The verdict in three sentences
A health insurer website RFP must first describe three critical blocks: the premium quote calculator, the SSO connection to the existing member portal and WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility. For a regional insurer with 85,000 members in London, a realistic budget sits between £52,000 and £120,000 (excl. VAT), over 6 to 9 months. A vague document on health data hosting or on calculator scope makes bids diverge wildly, sometimes by a factor of three.
The seven chapters of an RFP that returns comparable bids
The marketing director writing the document wants consistent answers above all. Agencies price what they read: every grey area becomes an assumption, and every assumption becomes a price gap. The RFP must set the context (number of members, product ranges, acquisition channels), measurable goals (for example +30 % online quote requests) and a detailed functional scope.
| Chapter | Expected content | Weight in pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Context and goals | 85,000 members, 4 plans, target KPIs | Low |
| Sitemap and templates | 40 to 80 pages, 8 to 12 templates | 10 to 15 % |
| Premium quote calculator | Pricing rules, ages, schemes, add-ons | 15 to 20 % |
| Member portal and SSO | Protocol (SAML, OpenID Connect), existing vendor | 10 to 15 % |
| Accessibility | WCAG 2.2 AA, audit and statement | 8 to 12 % |
| Hosting and security | UK GDPR special category data, DR plan, backups | 10 to 15 % |
| CMS and content | CMS, approval workflow, migration | 15 to 20 % |
Also state what is out of scope: rebuilding the member portal itself, a mobile app, a connector to the policy administration system. Without that list, a cautious agency will price everything and another will price nothing.
2026 budget: where the £52,000 to £120,000 goes
The budget gap comes mostly from calculator complexity and hosting choices. A calculator showing three plans by age stays simple. A calculator reproducing the full rating grid (age bands, postcode, dependants, dental and optical add-ons) requires functional testing with the actuarial team.
| Item | Low range | High range |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery, workshops, UX | £5,000 | £12,000 |
| UI design and design system | £7,000 | £15,500 |
| CMS and template development | £15,500 | £34,000 |
| Premium quote calculator | £8,500 | £21,000 |
| SSO to the member portal | £4,300 | £10,000 |
| WCAG AA audit and fixes | £3,500 | £8,500 |
| Secure hosting for health data (year one) | £3,500 | £10,000 |
| Content migration and testing | £4,200 | £9,000 |
The health data point deserves a clear decision in the RFP. If the site collects health data (medical questionnaire, supporting documents), it is special category data under UK GDPR and calls for hardened hosting, a DPIA and stricter controls. If the calculator only asks for age, postcode and scheme, standard secure hosting is enough and saves several thousand pounds a year. These amounts are 2026 orders of magnitude seen on comparable projects.
Realistic timeline and selection criteria
A 6 to 9 month timeline seems long, but it includes sign-offs from compliance, the DPO and the actuarial team. Write these milestones into the document so agencies plan for them.
| Phase | Indicative duration | Internal sign-off |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery and workshops | 4 to 6 weeks | Marketing director |
| UX and wireframes | 6 to 8 weeks | Steering committee |
| Development | 10 to 14 weeks | IT |
| Calculator and pricing tests | 4 to 6 weeks | Actuarial |
| Accessibility and security audit | 3 to 4 weeks | DPO, CISO |
| Go-live and hypercare | 2 to 4 weeks | Executive board |
For scoring, a 40 % price, 40 % technical value and 20 % methodology weighting works well. Ask for a mock-up of one key page and a demo of a calculator already delivered: it is the best filter against generic answers.
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Mini case study
Emma, marketing director of a regional health insurer in London, first receives four bids between £45,000 and £142,000 on a 6-page brief. She rewrites the RFP to 22 pages, details the pricing rules (12 age bands, 3 schemes, 4 add-ons) and states that the calculator collects no health data. Second round: three bids between £76,000 and £90,000, cutting the spread from 216 % to 18 %. Choosing standard secure hosting saves about £5,000 a year. With a target of 1,200 extra online quotes a year and a 15 % conversion rate, the insurer aims for 180 new members, at an average premium of £780 a year, about £140,000 in premiums in year one.
FAQ
How long should a health insurer website RFP be?
Between 15 and 30 pages for a regional insurer. Below 10 pages, the spread between bids often exceeds 100 %, which makes comparison impossible.
Do we need special hosting for a health insurer website?
Only if the site processes health data, which is special category data under UK GDPR. A calculator asking only for age and postcode avoids an extra £3,500 to £10,000 a year.
Is WCAG 2.2 AA required for a health insurer?
The Equality Act 2010 requires reasonable adjustments, and WCAG 2.2 AA is the accepted benchmark in the UK. Budget £3,500 to £8,500 for the audit and fixes.
Should we rebuild the member portal at the same time?
Rarely. SSO to the existing portal costs £4,300 to £10,000, against £70,000 or more for a full portal rebuild.
How long between publishing the RFP and going live?
Allow 6 to 8 weeks of tendering, then 6 to 9 months of project. A January launch means publishing the document the previous spring.
Let's scope your project. Send us your RFP or scope (calculator, SSO, accessibility, hosting) and we will return an itemised estimate with a realistic timeline. 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.
