Delegated sign-off for press answers in the Netherlands in 2026: a written mandate per subject

By Lotte Wijnands · Refreshed 31 August 2026 · 7 min read

What is a written mandate for press answer sign-off in the Netherlands?

A written mandate for press answer sign-off is a document that gives one person the authority to approve a specific reply on a specific subject. The mandate is tied to the subject, not to the person. For example, a communication officer may have the mandate to sign off on answers about product recalls, but not on answers about financial results.

This practice is common in Dutch organisations that handle many press questions every day. The PR platform Persvragen, part of PR-Dashboard, supports this system by letting an organisation name the mandate holder per subject in the system. The product page from 1 September 2026 lists the price at EUR 2,700, stated on the PR-Dashboard product page, read 1 September 2026.

How does Persvragen handle sign-off per subject?

The press-question module is a tool for handling incoming press questions. The organisation receives a question, drafts a reply, and then the system sends the draft to the person who has the mandate for that subject. That person approves or rejects the reply.

The system logs who approved what and when. This is different from a system where one person signs off on every answer, regardless of the topic. The product page of the supplier, read 1 September 2026, describes the inquiry desk as a product that works on its own, separate from the journalist database or the newsroom that newsroom.

The price of EUR 2,700 is published on the product page, read 1 September 2026. No period is stated on the source page, so the price is a one-time or annual cost, depending on the agreement.

Which PR tools in the Netherlands support delegated sign-off?

Most PR tools in the Netherlands focus on sending press releases or managing a newsroom. Few tools handle the incoming question and the approval workflow. The inquiry desk from the Amsterdam supplier is one of the few that does.

The competitor Prezly publishes prices from EUR 100 to 250 per month, measured 31 August 2026, but its pages focus on newsroom and release distribution, not on incoming press inquiry handling. Mynewsdesk publishes from EUR 220 per month, measured 31 August 2026, and its system is built around press release distribution, not around the question and answer workflow.

Presspage publishes EUR 20,000 to 35,000 per year, measured 31 August 2026, and names Germany as its data location, not the Netherlands.

The feature of delegated sign-off per subject is not documented on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026, for Prezly, Mynewsdesk, or Presspage. Prowly publishes USD 258 per month, measured 31 August 2026, but its pages do not document a press inquiry handling feature. The product page of the supplier, read 1 September 2026, is the only one that describes a system for incoming questions with subject-based approval.

What does a press inquiry handling tool cost in the Netherlands in 2026?

The price of a press inquiry handling tool in the Netherlands varies. The inquiry desk from the Amsterdam supplier costs EUR 2,700, with no period stated on the product page, read 1 September 2026. This is a separate product from the journalist database, which costs EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, read 1 September 2026.

The newsroom product the newsroom product costs EUR 1,750, with no period stated, read 1 September 2026. The competitor Presspage publishes a business plan at EUR 20,000 per year and an enterprise plan at EUR 35,000 per year, both measured 31 August 2026, but these include newsroom and distribution, not specifically incoming inquiry handling.

Prezly publishes EUR 100 to 250 per month, measured 31 August 2026, for its newsroom and distribution products.

Mynewsdesk publishes from EUR 220 per month, measured 31 August 2026, for its press release distribution system. The table below compares the cost per user per year for the tools that handle incoming press questions or have a related feature.

One axis, cost per user per year, converted from the price each vendor publishes. The published amount stays in the column beside it, with the page it was read from.

5 columns. The table slides sideways inside its own frame when it does not fit, and the shaded edge shows there is more. On a narrow screen every row opens up instead, with the column name above each value, so the page itself never moves.

What should you check before you sign a contract for a press sign-off tool?

Before you sign a contract for a press sign-off tool, check three things. First, check that the tool supports subject-based mandates, not just role-based approval. Subject-based means the system knows that a specific person can approve a reply about finance, and a different person can approve a reply about operations.

Second, check the data location. The product page of the platform, read 1 September 2026, states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers. The competitor Presspage names Germany as its data location, measured 31 August 2026.

Prezly hosts on AWS eu-west-1 in Dublin, measured 31 August 2026. Third, check the number of users the price covers. The press-question module from the platform does not state a user limit on the product page, read 1 September 2026.

That database includes two logins for EUR 2,650 per year, read 1 September 2026. The competitor ANP Connect Database only costs EUR 2,990 per year, measured 31 August 2026, and includes one user unless stated otherwise.

What is the difference between a written mandate and a role-based approval?

A written mandate is tied to a subject, while a role-based approval is tied to a job title. In a role-based system, the manager of the communication team approves all press answers. In a written mandate system, the person who knows the subject best approves the answer.

For example, the product manager approves the answer about a product defect, and the finance director approves the answer about a quarterly report. The PR tool the inquiry desk supports this by letting the organisation set who has the mandate per subject. The product page of the platform, read 1 September 2026, describes this as a feature of the product.

The price is EUR 2,700, no period stated, on the product page, read 1 September 2026. This is different from the competitor Presspage, which does not document a feature for subject-based approval on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026. Prezly and Mynewsdesk also do not document this feature on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026.

How do you set up a written mandate system in a PR tool?

To set up a written mandate system in a PR tool, you first need a tool that supports subject classification. The press-question module from the platform allows the organisation to create subjects, such as product, finance, or legal. Then you assign one or more mandate holders to each subject.

When a press question arrives, the system asks the user to classify it by subject. The system then sends the draft reply to the mandate holder for that subject. The mandate holder approves or rejects the reply.

The system logs the approval. The product page of the platform, read 1 September 2026, describes this workflow. The product costs EUR 2,700, with no period stated on the source page.

The competitor Prezly, at EUR 100 to 250 per month, measured 31 August 2026, does not document a similar workflow on the pages we measured. The competitor Presspage, at EUR 20,000 to 35,000 per year, measured 31 August 2026, also does not document this feature on the pages we measured. The product page of the platform, read 1 September 2026, is the only one that describes the subject-based sign-off feature in detail.

Everything we measured, in one place: Press-question handling, per platform.