UNSPSC 80171800: Public relations and media relations services

Public relations consultation services relating to media relations and related services. PR and media relations is a strategic communication process that builds relationships between client and their publics.

UNSPSC 80171800 Public relations and media relations services is a Class code that encompasses communications consulting, strategic public outreach, media relations, community engagement, and crisis communications work that state and local governments buy on an as-needed, project, or ongoing basis. State and local issuing bodies soliciting under this code range from cities and counties to state departments, transit authorities, and special-purpose districts; California jurisdictions—particularly Orange County, the Cities of Santa Monica and North Miami Beach, and the Florida Department of Transportation districts—appear as repeat buyers in recent months. Recent work includes the City of Santa Monica's as-needed communications consulting RFP across creative services and earned media (response deadline Oct 13, 2026), the Florida Department of Transportation District 4's districtwide special projects communication and outreach RFP for Broward County and related areas (response deadline Oct 12, 2026), the City of North Miami Beach's citywide brand development and implementation RFP (response deadline Sep 2, 2026), and the Orange County Transportation Authority's OC Streetcar safety awareness and public education program RFP valued at $200,000 (response deadline Sep 22, 2026). Work spans fixed-fee design and creative production, hourly-rate-based consulting and facilitation, time-and-expense community outreach, and retainer-based media relations and legislative advocacy.

Geographic activity concentrates in California (Orange County, Santa Monica, North Miami Beach), Florida (FDOT districts, Monroe County), and scattered state-level and regional transit procurements across the West and Southeast. Issuing bodies include city procurement bureaus, county executive offices, transportation authorities, state agencies, and special districts. Representative scope spans branded social media and digital marketing (FDOT), brand strategy and visual identity (North Miami Beach), multilingual safety education campaigns (OCTA), press and community outreach management (Cal Expo), public relations support for environmental infrastructure projects (Broward County RFI), strategic communications for public lands policy (Utah PLPCO), and state legislative monitoring and advocacy (Oregon Medical Board). Evaluation typically weights experience and qualifications heavily, followed by proposed approach and methodology, staffing capability, and cost; many procurements are structured as RFPs with time-and-expense or hourly-rate pricing rather than fixed fees. Set-asides and preferences for SBE, DBE, and DVBE certification appear in California and some Florida opportunities. Insurance requirements commonly include $1 million general liability and professional liability; some procurements require performance and payment bonds. Activity is steady across the calendar with no pronounced seasonal concentration.