RFP Associates
RFP Associates is a Virginia-based PR agency search consultancy that helps Fortune 1000 companies, associations, and government clients run structured RFP processes to identify and hire communications agencies. It also offers the ResponseReady™ service for PR agencies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersWashington DC Metro Area, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What RFP Associates does
RFP Associates, LLC is a Washington DC metro area-based (Fairfax, Virginia) communications agency search firm founded in 2011 by principals Steve Drake and Robert Udowitz. The firm helps organizations identify, evaluate, and hire public relations, public affairs, and digital communications agencies through a structured request-for-proposal (RFP) methodology, acting as an 'honest broker' paid exclusively by the hiring entity. Client work spans RFQ pre-screening, RFP authoring, candidate-agency shortlisting, capability and creativity evaluation, presentation management, and contract negotiation. Target customers include Fortune 1000 corporations, large associations and nonprofits, government institutions, and mid-sized businesses with PR budgets typically in the $100K–$1M range.
The company's product surface consists of a core agency search and selection service, the ResponseReady™ suite that helps PR agencies improve their RFP response processes, and a co-developed research agenda anchored by 'The Impact of the Agency Selection Process on Public Relations Programs and Outcomes' produced with CommunicationsMatch and Researchscape. The CommunicationsMatch partnership has produced an online agency search and RFP platform that bundles the firm's methodology with partner technology. The firm monetizes through professional services consulting fees, with pricing not publicly disclosed and engagements structured on a quote basis.
Operationally, the firm is lean — 8 total employees, two of whom are the founding Principals — and pursues a sales-led go-to-market with direct consulting engagements and content-led demand generation through the 'Cart Before the Horse' blog, trade publication articles, the DC Flack Pack podcast, and presentations at venues such as PRSA Counselors Academy, the Bridge Conference, and the Arthur Page Society. RFP Associates is privately held as an LLC, has no disclosed funding rounds, and does not publish revenue.
RFP Associates firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RFP Associates
- Legal name
- RFP Associates, LLC
- Website
- https://rfpassociates.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- RFP Associates is a Virginia-based PR agency search consultancy that helps Fortune 1000 companies, associations, and government clients run structured RFP processes to identify and hire communications agencies. It also offers the ResponseReady™ service for PR agencies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RFP Associates industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Management Consulting
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sourcing Support & RFx Administration (RFI/RFP/RFQ) (BPAAAJAC)
Keywords
Where RFP Associates is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington DC Metro Area
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
RFP Associates business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Agency Search Consulting Services: Professional consulting fees for search and selection services provided to hiring organizations seeking PR agencies. The company helps clients manage a thorough search and selection process, creating strong and successful client-agency relationships.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
RFP Associates product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RFP Associates is a communications agency search firm that helps hiring organizations identify, evaluate, and hire public relations, public affairs, or digital communications agencies through a structured RFP-based search and selection methodology. The firm acts as an "honest broker" exclusively representing client organizations, managing requirements definition, candidate shortlisting, capability/creativity evaluation, and contract negotiation with winning agencies. They also offer the ResponseReady™ suite to help PR agencies improve their RFP response capabilities.
Product overview
RFP Associates is a communications agency search firm offering a single, unified service focused on helping organizations identify, evaluate, and hire PR/PA agencies through a structured RFP process. The core offering is their agency search and selection methodology. They also provide ResponseReady™ as a complementary service for PR agencies looking to improve their RFP response capabilities, and publish research reports on agency search practices and outcomes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ResponseReady™: A customized suite of services for PR agencies eager to improve their new business acumen and approach to the RFP response process, helping agencies get 'RFP Ready' to win more business.
Products and services
- RFP Agency Search and Selection Services End-to-end communications agency search and selection engagement for hiring organizations. Includes RFP requirements definition, identification and shortlisting of qualified candidate PR/PA/digital communications agencies across the U.S. or abroad, capability and creativity evaluation, structured presentations, and contract negotiation with the winning agency.
- ResponseReady™
Quantifiable outcome
- Organizations investing 3-6 months in agency selection see 40% higher satisfaction rates and 2x longer partnership duration
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use RFP Associates
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
RFP Associates technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
RFP Associates partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CommunicationsMatchcoreStrategic partnership to conduct industry research on PR agency search and hiring practices. Developed joint agency search platform and online RFP platform. CommunicationsMatch's agency search and RFP platform was developed with RFP Associates. The partnership combines RFP Associates' search methodology expertise with CommunicationsMatch' technology platform.
- ResearchscapeminorResearch partner for conducting the first national study on PR agency search and hiring practices. Partnered on research titled 'The Impact of the Agency Selection Process on Public Relations Programs and Outcomes' presented at the Bridge Conference.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
RFP Associates competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Responsive (formerly RFPIO): AI-powered RFP response and proposal management platform that automates agency-side and client-side RFP workflows. As the platform adds PR-specific templates and analytics, it could compress demand for external search consultancies.
- Loopio: RFP response and automation software platform used by enterprises and agencies to manage RFP responses. Increasingly enables in-house teams to handle agency RFPs without external consultants — a direct substitute threat to RFP Associates' human-led process.
Direct peers
- Polskin & Associates: Marketing and communications procurement consultancy (now part of FEBE Group) that advises clients on agency search, selection, and compensation benchmarking. Offers the same agency-selection specialization with comparable client roster (Fortune 500 marketers).
- RSW/RSW/US: Marketing agency new-business consultancy that helps advertisers find, evaluate, and hire advertising and media agencies. Directly parallels RFP Associates' PR-focused search methodology with the same honest-broker positioning and dual client/agency focus.
- AVID: Communications and marketing agency search consultancy providing PR, advertising, and digital agency search and selection services. Closest direct competitor to RFP Associates in the PR/communications agency search niche.
- Agency Eight: Communications agency search consultancy serving clients seeking PR, public affairs, and digital communications agencies. Operates in the same niche as RFP Associates with comparable methodology and target client base.
- Peter Bell & Associates: PR-focused executive and agency search firm serving corporate communications leaders seeking PR agency and senior communications hires. Operates in the same honest-broker search niche targeting Fortune 1000 communications buyers.
- T2 Marketing: Marketing and PR agency search/new-business consultancy that works with both clients seeking agencies and agencies seeking new business. Dual-sided service model directly mirrors RFP Associates' structure.
Broad incumbents
- Spencer Stuart: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a dedicated Communications, Media, and Entertainment practice. Competes for senior PR leadership searches and occasionally agency-selection engagements, though as part of a much broader portfolio.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a communications officer practice. While much broader than RFP Associates, it occasionally participates in senior-level PR agency selection and competes for high-end communications search mandates.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RFP Associates social profiles
Digital presenceRFP Associates financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RFP Associates leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
RFP Associates funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RFP Associates M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RFP Associates
What does RFP Associates do?
RFP Associates is a communications agency search firm that helps hiring organizations identify, evaluate, and hire public relations, public affairs, or digital communications agencies through a structured RFP-based search and selection methodology. The firm acts as an "honest broker" exclusively representing client organizations, managing requirements definition, candidate shortlisting, capability/creativity evaluation, and contract negotiation with winning agencies. They also offer the ResponseReady™ suite to help PR agencies improve their RFP response capabilities.
Is RFP Associates a public or private company?
RFP Associates is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was RFP Associates founded?
RFP Associates was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is RFP Associates based?
RFP Associates is headquartered in Washington DC Metro Area, United States, in the North America region.
How does RFP Associates make money?
One revenue line is on record: agency Search Consulting Services.
Who are RFP Associates's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Responsive (formerly RFPIO) and Loopio. Direct peers are Polskin & Associates, RSW/RSW/US, AVID, Agency Eight, Peter Bell & Associates and T2 Marketing. Broad incumbents are Spencer Stuart and Heidrick & Struggles.
Does RFP Associates have an API?
No public API is recorded for RFP Associates.
What industry is RFP Associates in?
RFP Associates's product category is Management Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAAAJAC, Sourcing Support & RFx Administration (RFI/RFP/RFQ). Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.