The verdict in three sentences
An industrial mid-cap corporate website costs between EUR 35,000 and 90,000 excl. VAT in 2026 for 40 to 80 pages in three languages, with a realistic timeline of 4 to 7 months. The quality of the RFP alone explains half the gap between the bids you receive: a vague document produces quotes you cannot compare. A scoring grid weighted 40 % technical, 30 % price, 30 % references, announced in the tender, makes the decision defensible in front of the executive board.
The sections every RFP needs
The head of communications of a 400-employee mid-cap must cover ten sections. Each one reduces agency uncertainty, and therefore their safety margins.
| Section | Expected content | Budget impact |
|---|---|---|
| Context and goals | Audiences (customers, candidates, investors), 12-month KPIs | Low, but shapes everything else |
| Target sitemap | 40 to 80 pages, identified templates | 1 extra template: EUR 1,500 to 3,000 |
| Languages | DE, EN, FR or ES, translation process | 20 to 30 % extra per integrated language |
| CMS and editorial workflow | Roles, 2-level approval, licences | Headless licence EUR 0 to 15,000 a year |
| Integrations | ATS job feed, CRM, product catalogue | EUR 3,000 to 15,000 depending on APIs |
| Accessibility | WCAG 2.1 AA, audit included | EUR 2,500 to 6,000 |
| Security and hosting | CSP headers, 99.9 % SLA, EU hosting | EUR 1,800 to 6,000 a year |
| Planning and governance | Milestones, monthly steering committee | Neutral if clear, costly if missing |
Budget by line for a 400-employee mid-cap
| Line | 40 pages, 2 languages | 80 pages, 3 languages |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping, UX, sitemap | EUR 5,000 | EUR 9,000 |
| Art direction and mock-ups | EUR 8,000 | EUR 16,000 |
| Development and headless CMS | EUR 12,000 | EUR 32,000 |
| Integrations (ATS, CRM) | EUR 3,000 | EUR 12,000 |
| Content, factory photos, translation | EUR 5,000 | EUR 14,000 |
| Accessibility and QA | EUR 2,000 | EUR 7,000 |
| Total project | EUR 35,000 | EUR 90,000 |
| Yearly run (licence, hosting, maintenance) | EUR 4,000 | EUR 22,000 |
Photos and video of production sites are the most frequently forgotten item. A one-day shoot at a plant costs EUR 3,000 to 6,000.
The 40/30/30 scoring grid
Publish the grid in the tender document. Agencies then calibrate their answer to your priorities.
| Criterion | Weight | Sub-criteria scored out of 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Technical value | 40 % | Architecture, performance, accessibility, security, method |
| Price | 30 % | Project cost, 3-year run cost, clarity of pricing |
| References | 30 % | Comparable industrial projects, similar-size firms, client interviews |
Limit the tender to 4 or 5 agencies, allow 3 weeks to respond and hold a 90-minute pitch with the team actually assigned to the project.
Mini case study
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Julia, head of communications at a 400-employee filtration equipment manufacturer in Berlin-Spandau, receives four bids. Agency A: EUR 52,000, technical 7/10, references 8/10. Agency B: EUR 41,000, technical 5/10, references 6/10. Scoring price in proportion to the cheapest bid, A gets 0.4 × 7 + 0.3 × 7.9 + 0.3 × 8 = 7.57, and B 0.4 × 5 + 0.3 × 10 + 0.3 × 6 = 6.8. Agency A wins despite costing EUR 11,000 more, and the board signs off in one meeting because everyone knew the grid in advance.
FAQ
How many pages should a mid-cap corporate site have?
Between 40 and 80 pages in most cases: group, business lines, markets, careers, ESG, news. Beyond 80 pages, a product catalogue is a separate project.
Is a headless CMS essential?
No, but it makes multilingual publishing and multi-channel content easier. Licences range from EUR 0 (open source) to EUR 15,000 a year for enterprise plans.
What timeline for an 80-page corporate site?
Allow 6 to 7 months, including 6 to 8 weeks of scoping and mock-ups. A 40-page, two-language project can fit in 4 months if content is ready.
Should we require WCAG compliance?
The European Accessibility Act has made the AA level a standard in tenders. The extra cost is between EUR 2,500 and 6,000.
How many agencies should we invite?
Four to five. Beyond that, analysis time exceeds 10 person-days on the client side for a marginal price gain.
Let's scope your project. Share your RFP or brief and we will reply with a line-by-line estimate, a milestone plan and the composition of the dedicated team. 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.
