UNSPSC 80170000: Public relations and professional communications services

Public relations and professional communications consulting and advisory services

UNSPSC 80170000 Public relations and professional communications services is a Family code under which state and local governments procure crisis communication support, strategic media relations, business attraction promotion, marketing campaign development, and community and stakeholder engagement services. Recent solicitations show government buyers contracting for crisis-response advisory to designated personnel and media, integrated marketing campaigns targeting specific behavioral outcomes (recycling, wildfire preparedness, streetcar safety), business development representation in foreign markets, communications support for environmental infrastructure projects, and multilingual public outreach across social and digital channels.

State agencies, counties, cities, school districts, and special-purpose authorities (transit, housing, economic development) are active buyers under this code. The State of Utah Division of Purchasing, County of Orange (California), City of Milpitas, and Delaware State University appear multiple times in recent activity. Geographic spread is concentrated in California, Utah, and the mid-Atlantic and Southeast, with broader representation across Texas, Connecticut, Colorado, and Oregon. Representative opportunities include the State of Utah Division of Purchasing requesting crisis communication services for risk management entities (RFP KK27-101, due Nov. 3, 2026); the City of Milpitas requesting communications and marketing support for civic campaigns including event videos and public service announcements (RFP 26-155, due Jul. 28, 2026); the Orange County Transportation Authority requesting a safety awareness consultant for the OC Streetcar project (RFP 260504, due Sep. 22, 2026); and the State of Oregon Department of State Fire Marshal requesting strategic marketing support to establish "Home and First Five Feet" as Oregon's wildfire preparedness standard (RFP S-26000-00017490, due Oct. 9, 2026). Procurement activity spans RFP, RFQ, and IFB notice types with contract terms typically ranging from one to five years and evaluation criteria emphasizing subject-matter expertise, past performance on similar government accounts, team qualifications, and cost-effectiveness.