The verdict in three sentences
A poorly written specification produces bids that cannot be compared, from 30,000 to 300,000 GBP for the same need, and a website delivered without editorial governance. For a London public body, the realistic 2026 budget is 60,000 to 150,000 GBP through G-Cloud, with a 3-level approval workflow, WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility as required by the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations, and a 4 to 6 month delivery. The specification must pin down functional requirements, hosting and support (2,500 to 6,000 GBP per month), otherwise run costs become the real hidden expense.
The essential sections of the specification
The head of communications drafting the requirement must describe the current state, the audiences (residents, businesses, partners, media) and the statutory content. Here is the recommended structure, with each lot's weight in the budget.
| Specification section | Expected content | Share of budget | 2026 order of magnitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Context, goals, user needs | Mission, success metrics, GDS-style user research | n/a | Written in-house |
| Discovery and UX design | Information architecture, prototypes, design system | 15 to 20% | 10,000 to 30,000 GBP |
| Build and CMS | Templates, approval workflow, site search | 35 to 45% | 25,000 to 65,000 GBP |
| Official documents and contracts module | Notices, tenders, awards, filterable archive | 10 to 15% | 7,000 to 20,000 GBP |
| WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility and audit | Compliance, accessibility statement | 8 to 12% | 5,000 to 15,000 GBP |
| Content migration and training | Archive migration, training 10 to 20 editors | 8 to 10% | 5,000 to 12,000 GBP |
| Hosting, security, backups (year 1) | UK or EU hosting, Cyber Essentials Plus | 5 to 8% | 4,000 to 10,000 GBP |
Require a priced breakdown following these lots in the call-off: it is the only way to compare bids line by line.
Technical requirements to impose on suppliers
Some requirements must be pass or fail, others scored. The table below proposes a scoring grid suited to a London public body.
| Requirement | Level | How it is checked | Impact if missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-level approval workflow (author, team lead, director) | Pass or fail | Live demo at clarification | Uncontrolled publishing |
| WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility | Pass or fail | Third-party audit on 10 template pages | Legal non-compliance, excluded users |
| UK or EU hosting, data under control | Pass or fail | Host attestation, Cyber Essentials Plus | Data sovereignty risk |
| Multilingual support for community languages | Scored (10 points) | Templates and translation workflow | Excluded residents |
| Mobile performance (LCP under 2.5 s) | Scored (10 points) | Lighthouse on prototype | Mobile visitors drop off |
| 99.9% availability and daily backups | Scored (10 points) | Contract terms and service credits | Extended outages |
| Exit plan and source code handover | Pass or fail | IP clause, open standards | Supplier lock-in |
The GOV.UK Service Standard is a useful reference even for bodies outside central government: it frames user research, open standards and accessibility in terms suppliers already know.
Timeline and support: what the annual budget must include
A project of this size runs 4 to 6 months: 3 to 4 weeks of discovery, 5 to 6 weeks of design, 8 to 10 weeks of build, 3 to 4 weeks of testing and migration. Corrective and evolutive support is contracted at 2,500 to 6,000 GBP per month, depending on the hours of change included (8 to 20 h) and guaranteed response time (4 h to 2 business days). Include it in the same G-Cloud call-off to avoid a second procurement.
Mini case study
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Helen, head of communications at a 150-staff public body in London, has a 110,000 GBP envelope. She selects a 92,000 GBP build (including 11,000 GBP for accessibility and 14,000 GBP for the contracts module) and support at 3,500 GBP per month, so 42,000 GBP per year. Publishing notices and tender documents online removes about 7,000 GBP of yearly print and postage and cuts paper document requests by 70%. Three-year total cost reaches 218,000 GBP, about 6,050 GBP per month for an official channel open around the clock.
FAQ
What budget should a London public body plan for its website?
Budget 60,000 to 150,000 GBP for the build, depending on templates, modules and content volume to migrate. Add 2,500 to 6,000 GBP per month for support.
Why is WCAG 2.2 AA mandatory?
The Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 require it, and the Government Digital Service monitors compliance. A third-party audit on 10 template pages costs 5,000 to 15,000 GBP.
Should we use G-Cloud or an open tender?
G-Cloud lets you award a call-off in 6 to 10 weeks with pre-qualified suppliers. An open procedure under the Procurement Act 2023 often takes 4 to 6 months longer.
How long do procurement and delivery take?
Plan 6 to 10 weeks for procurement and award, then 4 to 6 months for delivery. Launch within 8 months of starting the requirement is realistic.
How do we avoid supplier lock-in?
Require IP assignment on the code, delivery of source code and run documentation. An exit clause with handover within 30 days is the 2026 standard.
Let's scope your project. We help you frame the specification and price your public body website with approval workflow and accessibility, on an indicative budget of 60,000 to 150,000 GBP and a 4 to 6 month 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.
