The verdict in three sentences
For a council or municipal district serving 60,000 residents, a serious redesign costs EUR 25,000 to 60,000 excluding VAT, plus application maintenance of EUR 3,000 to 8,000 per year. Once the contract value passes the national advertising threshold, the tender must be published and a realistic timeline is 5 to 8 months from tender pack to launch. The budget is decided by three items most specifications underestimate: accessibility compliance, connection of online services and content migration.
How much to budget: the 2026 grid by scope
The price of a public sector website depends less on page count than on connected services. A portal that only informs is a different project from one that routes residents to permits, events across several towns, waste collection, childcare and on-demand transport.
| Scope | 2026 budget excl. VAT | Build time | What is included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light redesign (existing CMS kept) | EUR 15,000 to 25,000 | 8 to 12 weeks | New identity, templates, migration of 150 pages |
| Standard redesign | EUR 25,000 to 40,000 | 12 to 16 weeks | Open source CMS, WCAG 2.1 AA target, events, directory |
| Redesign with connected services | EUR 40,000 to 60,000 | 16 to 24 weeks | Online forms, interactive map, open data feeds |
| Shared portal with member towns | EUR 60,000 to 95,000 | 24 to 32 weeks | Satellite sites, multi-entity back office |
| External accessibility audit | EUR 3,500 to 7,000 | 2 to 3 weeks | Sample of 20 pages, report, accessibility statement |
| Annual maintenance | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 | Recurring | Updates, fixes, EU-based hosting |
These are 2026 order-of-magnitude figures seen on comparable tenders. The spread comes mostly from the number of integrations (CRM, booking, national services platforms) and the volume of content to rewrite.
Procurement: thresholds, advertising and timeline
Public procurement rules shape the process. Below the low-value threshold, the authority can request quotes directly but must show value for money. Above it, the contract must be advertised on the national tenders portal, and EU-level rules apply above the EU threshold.
| Stage | Realistic duration | Watch point |
|---|---|---|
| Audit of current site and benchmark | 3 to 5 weeks | Traffic data, most visited journeys |
| Drafting the tender pack | 4 to 6 weeks | Quality/price weighting, explicit accessibility clause |
| Publication and bid submission | 3 to 4 weeks | Give bidders at least 21 days |
| Evaluation, presentations, award | 3 to 4 weeks | Demo with mock-up, transparent scoring |
| Design and development | 12 to 20 weeks | Workshops with departments and towns |
| Testing, accessibility audit, launch | 3 to 5 weeks | Accessibility statement published on day one |
The healthiest weighting on this type of contract remains 60 % quality, 40 % price. A 60 % price criterion attracts EUR 18,000 bids that end in change orders or an inaccessible site.
Requirements to write in black and white
Three points separate a tender that holds from one that drifts. First, accessibility: the EU Web Accessibility Directive applies to public bodies, so require a target (for example 90 % of WCAG criteria met at delivery), an independent audit and a published statement. Second, online services: list the forms to connect (school registration, bin requests, venue booking) and the data exchange format with your back-office software. Third, content migration: 400 existing pages represent 15 to 25 days of work if the agency must rewrite them in plain language.
Add EU hosting, reversibility (full export of content and accounts) and a fix-time commitment in maintenance, for example 48 business hours for a blocking defect.
Mini case study
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Julien, head of communications at a local authority serving 60,000 residents, has EUR 52,000 excluding VAT over two budget years. He splits it: EUR 38,000 for the redesign with four connected services, EUR 5,000 for an external accessibility audit, EUR 9,000 reserved for two years of maintenance at EUR 4,500. With maintenance included, the value exceeds the advertising threshold, so he publishes the tender. Expected result: the switchboard currently takes 1,200 calls a month on recycling centre hours and registrations; a 25 % drop frees about 300 calls, close to 50 staff hours a month at 10 minutes per call.
FAQ
Should maintenance be added to the redesign value when checking the threshold?
Yes, the estimated contract value includes every service in the contract, renewals included. A EUR 32,000 redesign plus three years of maintenance at EUR 4,000 gives EUR 44,000.
Is accessibility really mandatory for a local authority?
Yes, public sector bodies across the EU must meet WCAG 2.1 AA and publish an accessibility statement. Monitoring bodies review public sites every year and can require corrections.
How many bidders can we expect on a EUR 45,000 tender?
Count on 4 to 9 bids at that value in 2026. A precise tender pack, with target sitemap and list of integrations, raises the quality of responses more than their number.
Can we require a specific CMS?
Better to describe functional needs and require a maintained open source CMS, without naming a brand, so competition is not restricted. Do state that rights to custom development are fully assigned to the authority.
What timeline if the council must approve?
Add 3 to 6 weeks depending on the meeting calendar. A project launched in January most often goes live between June and September.
Let's scope your project. Send us your tender pack or scope (page count, services to connect, indicative budget) and we will price an accessible redesign deliverable in 4 to 6 months. 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.
