PR agency RFP template (copy-paste)

For a typical startup engagement, a short brief and a few conversations are often enough to compare agencies. Use this template when you want written proposals. Send the same useful context to each candidate and ask for an approach, team, scope, and price.

Tell candidates what you are trying to accomplish

Company. [What we do, who our customers are, and a link to the product or website.]

Goal. [Why we want PR help and who we need to reach.]

Timing. [Target start date, important events, and which dates can move.]

Available stories. [Upcoming news, customer examples, research, or expertise the agency could explore.]

Company participation. [Main contact, available spokespeople, and time we can reasonably provide.]

Budget. [Affordable range and whether it includes likely outside expenses.]

Important constraints. [Relevant competitor conflicts, confidentiality, markets, languages, or specialist review needs.]

Be candid about what you do not know. The agency can recommend a narrower scope or challenge the premise. You should not have to write its strategy before asking for help.

Ask for a useful, proportionate response

Ask each agency to cover:

1. How it understands the opportunity and what it would prioritize first.
2. The people who would do the work and how you would work together.
3. One or two relevant examples, including what the team contributed.
4. Proposed services, important exclusions, and what it would need from you.
5. How it would report progress and adjust the plan.
6. Fees, likely extras, minimum commitment, cancellation notice, and what work you would keep.

State your preferred response length and decision date. Give candidates a chance to ask questions. Save detailed contractual or security review for the point where it matters, unless a requirement could rule a candidate out from the start.

Do not request a complete unpaid campaign, finished pitches, or announcement copy. Ask for enough thinking to understand the approach.

Make different proposals easier to compare

A lower fee may cover less work or require more of your time. If proposals differ, ask the finalists to explain the difference in plain language. Keep optional work separate from the scope you actually need.

Check that the fee includes the essential work and that significant expenses need your agreement. Review the scope, commitment and cancellation terms, and ownership of work before signing.

Choose the team that fits the work

Compare how each agency understands the brief, who would do the work, its first priorities, relevant examples, and the proposed scope and cost. Use how to compare PR agencies to keep the decision practical.

Discuss questions that could change your choice with the finalists. When you are close to hiring, a client reference can help you understand what working with the team is like.

Funding disclosure. PressFriendly responds to PR RFPs and benefits commercially when companies hire agencies. Apply the same questions to our team and proposal.