The theme of tenders between private companies and agencies has always been at the center of attention of the communication system. Also for Public Relations it is good practice to have clear indications for the correct conduct of a tender. To give more certain indications of good behavior on this matter UPA and Assorel have drawn up a document that provides the Guidelines for a correct and transparent conduct of the selection process of the Agencies by the clients on the occasion of a tender.
Consultation is, in the opinion of both Associations, the most profitable way to start the selection of a PR agency. If, on the other hand, for company reasons, a tender must be held, it is good practice to have indications for the correct execution of the same. To meet this need, the Associations of Companies and PR Agencies, UPA and Assorel, have decided to produce a single common reference document: these are not mandatory indications, as this type of tenders are carried out between private individuals, but principles shared between Clients and Agencies.
The main points of the document concern:
the ideal number of participants in the tender (3 Agencies plus the outgoing one),
· an indication of the Agencies invited to participate with a brief that is the same for all and as exhaustive as possible,
· the methods and evaluation criteria of the projects presented which should be anticipated by the Client, as well as the indication of the Agency Team that will work on the project,
the presentation times which must be congruous with the characteristics of the project itself,
· furthermore, the commitment and complexity of the project make it advisable to define a reimbursement of expenses on a flat-rate basis that is the same for everyone.
With these 'Guidelines' we wanted to set up a relationship that benefits the quality of the work and the results for both parties.
