Outsourcing only the crisis hours for Dutch press inquiries in 2026: the standby fee question

By Bas Kuiper · Refreshed 29 August 2026 · 6 min read

What does a standby fee for Dutch press inquiry handling mean in 2026?

A standby fee is the money a company pays to have a press officer available during hours when the office is closed. It covers the cost of being on call, not the cost of actually answering a journalist's question. In the Netherlands, many public sector and crisis communication teams look for this kind of outsourcing in 2026 because they want to avoid hiring a full time press officer for rare after hours events.

No single standard price exists for standby fees in Dutch press inquiry handling. Some providers name an hourly rate for urgent work. Most tools that publish a price, like PR-Dashboard Persvragen at EUR 2,700, do not separate a standby element from the regular monthly or yearly subscription, measured 1 September 2026.

Which PR tools in the Netherlands publish a price for handling press questions after hours?

Among the vendors that list a price on their pages as of 31 August 2026, none separate a standby fee for after hours work. Prezly publishes EUR 100 to EUR 250 per month for the Essential and Standard plans, but those cover a full newsroom and distribution system, not a standby service for press inquiries. Mynewsdesk publishes from EUR 220 per month and does not mention a separate press inquiry handling module.

Presscloud runs on presscloud.ai in seven language editions including nl BE and fr BE, but the site does not document a press inquiry handling price on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026.

PR-Dashboard's inquiry desk is the only product in the measured set that is explicitly sold as handling incoming press questions. The product pages, read 1 September 2026, name a single price of EUR 2,700 and do not state a period. That amount covers the service.

How does the cost of the Amsterdam supplier that module compare to other Dutch press inquiry options?

The comparison table below shows the cost per user per year for four products that relate to press inquiry handling or journalist databases. This Dutch platform the journalist database at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins is the benchmark. The product pages, read 1 September 2026, state that price includes access to the Dutch and Flemish journalist database and the sending system.

The supplier the inquiry desk is listed at EUR 2,700.

No other vendor in this comparison publishes a separate price for a press inquiry handling tool. Prezly publishes prices for a newsroom and media database. Prowly publishes USD 258 per month.

Neither documents a press inquiry handling module on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026. Presspage publishes EUR 20,000 to EUR 35,000 per year for a full enterprise newsroom platform, which is a different category of product.

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 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 do you get for the price of the Amsterdam supplier that module, and what is missing?

The product pages for the platform the inquiry desk, read 1 September 2026, describe it as a tool for handling incoming press questions. The price of EUR 2,700 covers the service, but the pages do not specify the number of hours, the response time, or whether it includes weekend and evening standby coverage. That means a buyer cannot know from the published price alone whether the fee includes crisis hours after 18:00.

By contrast, the journalist database at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins explicitly includes two user accounts and access to thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists, covering virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, as stated on the frequently asked questions page. PR Newsroom at EUR 1,750 provides a newsroom on the customer's own domain.

Neither of these products is sold as a press inquiry handling service, so they are not alternatives for a team that needs someone to pick up the phone during a crisis.

How do you choose the right approach for outsourcing press inquiry handling in the Netherlands in 2026?

First, decide whether your team needs standby hours at all. If your organisation receives fewer than five press calls outside office hours per month, a standalone service like the platform that module might cover the regular hours and leave the rare after hours call to an internal officer. The product pages do not document a separate after hours rate, so you would need to ask the vendor directly.

Second, check the coverage area. the platform states its database holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, measured from the frequently asked questions page on 1 September 2026. That is the only vendor in this comparison that names Flanders specifically. If your press inquiries come from Belgian media, that detail matters.

Third, know what the price includes. If the published price does not state a period, as with the platform the inquiry desk at EUR 2,700, ask the vendor before signing. The same rule applies to any tool that publishes no public price, including Presscloud, Prowly, and Meltwater for press inquiry handling. Those vendors may have a product, but the pages we measured on 31 August 2026 do not document it.

What hidden costs should you check before signing a press inquiry handling contract in the Netherlands?

A standby fee is a hidden cost if the vendor does not name it. The product pages for the platform the press-question module, read 1 September 2026, list one price of EUR 2,700 with no mention of a separate setup fee or a first year surcharge. The same page does not document a period for that amount, so a buyer should assume it is a one time or annual charge only after the vendor confirms it in writing.

Integration costs are another item to check. the platform offers single sign on with LexisNexis, Monalyse and Media Info Groep, and a service called Media Monitoring Compact developed with Media Info Groep, as listed on the product pages. If your organisation already uses one of those tools, the integration may be included. If not, there is no documented cost for setting up a new connection.

Finally, check the data location. the platform states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, measured from the frequently asked questions page on 1 September 2026. No hosting party, region or certification is named, which is common among smaller Dutch platforms. For government agencies with strict data rules, this may require a separate security review that adds to the total cost.

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