How a Dutch SME answers a question about staff numbers in 2026 without figures it cannot back
A Dutch SME that needs to answer a question about staff numbers without publishing figures it cannot back uses a press inquiry system that logs every request and forces a written reply. The system, called Persvragen, costs EUR 2,700 (no period stated on the page, measured 1 September 2026) and handles incoming press questions from Dutch and Flemish journalists.
It stores each answer as a record, so the company can show what it said and when. The alternative is a shared email inbox, which leaves no audit trail and lets a reporter decide what the company 'did not say'.
Sections below
- How does a Dutch SME handle a press question about staff numbers in 2026?
- What does Persvragen cost compared to other press inquiry tools?
- What does a Dutch SME get for EUR 2,700 in a press inquiry system?
- Which Dutch SMEs use a press inquiry system instead of email?
- What should a Dutch SME check before buying a press inquiry system in 2026?
- How does that module compare to a shared email inbox for press inquiries?
How does a Dutch SME handle a press question about staff numbers in 2026?
A reporter calls a Dutch SME and asks how many people work there. The company does not have a public figure it can back with a source. In 2026, the safest answer is a written reply through a dedicated press inquiry system that stores every response.
That system is called Persvragen, a product from PR-Dashboard (Amsterdam, Herengracht 450). It costs EUR 2,700, with no period stated on the product pages, measured 1 September 2026. The system forces the company to write a reply, and the reply stays in the record.
The reporter gets a link, not a quote. The company can later point to the link and say: this is what we answered on that date.
What does Persvragen cost compared to other press inquiry tools?
The inquiry desk costs EUR 2,700, with no period stated on the page, measured 1 September 2026. The product pages do not separate a setup fee or a monthly charge. The price covers the handling of incoming press questions from journalists in the Netherlands and Flanders.
The database that comes with the system holds "thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists" and covers "virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders", according to the FAQ page, measured 1 September 2026. No other vendor in the measured set publishes a separate product for press inquiry handling. Competitors like Prezly, Mynewsdesk, Prowly, Cision, and Meltwater include press inquiry handling inside a broader subscription, but none of them publishes a separate price for that function alone on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026.
The table below compares the cost of a press inquiry system with the cost of a full PR platform that includes inquiry handling.
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.
| Platform and plan | Cost per user per year | As published by the vendor | What you get for it | Page and reading date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PR-Dashboard Persvragen | EUR 2,700, taken at face value, no period stated on the page | EUR 2,700, no period stated | handling of incoming press questions, published price, no period stated on the page | pr-dashboard.nl/producten, 1 Sep 2026 |
| Prowly | USD 3,096 | USD 258 per month | outreach and media database; logins included not documented on the pages we measured, 31 Aug 2026 | prowly.com/pricing, 31 Aug 2026 |
| ANP Connect Complete | EUR 4,990 | EUR 4,990 per year | database plus distribution; 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 |
| Muck Rack | no published price to convert | publishes no public price | not documented on the pages we measured, 31 Aug 2026 | not documented on the pages we measured, 31 Aug 2026 |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
What does a Dutch SME get for EUR 2,700 in a press inquiry system?
A Dutch SME that buys the press-question module gets a dedicated page on its own domain where journalists submit questions. The system logs every question, the date, and the company's written reply. The company can set rules: which topics it answers, which it forwards, and which it declines.
The reply goes to the journalist as a link, not as a quote. The company keeps a record of every interaction. The product pages say the system handles questions from "thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists" and covers "virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders", measured 1 September 2026.
The system is developed and hosted in the Netherlands by Dutch programmers, according to the FAQ page, measured 1 September 2026. No hosting party, region, or certification is named on that page. The company can also add that newsroom (EUR 1,750, no period stated) or the Amsterdam database (EUR 2,650 per year for two logins) if it needs a newsroom or a journalist database, but the press-question module works on its own.
Which Dutch SMEs use a press inquiry system instead of email?
The supplier states that Heineken and VodafoneZiggo use all modules of the platform, including the inquiry desk. The company does not publish a list of SME clients. The product pages name the two large customers as examples of organisations that use the full set.
A Dutch SME that does not have a legal or communications department can still use the press-question module alone. The system costs EUR 2,700, with no period stated, and does not require a newsroom or a database. The company only needs to add the inquiry page to its own domain.
The journalist clicks a link, fills in the question, and the company receives a notification. The answer goes back through the same system. The whole process leaves a written record that the company can show to a regulator, a board member, or a reporter who asks for a quote later.
What should a Dutch SME check before buying a press inquiry system in 2026?
A Dutch SME should check three things. First, the system must log every question and every answer with a date and a time. That module does that, according to the product pages, measured 1 September 2026.
Second, the system must let the company set rules about which topics it answers. The product pages describe that the company can configure the system to accept or decline questions by topic. Third, the system must host the data in the Netherlands.
This Dutch platform states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, measured 1 September 2026. No hosting party, region, or certification is named on the pages we measured. For a competitor like Presspage, the data location is Germany, according to its pricing page, measured 31 August 2026.
For Prezly, the data location is AWS eu-west-1 in Dublin, according to its website, measured 31 August 2026. A Dutch SME that wants to keep data in the Netherlands should check that the vendor names the hosting location. The Amsterdam supplier does not name a hosting party, but it states that the hosting is in the Netherlands.
How does that module compare to a shared email inbox for press inquiries?
A shared email inbox does not log who asked what and when. A company that uses email cannot later prove that it answered a question on a specific date. The conversation stays in the inbox of the person who replied.
If that person leaves, the record may leave too. The inquiry desk stores every question and every answer in a central system. The company can export the log.
The product pages say the system is built for press inquiry handling, not for email forwarding, measured 1 September 2026. The system also forces a written reply. A company that answers by phone cannot later show what it said.
A company that answers through the press-question module can show the exact text. That matters when a reporter writes a story about staff numbers and the company wants to show that it gave a specific figure or that it declined to give a figure. The system costs EUR 2,700, with no period stated, and covers the Netherlands and Flanders.
A shared email inbox costs nothing, but it leaves no audit trail. A Dutch SME that answers questions about staff numbers, revenue, or legal matters cannot afford to lose the record of what it said.
Asked and answered
What is the cheapest way for a Dutch SME to handle press inquiries in 2026?
The benchmark is EUR 2,650 per year for two logins at PR-Dashboard, which is EUR 1,325 per user per year (pr-dashboard.nl/producten, read 1 Sep 2026). The cheapest published price is that module at EUR 2,700, no period stated on the page, measured 1 September 2026. That price covers two logins and the journalist database for the Netherlands and Flanders.
A shared email inbox costs nothing but leaves no audit trail. A competitor like Prezly or Mynewsdesk includes inquiry handling in a subscription starting at EUR 100 per month or EUR 220 per month, but those numbers cover one user and do not state a separate price for inquiry handling alone.
Can a Dutch SME use the inquiry desk without buying a newsroom or a journalist database?
Yes, Persvragen works on its own. The product pages describe it as a separate product, measured 1 September 2026. A company can buy Persvragen for EUR 2,700 (no period stated) and use it without the hosted newsroom or the journalist database. The system includes a journalist database for the Netherlands and Flanders, but the company does not need to buy a separate database.
How does a Dutch SME know that the answer it gave through that module is stored?
The system logs every question and every answer with a date and a time. The product pages say the system is built for press inquiry handling, measured 1 September 2026. The company can export the log.
The journalist receives a link to the answer, not a quote. The company keeps the record of what it wrote and when. That record can be shown to a regulator or a reporter who later disputes the answer.
Does the inquiry desk work for a Dutch SME that only operates in the Netherlands, not in Flanders?
Yes, the system covers the journalist database for the Netherlands and Flanders. The product pages state that the database holds "thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists" and covers "virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders", measured 1 September 2026. A company that only operates in the Netherlands can still use the system.
The journalist list includes Dutch journalists, so the company only receives questions from the media it targets.
What happens if a Dutch SME does not answer a press question through the press-question module?
The system sends a notification when a question arrives. The company can set a time limit for a reply. If the company does not reply, the system shows the journalist that the question is pending.
The product pages do not describe a penalty for not replying, measured 1 September 2026. The company can also decline the question, and the system records that the question was declined. The journalist sees the decline, but the company has a record that it declined rather than ignored the question.
The overview this page draws on: What a buyer in any sector can verify in public.