Public Relations RFP Online Tools Launched to Improve, Streamline PR Agency Hiring Process

Agency Select, Developed by CommunicationsMatch and RFP Associates, Enables Clients to Customize and Issue RFP/RFQ Templates to Targeted Agencies & Consultants

The public relations industry’s first online RFP and RFQ agency selection tools and customizable templates are now available to help clients streamline public relations agency or consultant hiring using search and services platform CommunicationsMatch.

The new Agency Select RFQ/RFP process, developed by CommunicationsMatch in partnership with agency search firm RFP Associates, offers client organizations an integrated, secure, and low-cost way to issue an RFQ or RFP to any of the 6,000 agencies and professionals on the CommunicationsMatch platform with areas of expertise that match needs. The new tools help client organizations evaluate and select the most qualified agencies for an assignment and achieve better search results.

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“Our Agency Select tools help client organizations use the same disciplined approach to engaging agencies and consultants that they use to hire key employees,” said CommunicationsMatch founder & CEO, Simon Erskine Locke. “The best practices, questions and criteria we identified in our research last year with RFP Associates are built into Agency Select — which will help hiring organizations not only select the most qualified agency partner, but help ensure stronger program outcomes and longer agency relationships.”

Following a CommunicationsMatch search to identify and shortlist communications firms by such filters as industry and communications expertise, location, diversity, or professional designations and memberships, a client organization using Agency Select customizes a template RFQ questionnaire as well as an RFP document including scope of work, budget, and timeline. The client organization shares the RFQ, RFP, and supporting documents with identified agencies, which are provided an emailed link requesting their response. Once agency responses are submitted, the client organization receives an alert and may compare downloadable agency responses side-by-side in the CommunicationsMatch dashboard. The Agency Select process is designed to be efficient and secure for client and agencies alike.

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Agency Select tools have been tested over the last year and successfully used for agency searches for a leading global financial services institution to identify and retain communications agencies in multiple U.S. markets.

“For client organizations with the capacity and experience to manage an agency search, Agency Select provides the tools and resources to efficiently identify, evaluate and select agencies for finalist presentations,” said Robert Udowitz, principal of RFP Associates, CommunicationsMatch’s search consulting partner. “Where the capacity or expertise to manage a search is limited and for large, complex assignments, CommunicationsMatch and RFP Associates provide supplemental services to enable client organizations to get the most from Agency Select.”

Client organizations use the CommunicationsMatch agency search engine at no cost. Access to Agency Select is available for an introductory discounted fee of $395 for six months’ access. This includes one hour of consulting support from an RFP Associates principal.

Agencies, consultants and freelancers listed on CommunicationsMatch pay an annual membership fee to maintain a basic or comprehensive profile on the platform, but receive and respond to RFPs and RFQs issued by clients through Agency Select at no additional cost.

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