Public sector website tender with accessibility requirements: cost in Amsterdam in 2026

The verdict in three sentences

The website of a regional authority grouping 22 municipalities around Amsterdam costs between EUR 25,000 and 60,000 in 2026, the gap coming mostly from the number of online services and connectors to back-office software. Accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1 AA under the EU Web Accessibility Directive) is a legal duty for public bodies, with an independent audit of EUR 3,000 to 6,000 to budget separately. A well-built tender, with price 40 / quality 60 weighting and outcome-based specifications, protects the chief executive from abnormally low bids and change orders.

2026 budget: what drives the price

The estimated value determines the procedure. Below the EU services threshold for sub-central authorities (EUR 221,000 in 2024-2025, revised every two years), national rules apply, often a multiple-quote procedure. Most intermunicipal websites therefore fall under a national procedure with publication on the national tender platform (TenderNed in the Netherlands).

Add sovereign hosting (EU-based provider, data in the EU, daily backups) at EUR 1,200 to 4,000 per year, and 3-year maintenance, generally EUR 6,000 to 15,000 per year depending on hours and on-call coverage.

Accessibility: obligations and real cost

The EU directive requires public bodies to have an accessible website, a published accessibility statement, a monitoring mechanism and a feedback channel. In the Netherlands, the statement must be registered and the compliance status is publicly visible. WCAG 2.1 AA has 50 success criteria; 100% compliance is rare, but more than 75% at launch is a reasonable contractual target.

The classic trap: the agency declares the site compliant based on its own test. Require an audit by a provider separate from the winning bidder, paid by the authority, with fixes at the contractor's expense.

Lotting, criteria and specification traps

Lotting is the norm in public procurement. For an intermunicipal website, three lots work well: lot 1 design and build, lot 2 hosting and maintenance, lot 3 accessibility audit. Separating the audit guarantees independence; separating hosting eases reversibility.

For technical value (60%), split into scored sub-criteria: methodology and schedule (20%), understanding of residents' needs (15%), accessibility and performance (15%), reversibility and security (10%). Recurring specification traps: imposing a proprietary CMS without a data export clause, forgetting the websites of the 22 member municipalities (shared or not), not setting fix deadlines (blocking within 4 hours, major within 2 days), and overlooking GDPR on forms (retention periods, notices).

Mini case study

Anneke, chief executive of a regional authority covering 22 municipalities and 48,000 residents near Amsterdam, prepares a tender. Estimate: lot 1 at EUR 38,000 with 12 online services, lot 2 at EUR 9,000 per year over 3 years, or EUR 27,000, lot 3 accessibility audit at EUR 4,500. Total 3-year cost: 38,000 + 27,000 + 4,500 = EUR 69,500.

On the gain side, the 12 digital services cover about 6,000 requests per year currently handled by phone or at the counter, at 12 minutes on average. If 50% move online and save 8 minutes of data entry each, the gain is 3,000 x 8 = 24,000 minutes, or 400 staff hours per year, about 0.25 FTE redeployed to front desk or case follow-up.

FAQ

Do we need an EU-wide procedure?

Rarely: an intermunicipal website between EUR 25,000 and 60,000, even with 3 years of maintenance, usually stays below the EU threshold. Add up every year of maintenance to compute the estimated contract value.

Which price and quality weighting should we choose?

A 40 / 60 ratio is common for digital projects. It limits low-ball bids without making price secondary, provided the technical sub-criteria are detailed.

How many agencies bid on average?

For a clear tender published for 30 days, expect 5 to 10 bids. Vague specifications or an undisclosed budget drop that number to 2 or 3.

Can we host with a US cloud provider?

It is not formally forbidden, but public sector guidance favours providers subject only to EU law. An EU host costs EUR 1,200 to 4,000 per year and simplifies the GDPR assessment.

What happens if the site is not accessible?

The authority faces complaints, monitoring reports and reputational exposure, and in several EU countries fines. Hence the value of a fix clause at the contractor's expense after the audit.

Let's scope your project. Share your number of online services and member municipalities: we help you estimate your tender between EUR 25,000 and 60,000 and frame realistic specifications. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.