The verdict in three sentences
For a holding company with 5 subsidiaries (example: Rabat, Morocco), a multi-site corporate website is budgeted at MAD 250,000 to 700,000 excl. VAT (about EUR 23,000 to 65,000) and delivered in 4 to 6 months. The quality of the tender depends on a structured RFP: multi-site architecture, 3-level editorial governance, security requirements and compliance with data protection law (Law 09-08 in Morocco). A scoring grid of 40% technical, 30% price, 30% references avoids picking the cheapest bid at the expense of long-term reliability.
The 8 sections of a corporate website RFP
A 15 to 25-page RFP is enough. Longer, and agencies answer generically; shorter, and bids become impossible to compare.
| Section | Expected content | Share of budget |
|---|---|---|
| Context and goals | holding, subsidiaries, audiences (investors, talent, press) | no impact |
| Architecture | holding site + 5 subsidiary sub-sites, shared core | 25 to 35% |
| Content | 40 to 80 pages, migration, FR/AR/EN copywriting | 15 to 20% |
| Design | group identity adapted per subsidiary | 15 to 20% |
| CMS and governance | roles, approval workflow, version history | 10 to 15% |
| Integrations | press area, job listings, investor form | 8 to 12% |
| Security and compliance | Law 09-08, CNDP, HTTPS, backups | 5 to 8% |
| Maintenance and SLA | 99.9% uptime, response times | separate contract |
Specify Arabic with right-to-left display in the RFP itself: adding it later often costs 20 to 30% more than planning for it.
Budget by scope: three 2026 scenarios
| Scenario | Scope | Budget excl. VAT | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | 30-page FR/EN holding site, subsidiary pages built in | MAD 250,000 to 350,000 | 4 months |
| Multi-site | holding + 5 sub-sites, FR/AR/EN, editorial workflow | MAD 380,000 to 520,000 | 5 months |
| Full group | multi-site + investor area + interactive annual report | MAD 550,000 to 700,000 | 6 months |
| Annual maintenance | SLA, updates, monitoring | MAD 40,000 to 90,000/year | ongoing |
| Hosting and CDN | servers, backups, certificate | MAD 12,000 to 30,000/year | ongoing |
| Security audit | penetration test before launch | MAD 25,000 to 60,000 | 2 weeks |
3-level editorial governance
What sets a corporate site apart from a brochure site is governance. Without a workflow, a subsidiary publishes an unapproved press release and the holding carries the risk.
| Level | Role | Rights | Target approval time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Subsidiary contributor | writes news and job ads | draft only | n/a |
| 2. Subsidiary communications lead | reviews and approves | publishes on the sub-site | 24 h |
| 3. Holding communications director | approves sensitive content | group publishing, financial releases | 48 h |
| Technical administrator | manages accounts and templates | no editorial rights | n/a |
| Auditor | views history | read only | n/a |
Require in the RFP a version history kept for 24 months and traceability of who published what.
Agency scoring grid
Score each bid out of 100: 40 points for technical quality (architecture, security, CMS, methodology), 30 points for price (formula: score = 30 × lowest bid / bid assessed) and 30 points for references (comparable multi-site projects, a call with a client). Require a 60-minute presentation from the 3 shortlisted agencies.
Mini case study
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Youssef, general secretary of a Rabat holding active in agrifood, logistics and real estate, receives three bids for the multi-site scenario. Agency A: MAD 410,000, technical 34/40, references 24/30. Agency B: MAD 360,000, technical 26/40, references 18/30. Agency C: MAD 495,000, technical 37/40, references 27/30.
Price scores: B gets 30, A 30 × 360/410 = 26.3, C 30 × 360/495 = 21.8. Totals: A 84.3, C 85.8, B 74. The gap between A and C is 1.5 points for a MAD 85,000 difference. Youssef negotiates a two-phase delivery with C and signs at MAD 470,000, with MAD 60,000 of maintenance included in year one.
FAQ
What budget should a holding plan for a corporate website?
Between MAD 250,000 and 700,000 excl. VAT in 2026 (about EUR 23,000 to 65,000) depending on the number of subsidiaries and languages. A 5-subsidiary holding in FR/AR/EN usually lands between MAD 380,000 and 520,000.
How many agencies should we invite?
Five to six agencies in the first round, then three finalists for presentations. Allow 3 weeks to respond and 2 weeks for evaluation.
One site per subsidiary or a single site?
A shared core with sub-sites is the most common compromise: it cuts costs by 30 to 40% compared with 5 standalone sites and keeps the brand consistent.
What are the personal data obligations?
In Morocco, Law 09-08 requires processing to be declared to the CNDP, notably for contact and job application forms. Plan 1 to 2 weeks for this in the schedule.
How long from tender to launch?
Allow 5 to 6 weeks for the tender, then 4 to 6 months of project work. Internal approvals between the holding and subsidiaries are the main source of delay.
Let's scope your project. Send us your subsidiary chart and target languages: we return a structured response matching your grid, with a budget between MAD 250,000 and 700,000 excl. VAT and a 4 to 6-month schedule. 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.
