The verdict in three sentences
A borehole drilling and water engineering company website in Bamako costs 3 to 8 million FCFA excl. VAT (about 4,600 to 12,200 EUR) in 2026 and is delivered in 6 weeks. Its job is to pass the shortlisting stage of government, NGO and mining tenders, by showing geolocated references, verifiable equipment and a downloadable prequalification file. One drilling lot won thanks to a better shortlisting rate pays for the project several times over.
What the website must contain and what it costs
Procurement officers at NGOs, UN agencies and mining companies look at your website before opening your bid. They want to check quickly that you have already drilled in the area, at the required depth, with equipment in working order. The site must also stay fast on a 3G connection in Kayes, Mopti or Sikasso, where many of your contacts work.
| Item | Content | Indicative 2026 budget (FCFA excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Service pages | Manual and motorized drilling, water supply, solar pumps, geophysics | 600,000 to 1,200,000 |
| Geolocated reference map | 300 boreholes filterable by region, client, year, yield | 700,000 to 1,800,000 |
| Equipment sheets | Drilling rigs, maximum depth, compressors, trucks | 300,000 to 700,000 |
| Downloadable prequalification file | Licences, certificates, key CVs, turnover | 250,000 to 600,000 |
| 3G optimization | Pages under 1 MB, WebP images, load under 4 s | 300,000 to 800,000 |
| FR/EN version | International donors and English-speaking mines | 400,000 to 1,000,000 |
| Site photos, video, copywriting | Visual proof and technical copy | 450,000 to 1,900,000 |
An Essential site (service pages, 50 references, PDF file) sits around 3 to 4 million FCFA. A complete site with the 300-borehole map, equipment sheets and the English version reaches 6 to 8 million FCFA. Hosting and maintenance then cost 25,000 to 75,000 FCFA a month.
What donors check before shortlisting
In a restricted tender, the buyer often cuts 15 to 25 applications down to 4 to 6 invited companies. The table below sums up what is checked in 2026 and how to present it online.
| Item checked | Mainly required by | What the website must show |
|---|---|---|
| Technical water engineering licence | Government, local authorities, NGOs | Number, category, validity date, PDF |
| Similar references | NGOs, UN agencies, donors | Map and sheets: client, year, depth, yield in m³/h |
| Equipment capacity | Mines, NGOs | List of rigs, maximum depth (150 to 300 m), condition |
| Financial capacity | Donors, government | Turnover for the last 3 years, bank certificate |
| Key staff | All | CVs of the hydrogeologist, lead driller, site manager |
| Tax and social compliance | Government, donors | Up-to-date tax clearance and social security certificate |
| HSE policy | Mines | Safety policy, accident rate, crew training |
A well-built reference sheet fits in one line of data: 2025, NGO, Bougouni district, 12 boreholes, depth 65 to 90 m, average yield 4.5 m³/h, accepted without reservation. That is exactly what the buyer copies into the evaluation grid.
Value of the target contracts in 2026
To judge the website budget, compare it with the contracts you are going after. The amounts below are 2026 orders of magnitude in Mali.
| Contract type | Typical amount (FCFA excl. VAT) | Execution time |
|---|---|---|
| Borehole with hand pump | 6,000,000 to 10,000,000 per borehole | 2 to 4 weeks |
| NGO lot of 10 equipped boreholes | 70,000,000 to 100,000,000 | 3 to 5 months |
| Small water supply system with solar pump | 25,000,000 to 45,000,000 | 2 to 3 months |
| Dewatering or supply borehole for a mine | 15,000,000 to 60,000,000 | 1 to 3 months |
| Annual borehole maintenance contract | 5,000,000 to 20,000,000 per year | 12 months |
Mini case study
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Mr Coulibaly, managing director of a 45-employee drilling company in Bamako, submits 15 prequalification files a year and is shortlisted only 4 times. He invests 5,500,000 FCFA in a website with the map of his 300 boreholes and an up-to-date prequalification file, plus 50,000 FCFA a month for maintenance, so 6,100,000 FCFA in year one. He rises to 7 shortlistings out of 15. With a 30 % award rate, he wins on average one more contract a year. On an 80,000,000 FCFA NGO lot with a 12 % net margin, the gain reaches 9,600,000 FCFA (about 14,600 EUR), so the investment pays back with the first contract.
FAQ
Should we publish the exact GPS coordinates of the boreholes?
No, it is better to round the position to about 1 km and show only the commune or district. Some NGOs ask for this for security reasons, and 300 precise points remain visible to your competitors.
Will the site be readable on 3G upcountry?
Yes if every page weighs under 1 MB and photos are in WebP. The target is a display in under 4 seconds on an average 3G connection.
How long does delivery take?
Count 6 weeks, 2 of which are spent collecting and checking the 300 references. That is often the step that delays the project when site records are scattered.
Do we need an English version?
Yes if you target industrial mines or English-speaking donors. It adds 400,000 to 1,000,000 FCFA and opens access to contracts often above 15,000,000 FCFA.
How do we keep the prequalification file up to date?
The manager updates the PDFs from a simple admin area in 10 minutes. An alert fires 30 days before the licence or the tax clearance expires.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of references, target clients and languages: we will price a website between 3 and 8 million FCFA, delivered in 6 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
