The verdict in three sentences
A corporate website redesign is won or lost when the RFP is written: a vague brief produces quotes that cannot be compared, from 30,000 to 110,000 USD for what should be the same scope. Good practice in 2026 is to invite 5 to 8 agencies over 6 weeks, with a weighted scoring grid of 40% technical, 30% price, 30% references published up front. A communications director who follows this frame chooses on evidence, not on the slickest pitch.
What the RFP must contain
The ideal document runs 15 to 25 pages. Longer and agencies skim it; shorter and they fill the gaps with their own assumptions, which is exactly why prices diverge. These are the essential sections for an 800-employee company with several plants or offices and steady hiring.
| Section | Expected content | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Context and goals | 3 to 5 measurable goals (applications, sales enquiries, reputation) | vague goals such as modernise |
| Audiences | customers, candidates, investors, press, regulators | forgetting candidates, often 40% of traffic |
| Current structure | page count, last 12 months of analytics | withholding traffic data |
| Functional scope | news, job listings, press room, locations map | mixing must-haves and nice-to-haves |
| Technical constraints | preferred CMS, hosting, SSO, WCAG 2.1 AA | imposing a technology without a reason |
| Editorial governance | number of editors, approval workflow | underestimating multi-level sign-off |
| Content migration | volume, who writes, who translates | leaving it implicit |
| Budget and timeline | budget range, launch date | hiding the budget, which skews bids |
Stating a budget range does not weaken your negotiating position. It lets agencies propose what they can genuinely deliver within the envelope and screens out those operating in a different league.
The weighted scoring grid
Publish the grid inside the RFP. It protects the buyer against the best-presentation bias and makes the decision easy to defend in front of the executive team or procurement.
| Criterion | Weight | Sub-criteria scored out of 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Technical value | 40% | understanding of the brief, method, architecture, accessibility, migration SEO |
| Price | 30% | 3-year total cost (build, hosting, maintenance), clarity of pricing |
| References | 30% | 2 to 3 comparable live sites, reachable client contacts, team stability |
| Pass or fail gate | yes or no | GDPR compliance, code ownership and portability, content ownership |
For price, the most common formula gives full marks to the cheapest bid and scores the others pro rata: score = 30 × (lowest price / bid price). A 72,000 USD bid against a lowest bid of 48,000 USD therefore scores 20 out of 30.
Timeline and budgets seen in 2026
Six weeks is enough for a serious selection, provided diaries are blocked in advance.
| Week | Step | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RFP sent to 5 to 8 agencies | acknowledgements, written questions |
| 2 | answers shared with every agency | Q&A document |
| 3 and 4 | agencies write proposals | written, priced proposals |
| 5 | pitches from 3 shortlisted agencies | individual panel scores |
| 6 | negotiation and award | award letter |
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
On budget, 2026 ballpark figures for a 40 to 80 page corporate site with CMS, several languages and accessibility work are: regional UK agency 20,000 to 40,000 GBP, mid-size US agency 45,000 to 80,000 USD, large network agency 80,000 to 110,000 USD and up. Hosting and maintenance come on top, often 300 to 1,500 USD a month. In continental Europe, French agencies quote around 25,000 to 90,000 EUR excluding VAT for the same scope.
Where does Kolonell fit? A full corporate site for a mid-size company, with an editorial workflow, hardened security and HRIS or CRM integrations, is priced on quotation after reading your RFP. For simpler scopes, such as a subsidiary site or a product microsite, the standard grid applies: Starter 800,000 to 1,200,000 FCFA (1,220 to 1,830 EUR), Growth 1,200,000 to 2,000,000 FCFA (1,830 to 3,050 EUR), Premium 2,000,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA (3,050 to 5,340 EUR). Languages are set in the quote.
Mini case study
Mark, communications director of an 800-employee manufacturer near Manchester, receives three final bids: A at 30,000 GBP, B at 41,000 GBP, C at 58,000 GBP. Technical scores out of 40: A 26, B 35, C 37. Reference scores out of 30: A 18, B 25, C 27.
Price scores out of 30: A 30, B 30 × 30,000 / 41,000 = 22.0, C 30 × 30,000 / 58,000 = 15.5. Totals: A 74 points, B 82 points, C 79.5 points. Agency B wins although it was neither the cheapest nor the most prestigious. Mark defends the choice in a one-page memo to the CFO, and the 17,000 GBP gap with C funds two years of maintenance.
FAQ
How many agencies should we invite? Between 5 and 8 for the first round, then 3 for pitches. Beyond 8, panel review time exceeds 40 hours without improving the decision.
Should we pay for creative work at the pitch stage? Yes, if you require design concepts, budget a fee of 2,000 to 4,000 USD per agency. Otherwise, ask for a method note and references instead.
Should the budget appear in the RFP? Yes, as a range. Bids become comparable and the spread between quotes often narrows from 1 to 3 down to 1 to 1.5.
How long from agency award to launch? Allow 4 to 6 months for a 40 to 80 page site with content migration and an approval workflow. Client-side content delivery is the number one cause of delay.
How do we check references? Call at least 2 named clients and ask three questions: on budget, on time, and quality of post-launch support. Refusing to share a contact is a red flag.
Let's scope your project. Send us your RFP or brief and we will reply with a method, a 4 to 6 month plan and a line-by-line estimate. 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.
