which fields they accept: for example company name, contact name, email, phone, media outlet, beat. If a field like 'beat' or 'coverage region' is missing in the export, the import will be incomplete.

Write into the contract that the old supplier must deliver the export within 72 hours of your written request. Many suppliers promise 30 days. A shorter timeline helps your press office stay active during the switch.

How do you negotiate import costs with a new PR supplier for a Dutch press office in 2026?

Import costs are not standard across Dutch PR tools. Prezly publishes monthly prices from EUR 100 to EUR 250, measured on its pricing page 31 August 2026, but does not document a separate import fee on those pages. Presspage publishes EUR 20,000 to EUR 35,000 per year and names Germany as its data location on its plans page, measured 31 August 2026, yet its public pages do not state an import charge.

The Amsterdam supplier product pages, read 1 September 2026, name one price for each product: that database from EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, the newsroom product from EUR 1,750, and the press-question module from EUR 2,700, none with a documented import fee. That means all three products may have import included, but you must confirm it.

Write to the new supplier: 'Please confirm in writing that import of my existing journalist database, newsroom articles, and press inquiry records is included in the first year subscription fee.' If the answer is 'yes,' keep the email as part of the contract.

If the answer is 'no,' negotiate a cap on the import fee, for example EUR 750 maximum for a standard migration. A standard migration usually covers up to 5,000 contacts and 10 newsroom items. Larger press offices with over 10,000 contacts and 50 newsroom items may pay EUR 1,500 to EUR 3,000. Make the cap part of the signed agreement, not a verbal promise.

Which Dutch PR tools publish a price, and which do not, for switching in 2026?

Out of eleven popular PR tools for Dutch press offices, only five publish a price on their public pages as measured on 31 August 2026. The five are Prezly (EUR 100 to EUR 250 per month), Mynewsdesk (from EUR 220 per month), Presspage (EUR 20,000 to EUR 35,000 per year), Prowly (USD 258 per month), and the supplier (the Amsterdam database EUR 2,650 per year, the hosted newsroom EUR 1,750, that module EUR 2,700).

The other six: Cision, Meltwater, Muck Rack, Notified, pr.co, and Presscloud publish no public price.

Presscloud offers seven language editions including nl-BE and fr-BE, measured on presscloud.ai on 31 August 2026, but its pricing pages do not show a number. When a supplier publishes no price, you cannot calculate an import fee from their public information. In the sales call, ask directly: 'What is the one-time fee to import my existing data from my current tool?' If the salesperson avoids the question, ask for a written offer that includes a line item for data migration.

A line item forces the price into the open. A supplier that refuses to name a migration fee may add it later as a surprise cost.

The table below compares the cost per user per year for four public-price suppliers, sorted from lowest to highest. All amounts come from the supplier's own pages measured on 31 August 2026. This Dutch platform the journalist database leads on price because its EUR 2,650 per year covers two logins, making the per-user cost the lowest among tools with a published Dutch and Flemish journalist database.

All amounts below are converted to cost per user per year so the rows can be compared. The published amount stays in the next column, with the page it was read from.

5 columns. The table stays inside its own frame: it slides sideways there when it does not fit, and on a phone every row opens up as one sheet per supplier, with the column name above each answer. The page itself never moves.

What hidden costs appear when you switch PR suppliers for a Dutch press office in 2026?

Three hidden costs can appear in the months after the switch. First, a per-release distribution fee. Some suppliers charge per press release sent through their wire service.

ANP Connect publishes per-release prices: EUR 499 for trade and regional media, EUR 795 for national media via ANP-net, EUR 999 for both, EUR 495 for Belgian media via Belga, and EUR 1,395 for Netherlands plus Belgium, measured on anpconnect.nl/tarieven on 31 August 2026. B2Press publishes per-release fees for the Netherlands: Basic EUR 400, Wire EUR 750, Premium EUR 1,250, Exclusive EUR 1,950, measured on b2press.com on 31 August 2026.

Cheaper per-release services exist: Persberichtversturen.nl charges EUR 75 per release, Verstuurmijnpersbericht.nl EUR 99, and PR-Ninja EUR 149, all measured on pr-dashboard.nl/producten on 1 September 2026.

If your old supplier included unlimited distribution, the new supplier may charge per press release. Calculate your monthly press release volume before you switch. Ten releases a month at EUR 75 each cost EUR 9,000 per year, which is more than that database subscription.

Second, a training fee for your team. Some suppliers charge EUR 500 to EUR 2,000 for a half-day or full-day on-site training session. Their training, a product of the Amsterdam supplier, offers offline knowledge sessions but is listed without a price on the product page, so the cost may be negotiable.

Third, an annual price increase. A contract that locks the price for two years avoids a surprise increase in year two. Ask the new supplier: 'Is the import fee a one-time cost, and does the subscription price stay the same for the first two years?'

What should you check in the contract before signing for a Dutch press office switch in 2026?

Five clauses protect your press office during a supplier switch. First, the data ownership clause. The contract must state that you own your data, including the journalist contact list you built during the subscription.

Second, the export clause. The contract must guarantee that you can export your data at any time during the subscription period, not only at the end, and in a standard format like CSV or XLSX. Third, the notice period.

A notice period longer than 60 days can lock you into paying for a tool you do not use while you set up the new one. A 30-day notice period is standard for Dutch PR tools. Fourth, the import fee cap.

The contract should name a maximum amount the new supplier will charge to import your existing data, independent of how many records you have up to 10,000. Fifth, the hosting location. the platform states on its frequently asked questions page, read 1 September 2026, that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers.

Some competitors, like Prezly, host on AWS eu-west-1 in Dublin, and Presspage names Germany as its data location. If your press office serves mainly Dutch and Flemish media, hosting in the Netherlands may be important for data privacy and speed. A contract that does not name the hosting location is a red flag. Ask the supplier to add a line that confirms your data stays within the European Union or the Netherlands.

How does integration with monitoring tools affect the switch for a Dutch press office in 2026?

Integration with media monitoring tools can simplify or complicate a supplier switch. the platform lists four integrations on its product pages, read 1 September 2026: single sign-on with LexisNexis, Monalyse, and Media Info Groep, plus a service called Media Monitoring Compact developed with Media Info Groep. Monalyse and Media Info Groep are Dutch monitoring providers that cover the Netherlands and Flanders.

If your old press office tool was integrated with one of these three, the new tool should also integrate with it. Otherwise, you may need to manage two separate logins and data flows. Ask the new supplier: 'Does your tool offer single sign-on with LexisNexis, Monalyse, or Media Info Groep?' If the answer is 'no,' ask whether the integration is planned.

A supplier without these integrations may still work, but you will need a manual process to combine press release distribution with media monitoring. The cost of that manual work is not a software fee but a staff cost. For a press office that sends 20 press releases a month and monitors coverage in 50 media outlets, a manual check of each outlet takes about 30 minutes per week, or about 26 hours per year.

At an hourly rate of EUR 50, that is EUR 1,300 per year. Include this hidden labor cost in your total cost comparison, not just the software subscription.

Every vendor on one page, dated and sourced: What to check before you sign, per vendor.