UNSPSC 80172003: Public affairs service

Public relations services relating to contracted external professional communications services.

UNSPSC 80172003 Public affairs service is a Commodity code capturing legislative advocacy, lobbying, media relations, and government communications work that state and local agencies buy to influence policy and shape public perception. Recent solicitations show government bodies purchasing services ranging from state-level legislative lobbying and cabinet-level media coaching to community outreach for transit and environmental programs, economic development communications, and crisis management counsel. The mix of issuing bodies reflects the breadth of the code: state agencies (Oregon Medical Board, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, Washington Department of Commerce, California Air Resources Board), counties (Broward County, Henry County GA, Pinellas County FL, Brevard County FL), cities (Rio Rancho NM, Waco TX, Atlanta GA, Tucson AZ, Bend OR, College Park GA, Salt Lake City UT), transit and infrastructure authorities (Orange County Transportation Authority CA, Great Lakes Water Authority MI, Broward County Transportation Department, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, North Florida TPO), convention and visitors bureaus (Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB, Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism), school districts (Klein ISD TX, Region One Education Service Center TX), and special-purpose entities (Invest Atlanta, Pulaski County Zoo, Texas State Technical College, University of Texas at Austin, Albany State University). Within the past two months, state legislatures have driven demand: the Oregon Medical Board is seeking a two-year governmental affairs contract through November 30, 2028, with a $150,000 not-to-exceed ceiling and legislative session monitoring as core scope (RFP due July 27, 2026); the City of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, is contracting for state lobbyist services during the New Mexico legislative session (IFB due August 11, 2026); and the City of Waco, Texas, is seeking a lobbying consultant for the Texas Legislature through September 30, 2027 (SOQ due June 23, 2026). Transportation agencies dominate activity for public outreach: Orange County Transportation Authority has posted multiple RFPs for community engagement and communications support on transit projects and environmental mitigation programs, ranging from $150,000 to $801,000 for three- to four-year terms. Community engagement and public participation planning work is widespread, with Columbus Consolidated Government (Georgia) issuing RFPs for an EPA brownfield grant engagement strategy and an Edgewood Road Corridor feasibility study; the City of Atlanta seeking a Blue Heron Nature Preserve redevelopment facilitator; and Salt Lake City Corporation procuring a 2034 Olympics legacy framework with $200,000 budget. Crisis management, media relations, and ongoing reputation work appear in convention bureau and tourism authority solicitations: Pinellas County's Visit St. Pete-Clearwater is contracting for domestic PR services at approximately $875,000 over five years; Brevard County is seeking tourism media relations through 2030; and Great Lakes Water Authority is seeking 24/7 media representation and executive crisis counsel. The geographic spread spans nearly every major state jurisdiction: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Washington feature recent solicitations, with particular clustering in Florida (multiple OCTA and Broward County notices), Georgia (Atlanta, Columbus, Henry County, Macon-Bibb County), and Texas (Waco, Austin, Houston, Dallas area).

State and local procurement activity in this commodity code remains active and diversified. Legislators and executives drive immediate demand during session periods; transit and infrastructure projects sustain longer-term engagement work; and economic development and community benefit initiatives create new pockets of opportunity. Pricing varies sharply—legislative advocacy contracts typically run $100,000–$200,000 annually, while comprehensive community engagement and communications support on multi-year infrastructure programs range from $300,000 to $901,000 across the full term. Set-asides and preferences appear inconsistently: some jurisdictions (California, Georgia counties) designate DBE or MBE participation goals; others (Oregon, most Texas entities) impose none. Questions and pre-bid deadlines generally cluster 4–6 weeks before response dates, and many RFPs require demonstrated prior experience with similar government clients and three or more references. Insurance requirements are consistent—commercial general liability of $1 million per occurrence and professional liability of $1 million are near-universal minimums. The code sees steady activity across both reactive (legislative monitoring, crisis response) and programmatic (multimonth engagement planning, stakeholder database management) scopes, making it a viable pursuit area for firms with government sector experience, media relationships, and capacity to manage extended advisory engagements.