The verdict in three sentences
For a West African construction company bidding on AfDB, World Bank and AFD contracts, the website acts as a track record that evaluators and foreign partners can verify 24/7. A realistic budget is 4,500,000 to 9,000,000 FCFA excluding VAT (about EUR 6,900 to 13,700) for a French-English bilingual site showing 40 documented project references and a compliance page with ISO certifications. Delivery takes 8 to 10 weeks, and the payoff is measured in contracts: a single lot won through a strong joint venture repays the website dozens of times over.
What evaluators and joint venture partners look for
Donor procedures require similar references with contract values, contracting authorities and completion certificates. Certificates stay in the paper bid, but the website plays a decisive role upstream: a European or Moroccan group looking for a local partner on a road lot checks the online presence first. An outdated, French-only site with no quantified projects eliminates the company before the first call.
| Expected element | Typical construction website | Donor-oriented website |
|---|---|---|
| Project references | Photo gallery without data | 40 records: value, donor, duration, client |
| Languages | French only | French and English mandatory |
| Compliance | Missing | ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, anti-corruption policy |
| Equipment | Not detailed | Plant fleet, batching plant, laboratory |
| Key staff | CEO only | Short profiles of engineers and site managers |
| Documents | None | PDF brochure, 3-year turnover |
| Mobile performance | Often slow | Loads in under 3 s on 4G |
The project record is the heart of the site. It shows the project name, location (for example "32 km road paving, Gbêkê region"), contracting authority, donor, contract value in FCFA, contractual and actual duration, joint venture share and before, during and after photos. An interactive map of projects by region adds credibility.
Budget in FCFA and recurring items
A 2026 order of magnitude for an agency working from Abidjan or Dakar.
| Item | Range excl. VAT | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery and sitemap | 450,000 to 800,000 FCFA | Workshop with sales and technical leads |
| Custom design | 900,000 to 1,800,000 FCFA | Corporate identity, project pages |
| Development and CMS | 1,300,000 to 2,600,000 FCFA | Reference database filterable by donor, sector, region |
| Entry of 40 references | 700,000 to 1,400,000 FCFA | Data collection from site managers |
| Professional English translation | 600,000 to 1,200,000 FCFA | Technical and contractual vocabulary |
| Compliance page and documents | 250,000 to 500,000 FCFA | ISO, HSE, integrity policy |
| QA, SEO and launch | 300,000 to 700,000 FCFA | Optimised for 4G |
| Total | 4,500,000 to 9,000,000 FCFA | 8 to 10 weeks |
Recurring: hosting at 300,000 FCFA per year (about EUR 460) on a fast server with backups, and maintenance of 75,000 to 120,000 FCFA per month if the agency adds new projects. A photo and drone shoot on 5 to 8 flagship sites costs an extra 400,000 to 900,000 FCFA, and is often the best visual investment.
Mistakes that cost contracts
Publishing contract values without the client's consent can raise confidentiality issues: validate the list with your legal team. An English version produced by machine translation is spotted instantly by an English-speaking evaluator. And a site not updated for two years suggests the company is no longer active: plan one project news item per month.
Mini case study
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Mr Kouassi, sales director of a 180-employee construction firm in Abidjan, bids on about fifteen donor-funded tenders per year with a 13% success rate, i.e. 2 contracts. The website costs 6,800,000 FCFA plus 300,000 FCFA annual hosting. If the site and its references help the firm join just one more joint venture on a 1,200,000,000 FCFA lot with a 6% net margin, the gain reaches 72,000,000 FCFA (about EUR 110,000). The website then represents less than 10% of the margin on a single additional contract.
FAQ
Does the website really need to be in English?
Yes. On AfDB and World Bank contracts, many evaluators and joint venture partners work in English. Professional translation costs 600,000 to 1,200,000 FCFA, about 13% of the budget.
Can we publish contract values?
Awarded public contracts are generally published, but it is wise to validate each record with the client. An alternative is to show ranges, for example "1 to 5 billion FCFA".
How many references do we need at launch?
Aim for 40 detailed references covering the last 10 years, at least 10 of them donor-funded. Below 15 records, the database looks thin against regional competitors.
Should we display ISO certifications in progress?
Yes, stating clearly the status and planned audit date. Presenting an unobtained certification as granted is a major legal and reputational risk.
Which hosting is fast from both Europe and Africa?
Hosting with a CDN at around 300,000 FCFA per year ensures load times under 3 seconds in Paris, Tunis and Abidjan. Shared hosting at 30,000 FCFA per year is often too slow.
Let's scope your project. Send us your reference list and certifications, and we will price a bilingual, donor-oriented website between 4,500,000 and 9,000,000 FCFA delivered in 8 to 10 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.
