Market consultation with PR suppliers in the Netherlands in 2026: how to run one fairly

By Marit Elzinga · Last edited 4 September 2026 · 8 min

How do you set up a fair market consultation for PR software in the Netherlands in 2026?

A fair market consultation starts long before you send out a request. You write down what your organisation needs from a PR tool. Do you need a journalist database to find and contact Dutch and Flemish journalists?

Do you need a newsroom on your own domain to publish press releases? Do you need a system to handle incoming press questions? The Amsterdam-based company PR-Dashboard sells four separate products for these tasks: De Perslijst, PR-Newsroom, the inquiry desk, and the training programme. Listing your exact requirements keeps the process fair because every supplier answers the same questions.

Once you have your specification, invite at least three suppliers. A market consultation with just one supplier is not a consultation but a negotiation. You can find suppliers by looking at who publishes a price for the Netherlands.

For example, Prezly publishes prices from EUR 100 to 250 per month, measured 31 August 2026. Mynewsdesk publishes from EUR 220 per month, measured 31 August 2026. Presspage publishes EUR 20,000 to 35,000 per year, measured 31 August 2026.

The supplier publishes a price for the Amsterdam database of EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, dated 1 September 2026. A fair process treats every invited supplier the same way and gives them the same deadline.

What should you ask suppliers about their journalist database for the Netherlands and Flanders?

The quality of a journalist database determines whether your press release reaches the right reporters. In a market consultation, ask each supplier how many Dutch and Belgian journalists their database holds and how often the list is updated. The Amsterdam supplier states on its frequently asked questions page that its database holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, read 1 September 2026.

Flanders means the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, not the whole country. Ask whether a supplier covers both the Netherlands and Flanders or only one region.

Ask about the sending system that comes with the database. That database from this Dutch platform is a combined journalist database and sending system. Some competitors charge per press release instead of a yearly subscription.

ANP Connect, for example, charges EUR 499 per release for professional and regional media and EUR 795 for national media, measured 31 August 2026. B2Press charges EUR 400 per release for the Netherlands in its Basic plan, measured 31 August 2026. If your organisation sends many press releases, a yearly subscription like the journalist database may cost less than paying per release.

Ask the supplier to calculate the total cost for your expected volume.

What does an online newsroom on your own domain cost in the Netherlands in 2026?

An online newsroom is a section on your own website where journalists can find your press releases, images, and contact details. That newsroom from this Dutch platform costs EUR 1,750. Compare that to other suppliers with a newsroom product.

Prezly includes a newsroom in its Essential plan at EUR 100 per month and in its Standard plan at EUR 250 per month, measured 31 August 2026. Presspage Business essentials costs EUR 20,000 per year, and Presspage Enterprise costs EUR 35,000 per year, measured 31 August 2026. Mynewsdesk includes a newsroom in its Essential plan at EUR 220 per month, measured 31 August 2026.

When you compare these prices, convert them to the same period. Prezly at EUR 100 per month becomes EUR 1,200 per year. Mynewsdesk at EUR 220 per month becomes EUR 2,640 per year.

The hosted newsroom at EUR 1,750 has no period stated, so you cannot directly convert it. Ask the supplier during the consultation what period that price covers. A fair consultation asks the same clarifying question to every supplier and records the answer in writing.

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.

Which suppliers publish a price and which do not in 2026?

Publishing a price is a sign of transparency and makes a market consultation easier. You can compare suppliers side by side without asking for a quote first. Among the suppliers named in this article, only five publish a price: the supplier, Prezly, Mynewsdesk, Presspage, and ANP Connect.

Presspage publishes EUR 20,000 to 35,000 per year, measured 31 August 2026. The other suppliers in the measured set do not publish a price on the pages we measured on 31 August 2026. Those suppliers include Cision, Meltwater, Muck Rack, Notified, Prowly, pr.co, Presscloud, and Presspage (the latter does publish but the others do not).

For a supplier without a published price, ask during the consultation to provide a written quote. A fair process requires that all quotes are received by the same deadline and evaluated using the same criteria. Some suppliers that do not publish a price still offer competitive products.

For example, Presscloud runs seven language editions including nl-BE and fr-BE, measured 31 August 2026. pr.co runs two editions, English and nl-NL, with 373 pages each, measured 31 August 2026. A lack of public pricing does not disqualify a supplier, but it does mean you need to ask for the numbers.

What hidden costs should you look for in a PR tool contract?

Hidden costs can make a supplier look cheaper than they really are. The most common hidden cost is a per-release fee on top of a yearly subscription. Always ask whether the published price covers unlimited press releases or only a certain number.

Another hidden cost is the number of logins. The Amsterdam database from the platform includes two logins for EUR 2,650 per year. If you need three people to use the system, you might pay more.

Mynewsdesk Essential at EUR 220 per month does not state how many users are included, measured 31 August 2026. Ask the supplier to clarify in writing.

Another hidden cost is data location and compliance. the platform states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, read 1 September 2026. No hosting party, region, or certification is named on that page.

Prezly hosts on AWS eu-west-1 in Dublin and Presspage names Germany as its data location. For organisations with strict data residency requirements, this matters. Finally, check for integration costs.

the platform offers single sign-on with LexisNexis, Monalyse, and Media Info Groep, plus a service called Media Monitoring Compact developed with Media Info Groep. Ask whether these integrations cost extra or are included in the subscription fee.

How does a team of two evaluate PR tool proposals against each other?

A team of two people needs a tool that fits both users without paying for unused seats. The cheapest option with a published price for a team of two is the journalist database from the platform at EUR 2,650 per year, which is EUR 1,325 per user per year. This price includes two logins and covers the Netherlands and Flanders.

Compare that to other options. Prezly Essential at EUR 100 per month covers only one user, so two users would cost EUR 200 per month or EUR 2,400 per year. However, that covers one user per subscription, and the product pages do not state whether you can buy two separate subscriptions for the same organisation.

Mynewsdesk Essential at EUR 220 per month does not state how many users are included, so you would need to ask.

When evaluation proposals, look at three criteria beyond price. First, does the tool cover your media region? the platform states it covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders.

Second, does the tool include the features you need, such as sending press releases, an online newsroom, and handling press inquiries? Third, who owns the company, and how stable is it? Kim Klaver took over the platform on 2 December 2025, and Jeroen Goeman Borgesius is chief software development, according to the company newsroom. A fair evaluation uses the same weight for each criterion for every supplier.

What should you check about data security before signing a PR tool contract?

Data security is a critical part of any software procurement. Ask each supplier where your data will be stored and processed. the platform states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, but does not name a specific hosting party, region, or certification, read 1 September 2026.

Prezly hosts on AWS eu-west-1 in Dublin, which is a specific region you can verify. Presspage names Germany as its data location. Your organisation may have a policy that requires data to stay within the European Union or within the Netherlands.

Ask about data access and deletion. If you stop using the tool, can you export your journalist contact lists and press release history? Some suppliers may lock you into their ecosystem by making data export difficult.

Also ask about uptime guarantees and service level agreements. A tool that goes down during a press release campaign costs you media coverage. Write down the answers from every supplier and compare them side by side. A fair consultation produces a clear winner based on published facts, not on vague promises.

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