The verdict in three sentences
A municipal website with e-services in the Montreal area costs CAD 80,000 to 250,000 in 2026, including roughly CAD 40,000 to 70,000 for online services (permits, tax payments, service requests). A realistic timeline is 5 to 8 months, including the public call for tenders required above the legal threshold. A precise tender on accessibility, Law 25 privacy compliance and code ownership prevents incomparable bids and costly change orders.
What the tender documents must require
The city clerk of a municipality of 100,000 to 400,000 residents often receives bids ranging from CAD 40,000 to 400,000 for "a website". The gap comes from vague specifications. The requirements below make bids comparable and protect the municipality.
| Requirement | Why | Recommended wording in the tender |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | Seniors, visually impaired residents, legal obligations | Compliance with SGQRI 008 standards (aligned with WCAG 2.1 AA), audit delivered at handover |
| Page weight | Majority of visits on mobile | Home page under 1.5 MB, load under 3 seconds on 4G |
| Hosting and privacy | Residents' personal information | Hosting in Canada, privacy impact assessment under Law 25 |
| Ownership | Avoid lock-in | Source code, access and domain names transferred to the municipality |
| CMS and training | Communications team autonomy | 2 training sessions, admin guide in French |
| Languages | Charter of the French language | French mandatory, English for permitted bilingual content |
| Maintenance | Lifespan | 12 months included, then capped annual rate in the bid |
2026 budget by lot
Splitting the contract into lots lets mid-sized local firms bid and clarifies costs. The figures below are 2026 orders of magnitude before taxes.
| Lot | Scope | Indicative budget (CAD, before taxes) |
|---|---|---|
| Lot 1: institutional site | 60 to 150 pages, news, council meetings, budgets and bylaws published | 60,000 to 140,000 |
| Lot 2: online services | Permit applications, service requests (311), case tracking | 30,000 to 50,000 |
| Lot 2b: tax and fee payments | Card payment, PDF receipts, accounting reconciliation | 10,000 to 20,000 |
| Lot 3: Canadian hosting and security | 3 years, backups, monitoring, penetration test | 12,000 to 25,000 |
| Lot 4: training and maintenance | Staff training, 12 months of support | 10,000 to 20,000 |
| Total for a mid-sized municipality | Full site with e-services | 122,000 to 255,000 |
A municipality that wants to start carefully can tender lot 1 with a conditional option for online services, triggered the following year from the capital budget.
Realistic timeline with the tender process
The procurement process weighs as much as development itself in the schedule.
| Stage | Indicative duration |
|---|---|
| Drafting tender documents and council approval | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Publication on SEAO and bid period | 15 days minimum, often 4 to 5 weeks |
| Evaluation committee and award resolution | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Privacy impact assessment and contract signature | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Design and development | 10 to 14 weeks |
| Testing, training, go-live | 3 to 4 weeks |
In total, 5 to 8 months. Launching the tender in January allows go-live before the autumn tax billing season.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Isabelle, city clerk of a 220,000-resident municipality on the South Shore, awards a CAD 165,000 contract (lots 1, 2 and 3). The citizen service counter handled 2,800 requests a month by phone or in person, at 10 minutes of staff time each. With 45% moving online and processing cut to 4 minutes, the city frees about 130 staff hours a month, worth roughly CAD 80,000 a year at a loaded cost of CAD 52 per hour. The project pays back in about two years on staff time alone, before counting fewer late payments.
FAQ
What budget should a Montreal-area municipality plan for its website?
CAD 80,000 to 250,000 before taxes, including CAD 40,000 to 70,000 for online services. A mid-sized municipality with online payments typically lands between CAD 120,000 and 255,000.
Is a public call for tenders mandatory?
Above the threshold set by the Cities and Towns Act (adjusted periodically, above CAD 100,000), a public call for tenders on SEAO is required. Below it, an invitation to at least two suppliers is generally allowed.
What does Law 25 change for the project?
A privacy impact assessment is required before acquiring a system that processes personal information. Budget CAD 5,000 to 15,000 for it and favour Canadian hosting.
Can residents pay taxes and fees online?
Yes, through a payment gateway with PDF receipts and accounting export. Card processing fees run around 2 to 3% depending on the provider.
How long until go-live?
5 to 8 months in total, including 2 to 3 months of procurement. Development alone takes 10 to 14 weeks.
Let's scope your project. We help your municipality define scope, lots and a realistic budget before you draft the tender, then bid like any other supplier. Detailed scoping note 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.
