The verdict in three sentences
Rebuilding the website of a municipal or metropolitan authority serving 120,000 residents costs 40,000 to 120,000 EUR excl. VAT in 2026, plus 8,000 to 20,000 EUR per year of application maintenance. In France, below 221,000 EUR, a simplified (adapted) procedure is enough, and comparable thresholds exist across the EU and in many African procurement codes, which leaves room to negotiate if the technical specification is precise on accessibility, online services and hosting. From tender launch to go-live, the realistic timeline is 6 to 9 months.
What the budget must cover
A local government website is a digital public service. It carries municipal news, events, online services and sometimes satellite sites (tourism office, libraries, conservatory). The gap between 40,000 and 120,000 EUR comes mainly from the number of templates, the connectors to business software and the volume of content migration.
| Lot or item | 2026 range (EUR excl. VAT) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Audit, user workshops, sitemap | 4,000 to 12,000 | Include elected officials, staff and residents |
| Design and digital guidelines | 8,000 to 20,000 | Accessible templates from the mockup stage |
| CMS build and 15 to 30 templates | 15,000 to 45,000 | Open-source CMS common (Drupal, WordPress) or headless |
| Online services and connectors | 5,000 to 25,000 | Forms, appointment booking, online payment, family portal |
| Content migration | 3,000 to 10,000 | 500 to 2,000 pages to sort |
| Accessibility audit and fixes | 3,000 to 8,000 | Published accessibility statement |
| Editor training | 2,000 to 5,000 | 20 to 60 staff depending on governance |
Application maintenance then covers security updates, bug fixes, small changes and support: 8,000 to 20,000 EUR per year depending on included development days. For African municipalities, the same scope often lands 30% to 50% lower when built by a regional agency, with payment possible in FCFA.
Procedure, accessibility and hosting: the clauses that matter
The procedure determines the timeline. The amount compared to the threshold is the total estimated contract value, including maintenance over its full term: a 90,000 EUR project with 4 years of maintenance at 15,000 EUR reaches 150,000 EUR and stays in the simplified procedure in France.
| Topic | Requirement to write into the specification | Price impact |
|---|---|---|
| Procedure | Simplified below 221,000 EUR in France, formal tender above | Negotiation possible |
| Accessibility | WCAG 2.1 AA (RGAA in France, EN 301 549 in the EU), audit, statement | +5% to 10% of development |
| Hosting | Data in-country or in the EU, EU-law provider, backups | 150 to 600 EUR per month |
| Availability | 99.9% minimum, on-call during crises (weather, elections) | Included in maintenance |
| Reversibility | Code and content handed back, open-source CMS, documentation | Lowers future cost |
| Eco-design | Page weight limits, eco-design guidelines | Neutral to +5% |
| Scoring criteria | Technical value 50% to 60%, price 30% to 40%, CSR 10% | Drives bid quality |
Accessibility is not optional for a public body. The EU Web Accessibility Directive applies to all member-state public sector websites, and a non-compliant site excludes part of the population, especially seniors and visually impaired residents.
A 6 to 9 month timeline
Typical breakdown: 1 to 2 months preparing the tender documents, 1 month of publication and bid analysis, 1 month of scoping with the winning bidder, 2 to 4 months of design and development, 1 month of acceptance testing with an accessibility audit. Avoid targeting a launch in the weeks before an election: institutional communication is regulated during that period.
Mini case study
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Nathalie, head of communications for a 120,000-resident metropolitan authority, estimates her project at 85,000 EUR plus 14,000 EUR per year of maintenance over 4 years, i.e. 141,000 EUR total value, under the simplified procedure. The site puts 12 services online. If they avoid 6,000 counter visits and 9,000 phone calls per year, at an average of 12 minutes of staff time, they free up 3,000 hours. Valued at a 30 EUR loaded hourly cost, the gain reaches 90,000 EUR per year, covering the initial investment in under a year (2026 order of magnitude).
FAQ
How much does a website for a 120,000-resident municipality cost?
Expect 40,000 to 120,000 EUR excl. VAT for the rebuild, plus 8,000 to 20,000 EUR per year of maintenance. Online services and connectors explain most of the gap.
Is a formal tender required?
In France, not below 221,000 EUR of total estimated value: a simplified procedure is enough. Remember to include maintenance over the full contract term in the calculation.
Is accessibility mandatory?
Yes, for public sector websites across the EU, with a published accessibility statement. A compliance audit usually costs 3,000 to 8,000 EUR.
Where should the site be hosted?
With an EU-law provider and data in-country or in the EU, for 150 to 600 EUR per month depending on monitoring. Require 99.9% uptime and on-call support during crises.
How long does it take?
6 to 9 months from tender preparation to go-live. Design and development alone take 2 to 4 months.
Let's scope your project. Share your population, priority online services and timeline, and we will help estimate the budget, structure the specification and price 4 years of maintenance. 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.
