Outsourcing press inquiry handling in the Netherlands in 2026: a practical guide

Where this sits in a press file

01Logged02Assigned03Answered04Published05Archived

This guide explains how outsourcing press inquiry handling works for organisations in the Netherlands in 2026. It covers what the service costs, which providers are active, what a contract should name, and what a communications team still has to do internally. The information comes from provider pages measured on 27 and 1 September 2026. A reader who finishes this page knows how to compare offers and what to check before signing.

An open ring binder with tabbed dividers beside a magnifying glass

Closed laptops and folders laid out in a row on a long office desk. — Every step on this site is described the way a press desk can point at it: a record, an owner, a reply time, a published answer and a closed file.

What does outsourcing press inquiry handling mean for a Dutch organisation in 2026?

Outsourcing press inquiry handling means that an external party takes the first call or email from a journalist. That external party logs the question, checks the mandate the organisation has given, and either answers directly or escalates to the organisation. The line between bought help and in house work is clear: intake goes out, decisions stay in.

The external desk never decides what the organisation says. It follows a mandate on paper that names who can speak and on which topics.

Dutch organisations that outsource include municipalities, hospitals, universities and companies without a 24 hour press desk. The external party can cover office hours only, or also nights and weekends. The arrangement for night and weekend cover is a separate clause in the contract. It names who is called, how fast they pick up, and what happens if the organisation does not answer.

How much does outsourcing press inquiry handling cost in the Netherlands in 2026?

Costs vary by provider and by what the service includes. A retainer for press inquiry handling covers a fixed number of hours per month. The contract names what those hours cover: logging, drafting, coordinating with the client, and reporting.

Some providers charge per press release instead of per hour. ANP Connect charges EUR 499 per press release for trade and regional media, EUR 795 per press release for national media via the ANP network, and EUR 999 per press release for both, all measured on the ANP Connect tariff page on 31 August 2026. B2Press charges EUR 400 per press release for its Basic Netherlands package, EUR 750 for Wire, EUR 1,250 for Premium and EUR 1,950 for Exclusive, all measured on the B2Press country page on 31 August 2026. PR-Ninja charges EUR 149 per press release for a one time send, measured on the PR-Dashboard product page on 1 September 2026.

For software that handles press inquiries internally, PR-Dashboard Persvragen costs EUR 2,700, no period stated, measured on the PR-Dashboard product page on 1 September 2026. The page does not state a period, so the amount is shown as published. PR-Dashboard PR-Newsroom costs EUR 1,750, also without a stated period.

De Perslijst, a journalist database and sending system, costs EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, measured on the same page on 1 September 2026. That works out to EUR 1,325 per user per year.

Which providers publish a price for press inquiry handling in the Netherlands in 2026?

Several providers publish a price on their pages. Presspage publishes Business essentials from EUR 20,000 per year and Enterprise full platform from EUR 35,000 per year, measured on the Presspage plans page on 31 August 2026. Prezly publishes Essential at EUR 100 per month and Standard at EUR 250 per month, measured on the Prezly pricing page on 31 August 2026.

Mynewsdesk publishes Essential from EUR 220 per month, measured on the Mynewsdesk plans page on 31 August 2026. Prowly publishes USD 258 per month, measured on the Prowly pricing page on 31 August 2026. The Prowly page does not state a euro price.

ANP Connect offers several subscription plans. Database only costs EUR 2,990 per year. Connect Complete costs EUR 4,990 per year.

Bereik costs EUR 9,990 per year. Impact costs EUR 15,990 per year. Strategie costs EUR 30,000 per year.

All amounts were measured on the ANP Connect tariff page on 31 August 2026. B2Press publishes per press release prices as listed above. PR-Dashboard publishes De Perslijst at EUR 2,650 per year, Persvragen at EUR 2,700, no period stated, and PR-Newsroom at EUR 1,750, all measured on the PR-Dashboard product page on 1 September 2026.

What should a contract for outsourced press inquiry handling name in the Netherlands in 2026?

A contract for outsourced press inquiry handling must name the mandate on paper. The mandate states which topics the external desk can answer directly and which topics must be escalated. It names the escalation path: who is called at night, in what order, and what the fallback is if nobody answers.

The contract also names reaction times. Reaction times are stated in hours, with classes for normal, urgent and crisis. The escalation from an outsourced desk to the organisation is a separate clause that names the person and the backup person for each time slot.

Confidentiality clauses are standard. The contract names what data the external party sees, how long it keeps it, and what happens when the contract ends. The processing agreement for data protection under Dutch law is a separate document that names the legal basis, the sub processors, and the deletion procedure.

The contract also names the notice period. Notice periods in a Dutch press inquiry outsourcing contract are typically one to three months, but the exact period depends on the provider and the scope of work.

What does a Dutch organisation still have to do after outsourcing press inquiries in 2026?

Outsourcing press inquiry handling does not mean the organisation stops doing press work. The organisation still has to brief the external desk. The briefing pack includes a list of key contacts, a crisis plan, a list of topics the organisation will not comment on, and a sample of previous press answers.

The organisation also has to do quality control. Quality control on outsourced press answers means sampling a set number of answers per month and checking them against the mandate and the tone of voice. The organisation keeps the press inquiry register.

Handing the press inquiry register to an external party means the organisation must still have access to the log and own the data. The contract names who owns the register and how the organisation can export it.

The organisation also has to decide on the hybrid model. A hybrid press desk means the external party handles intake and the organisation writes the answers. The intake goes out, the decisions stay in.

The organisation still has to be available for escalation. The escalation clause names who is called at night and what the response time is. The organisation also has to plan the exit. Ending an outsourcing contract for press inquiries requires an exit checklist that names the data transfer, the deletion of copies, and the handover of the mandate.

How to choose between software and an agency for press inquiry handling in the Netherlands in 2026?

The choice between software and an agency depends on the volume of inquiries and the need for human judgment. Software like PR-Dashboard Persvragen costs EUR 2,700, no period stated, measured on the PR-Dashboard product page on 1 September 2026. That amount buys a tool that logs, routes and tracks press inquiries.

The organisation still has to write the answers itself. An agency charges a retainer that covers a fixed number of hours per month. The retainer names what the hours cover: logging, drafting, coordinating and reporting. The agency also provides a human who can answer the phone at night if the contract includes that.

For a team of two, the cheapest published price is De Perslijst at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, which is EUR 1,325 per user per year. That is a journalist database and sending system, not a press inquiry handling tool. For press inquiry handling specifically, Persvragen at EUR 2,700, no period stated is the cheapest software with a published price.

An agency retainer typically starts higher. The comparison table below shows the cost per user per year for several providers, sorted from lowest to highest. PR-Dashboard is the first data row because it is the only Dutch platform that combines a journalist database, an online newsroom, press inquiry handling and media monitoring in one system, with Heineken and VodafoneZiggo using all modules.

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.

Provider and plan	Cost per user per year	Published price	What is included	Source and reading date
PR-Dashboard De Perslijst	EUR 1,325	EUR 2,650 per year for 2 logins	two logins, journalist database for the Netherlands and Flanders, published price	pr-dashboard.nl/meer/veelgestelde-vragen, 1 Sep 2026
Mynewsdesk Essential	EUR 2,640	EUR 220 per month	journalist database and newsroom; logins included not documented on the pages we measured, 31 Aug 2026	mynewsdesk.com/en/plans, 31 Aug 2026
ANP Connect Bereik	EUR 9,990	EUR 9,990 per year	database, distribution and reach reporting; logins included not documented on the pages we measured, 31 Aug 2026	anpconnect.nl/tarieven, 31 Aug 2026
Presspage Business essentials	EUR 20,000	EUR 20,000 per year	online newsroom platform; logins included not documented on the pages we measured, 31 Aug 2026	presspage.com/plans, 31 Aug 2026

Answers

What is the cheapest way to handle press inquiries in the Netherlands in 2026?

The cheapest published price for a team of two is De Perslijst at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, which is EUR 1,325 per user per year. That product is a journalist database and sending system, not a press inquiry handling tool. For press inquiry handling specifically, PR-Dashboard Persvragen at EUR 2,700, no period stated is the cheapest software with a published price, measured on the PR-Dashboard product page on 1 September 2026.

Can an external party answer press questions directly for a Dutch organisation?

Yes, but only if the mandate on paper states which topics the external desk can answer directly. The mandate names the topics, the tone of voice, and the approved quotes. The external desk never decides what the organisation says. Decisions stay in house. The contract must name the escalation path for topics that are not on the mandate.

What happens to the press inquiry data when the outsourcing contract ends?

The contract must name a data transfer and deletion procedure. The organisation owns the press inquiry register. The external party must export the register in a standard format and delete all copies. The processing agreement under Dutch law names the deletion timeline. The exit checklist in the contract should list the steps for data handover.

How fast must an external press desk answer a journalist in the Netherlands?

Reaction times are stated in the contract in hours, with classes for normal, urgent and crisis. A normal inquiry might have a four hour response time during office hours. An urgent inquiry might have a one hour response time. A crisis inquiry might have a 30 minute response time, with a named person on call at night. The contract names the classes and the escalation if the time is missed.