The verdict in three sentences
For a public sector and government advisory practice in St Peter Port, the website is part of your bid file: procurement officers check it for accessibility, data handling, credentials and discretion before they shortlist you. A Guernsey agency (typical 2026 quotes of £8,000 to £22,000) earns its fee when you want regular in-person reviews, local photography and a supplier who understands island procurement habits from the inside. A remote studio (Kolonell: £2,300 Starter, £3,900 Growth, £6,900 Premium) is enough when your practice can describe its services precisely and needs a fast, accessible, well-structured site, with delivery in 3 to 4 weeks.
What do public sector buyers check on an advisory firm's site?
A Guernsey advisory practice typically works for the States of Guernsey and its committees, the wider Bailiwick including Alderney, other Crown Dependency governments, UK local authorities and arm's length bodies, regulators and charities. Engagements cover policy reviews, service redesign, programme assurance, public finance and governance reviews. Buyers rarely hire on a website alone, but they use it to confirm what the proposal claims.
| What buyers check | Why it matters to them | Who delivers it better |
|---|---|---|
| Accessible pages (WCAG 2.2 AA), readable PDFs | Public bodies must serve all users and expect suppliers to match | Either, if tested and written into the contract |
| Team profiles with relevant public sector experience | Confirms the named team in the bid | Either; local photographer in both cases |
| Clear service lines and methodology | Shows you understand assurance, governance, redesign | Whoever writes best with your input |
| Anonymised case studies, approved by clients | Evidence without breaching confidentiality | Either, with a draft and approval workflow |
| Privacy notice and data handling | Buyers check you treat personal data properly | Either; must be documented |
| Conflict of interest and independence statement | Key for assurance and review work | Your content; provider just publishes it clearly |
| Capability statement download | Reused directly in evaluations | Either; must be an accessible PDF |
Almost nothing in that list depends on where the provider sits. It depends on process, testing and your own content.
When is a Guernsey agency clearly the better choice?
- You want in-person workshops with several directors, or the site is part of a rebrand.
- You expect regular photo or video work at events and client premises on the island.
- A public client values on-island suppliers for its own reasons, and your web supplier may be visible in your bid.
- You want one supplier to handle print, report design and event materials for public consultations.
A remote studio is enough when the brand exists, the site has 10 to 20 pages, and the priority is an accessible, credible site with insights and a capability statement. Kolonell built the site of TR Signing Group, a US signing services company, as an example of a professional services site where clarity and trust come first.
What do the options cost over three years?
Ballpark figures for 2026, from typical agency quotes and public rate pages in the Channel Islands and the UK, excluding taxes. Maintenance after the first months is a market assumption applied to each column. An independent accessibility audit is advisable for public sector work whoever builds the site.
| Item | Guernsey agency | UK mainland agency | Remote studio (Kolonell Growth) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design and build | £8,000 to £22,000 | £10,000 to £25,000 | £3,900 |
| Native English copywriting | Often £1,000 to £3,000 extra | Often £1,000 to £3,000 extra | Included |
| Independent accessibility audit | £1,000 to £2,500 | £1,000 to £2,500 | £1,000 to £2,500 |
| Travel for meetings | £0 | £600 to £1,200 | £0 |
| Maintenance months 4 to 36 (market assumption, £100 to £220/month) | £3,300 to £7,260 | £3,300 to £7,260 | Kolonell: on quote (assumption £3,300 to £7,260) |
| Indicative 3-year total | £13,300 to £34,760 | £15,900 to £38,960 | £8,200 to £13,660 |
If you also serve French-speaking public bodies or international organisations, Premium at £6,900 is the multilingual tier, with languages set in the quote. Each tier's scope is on the international offer page.
Which questions and rules should guide your choice?
Ask every provider:
- Will the domain, hosting and code be registered to our company, in writing, before the first payment?
- How will you handle enquiry data under The Data Protection (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2017, overseen by the Office of the Data Protection Authority? Where is it hosted, and for how long?
- Which accessibility standard do you test against, with which tools, and will you publish an accessibility statement?
- Can you produce accessible PDFs for capability statements and reports?
- Can case studies and team pages stay in draft until clients and staff approve?
- Who is the named contact, available in Guernsey working hours, and how are changes after launch priced?
For UK clients, note that UK public bodies are bound by the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018; they apply to the bodies themselves, not to you, but they shape what their buyers expect. CRM or bid management tool integration is on quote with Kolonell. This is not legal advice.
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Mini case study
Illustrative example. Gareth leads Havelet Public Advisory (fictitious), five consultants in St Peter Port. A framework submission is due in 7 weeks and his current site is not accessible.
Timeline test: a local agency proposes launch in 12 weeks, after the deadline. Kolonell Growth delivers in 3 to 4 weeks, which leaves 3 weeks for an independent accessibility audit and fixes.
Cost test: Growth at £3,900, plus £1,800 for the audit, plus £700 for team photos, so £6,400. The local quote is £14,500 with the same audit and photos added, so £17,000. A typical call-off under the framework would be worth around £40,000 to his practice, so meeting the deadline matters more than the £10,600 difference. He goes remote for the site and books a local agency for the design of his annual public report.
FAQ
Does a remote studio understand public sector expectations?
It can if you brief it on what buyers check; the table above is a good starting brief. Plan 2 to 3 hours of your time to review service and methodology pages.
How long does each option take?
Kolonell delivers in 3 to 4 weeks once inputs are ready. Local and mainland agencies commonly plan 8 to 14 weeks, plus any audit time.
Do we need an accessibility statement?
For a firm bidding into public bodies, it is strongly advisable: it shows the standard tested (for example WCAG 2.2 AA), known issues and a contact. Writing one takes about 1 to 2 hours once an audit is done.
Which law governs personal data on a Guernsey site?
The Data Protection (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2017. Document the purpose and retention of form data, for example deleting unconverted enquiries after 12 months.
Which tier suits a public sector advisory practice?
Growth at £3,900 suits most single-language practices with insights and a capability statement. Premium at £6,900 is the multilingual tier, with languages set in the quote.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your pages, bid deadlines and accessibility needs, and we will return a fixed price from £2,300 with a 3 to 4 week plan. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
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.