The verdict in three sentences
For a health insurer with 60,000 members in Dublin, a corporate website with a member portal sits between 40,000 and 120,000 EUR on the 2026 market, for 10 to 14 weeks of build and 150 to 600 EUR of hosting per month. The quality of the bids you receive depends almost entirely on the RFP: an approved sitemap, accessibility requirements, rules for health data protection and a scoring grid published with the tender. Inviting 3 to 5 agencies with a 15 to 25 page document is enough to compare genuinely priced proposals.
What the RFP must contain
The head of communications is not buying "a website", she is buying a service for members, healthcare providers and corporate clients. The RFP must say so explicitly.
| RFP section | Expected content | Recommended level of detail |
|---|---|---|
| Context and goals | Key figures (60,000 members, number of corporate schemes, branches), 3 measurable goals | 1 to 2 pages |
| Audiences and journeys | Member, corporate client, partner hospital or pharmacy, job applicant, press | 1 journey per audience, 5 to 8 steps |
| Sitemap | Plans, provider network, member portal, business, news, careers, contact | Full tree to level 2, 30 to 50 pages |
| Member portal | Digital member card, claims tracking, PDF certificates, pre-authorisation requests | List of functions and data sources (policy admin system) |
| Accessibility and performance | Readable on entry-level phones, contrast, text sizes | Measurable targets: WCAG 2.1 AA, page usable in under 3 s on mobile |
| Personal and health data | Hosting, encryption, logging, consent, retention period | Reference to GDPR Article 9 and the Irish Data Protection Act 2018 |
| Operations | Hosting, backups, on-call, knowledge transfer | Expected SLA, for instance 99.5% availability |
On health data, the RFP must require: encryption in transit and at rest, strong authentication for the member portal (SMS code or authenticator app), separation between the public site and claims data, and access logs kept for at least 12 months. It should also ask agencies how they support the data protection impact assessment (DPIA) expected by the Data Protection Commission for this kind of processing.
Budget, timeline and bid scoring grid
2026 benchmarks for Dublin, presented as market estimates:
| Item | 2026 market range | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate site, 30 to 50 pages, CMS | 20,000 to 45,000 EUR | Custom design, Irish language version optional |
| Member portal connected to the policy system | 20,000 to 75,000 EUR | Depends on the API available on the policy system |
| Copywriting and photography | 4,000 to 12,000 EUR | Often underestimated in budgets |
| Hosting and security | 150 to 600 EUR per month | EU cloud region, daily backups |
| Application maintenance | 500 to 2,000 EUR per month | Fixes, updates, small changes |
| Total timeline | 10 to 14 weeks | Excluding tender period (3 to 5 weeks) |
To place the Kolonell grid (Kolonell prices, not market prices): the public site falls under the Premium offer at 2,000,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA (3,050 to 5,340 EUR), the member portal under a medium-complexity custom application at 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR), and maintenance at 75,000 to 120,000 FCFA per month (110 to 180 EUR).
A scoring grid published with the tender prevents choices made on gut feeling:
| Criterion | Suggested weight | What is checked |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding of the need and method | 25% | Restated journeys, realistic plan |
| Comparable references | 20% | At least 2 sites with a logged-in area |
| Security and health data | 20% | Hosting, encryption, incident response plan |
| Price and 3-year total cost | 25% | Build + hosting + maintenance over 36 months |
| Team and local support | 10% | Named project manager, response time |
Mini case study
Siobhan, head of communications at a 60,000-member health insurer in Dublin, handles 1,800 calls per month about certificates or claims status. Each call takes an agent 6 minutes on average, i.e. 180 hours per month.
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Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Illustrative scenario: if the member portal absorbs 40% of these requests, the insurer frees 72 hours per month. At a loaded cost of 38 EUR per hour, the saving is about 2,740 EUR per month, or 32,800 EUR per year. For a total project of 90,000 EUR, payback is close to 3 years on this line alone, before counting member satisfaction and shorter queues. This is a simulation to adjust with your real volumes.
FAQ
How many agencies should be invited for a corporate site?
Three to five agencies are enough. Beyond that, bid analysis takes more than 2 weeks and serious agencies hesitate to answer an overly broad tender.
Should the RFP mandate a technology?
No, mandate outcomes instead: load time under 3 s on mobile, a CMS usable by 2 non-technical staff, a secure connection to the policy system. Mandating a tool reduces competition without guaranteeing quality.
Where should Irish members' health data be hosted?
GDPR allows hosting anywhere in the EU, and transfers outside it require safeguards such as standard contractual clauses. The RFP must ask for the exact server location and backup plan, with hosting at 150 to 600 EUR per month depending on the option.
How do you compare bids with different price structures?
Ask for a 36-month total cost: build, hosting, maintenance and planned changes. A 70,000 EUR bid with 2,000 EUR per month costs more over 3 years than a 90,000 EUR bid with 1,000 EUR per month.
How long between the tender and go-live?
Allow 3 to 5 weeks for the tender and selection, then 10 to 14 weeks of build, i.e. 4 to 5 months in total. A launch tied to an AGM must therefore start at least 6 months ahead.
Let's scope your project. Send us your RFP or sitemap and the number of members involved, and we will price the public site and the member portal within our grid. 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.
