The verdict in three sentences
For a Mittelstand manufacturer of 300 to 1,500 employees in the Berlin area, a serious group website costs EUR 35,000 to 90,000 excl. VAT depending on the number of brands, languages and integrations. What drives the budget is not design but functional scope: press room, job listings synced with the ATS, sustainability report, brand pages. A precise specification document, written before the agency pitch, avoids 15 to 25 % of change requests during the project.
The three project levels
Mid-sized manufacturers fall into three profiles. The first has a single brand and a mainly domestic audience; the second runs several product brands with significant exports; the third has to aggregate subsidiaries and meet non-financial reporting requirements.
| Criterion | Simple group site | Multi-brand group | International group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of pages | 40 to 60 | 60 to 90 | 90 to 120 |
| Languages | DE + EN | DE + EN + 1 | DE + EN + 2 to 3 |
| Budget excl. VAT (2026 order of magnitude) | EUR 35,000 to 50,000 | EUR 50,000 to 70,000 | EUR 70,000 to 90,000 |
| Headless CMS with roles | EUR 6,000 to 8,000 | EUR 8,000 to 12,000 | EUR 12,000 to 15,000 |
| ATS integration (job listings) | External link | Synced feed | Multi-country feed |
| Timeline | 4 months | 5 to 6 months | 6 to 7 months |
| Monthly support excl. VAT | EUR 800 to 1,200 | EUR 1,200 to 1,800 | EUR 1,800 to 2,500 |
The multilingual premium sits between 20 and 35 % of the base budget: it covers templates, hreflang, translation workflows and per-language testing, not just the translation itself.
The specification: sections that matter
A good specification runs to 15 to 25 pages. It describes audiences, target sitemap, templates, editorial roles and integrations. These are the sections to cost first.
| Section | Expected content | Budget impact excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Brand and product pages | One template per brand, PDF datasheets | EUR 6,000 to 18,000 |
| Sustainability and ESG report | CSRD indicators, animated key figures, downloads | EUR 4,000 to 10,000 |
| Careers | Job family pages, employee stories, ATS feed (Personio, SAP SuccessFactors) | EUR 5,000 to 12,000 |
| Press room | Releases, HD media library, press contacts | EUR 3,000 to 6,000 |
| Approval workflow | Editor, business reviewer, legal, publish | Included in CMS or EUR 2,000 to 4,000 |
| Accessibility (BFSG / WCAG 2.1 AA) | Audit, fixes, statement | EUR 3,000 to 7,000 |
| Hosting and security | CDN, WAF, backups, monitoring | EUR 2,000 to 6,000 per year |
The CSRD is pushing many mid-sized firms to structure ESG indicators in 2026. A data-driven sustainability section (rather than static PDFs) makes annual updates far easier. Germany's Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG), in force since June 2025, also raises the bar on accessibility for customer-facing services.
The typical 4 to 7 month plan
Scoping and workshops with business units: 3 to 5 weeks. UX and UI design: 5 to 7 weeks, including board sign-off. Development and integrations: 8 to 12 weeks. Content production in parallel, often the critical path. Testing, accessibility, translations and launch: 3 to 4 weeks. Avoid launching in late July and August, when reviewers are on holiday and fixes drag on.
Mini case study
Katrin, head of communications at an 850-employee industrial equipment maker in Berlin-Spandau (3 brands, 45 % of revenue from exports), launches the rebuild. Agreed scope: 75 pages, DE, EN and FR, ATS feed, sustainability section. Budget: EUR 62,000 excl. VAT for delivery and EUR 1,500 per month for support, i.e. EUR 80,000 in year one.
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The company currently spends about EUR 38,000 a year on paid job ads for 60 hires. If the careers pages and ATS feed generate 30 % more direct applications and cut that spend by EUR 12,000 a year, the site covers 15 % of its annual cost on that line alone, before counting export sales enquiries.
FAQ
What budget for a mid-sized manufacturer's corporate website in Berlin in 2026?
Plan EUR 35,000 to 90,000 excl. VAT depending on the number of pages (40 to 120), languages and integrations. Support adds EUR 800 to 2,500 per month.
Why choose a headless CMS over WordPress?
A headless CMS (EUR 6,000 to 15,000) separates content from presentation, handles approval roles precisely and reduces the attack surface. Pages typically load in under 1.5 seconds on mobile.
How much does an extra language cost?
Multilingual adds 20 to 35 % to the base budget, excluding translation. For 75 pages, professional translation into one language costs EUR 4,000 to 8,000.
Do we need a formal tender?
For a private company, inviting 3 to 4 agencies against a specification is enough. Allow 4 to 6 weeks between sending the brief and the final choice.
Does the site have to meet accessibility rules?
The BFSG and the European Accessibility Act extend obligations to many customer-facing digital services since 2025. An audit costs EUR 3,000 to 7,000.
Let's scope your project. Share your current sitemap, brands, languages and integrations, and we will cost a EUR 35,000 to 90,000 scope with a 4 to 7 month plan. 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.
