Public Sector Website Tender Guide: Dublin 2026

The verdict in three sentences

A local authority citizen portal is budgeted at 40,000 to 120,000 EUR excl. VAT in 2026, excluding 3 years of application support and maintenance. Bid quality depends mostly on the specification: a 60% quality / 40% price weighting, verifiable WCAG 2.1 AA requirements and clearly specified EU-sovereign hosting. Plan 6 to 8 weeks for the tender and 6 to 9 months of project between award and go-live.

Which procedure and budget for a local authority portal

Below the EU thresholds (around 221,000 EUR excl. VAT for sub-central authorities in 2026, order of magnitude), national below-threshold procedures leave a lot of freedom in form. Above them, a full open or restricted procedure published in the EU Official Journal is required. For a citizen portal, the total value includes the initial build and the support contract: that combined figure determines the procedure.

A portal for a council area with online services, a shared events calendar and mapping usually falls between 60,000 and 90,000 EUR excl. VAT for the initial build.

Writing a specification that attracts strong bids

Qualified agencies rarely bid on vague tenders or those where price weighs 60% or more. A clear tender pack also narrows price gaps between bidders, often 1 to 3 on poorly scoped contracts.

Four elements make the difference: a quantified inventory of existing content, the list of connectors (online services, GIS, shared calendar), an exit requirement with full data export, and an oral presentation by the three top-ranked bidders.

Typical timeline from tender to launch

Accessibility is a legal obligation for public bodies under the EU Web Accessibility Directive, transposed in Ireland by S.I. 358/2020: an accessibility statement must be published and monitoring reports are submitted to the national authority.

Mini case study

Aoife, communications officer at a local authority serving 180,000 residents in the Dublin area, is preparing a tender to replace a 2016 portal. Her estimate: 72,000 EUR for the build, 6,000 EUR a year for sovereign hosting and 12,000 EUR a year for support, so 126,000 EUR over 3 years.

By moving the price weighting from 60% to 40%, and attaching an 820-page content inventory, she receives 7 bids instead of 3 in the previous round, with the price gap narrowed from 1 to 2.8 down to 1 to 1.6. The winning bid at 68,500 EUR includes a third-party WCAG audit, saving 8,000 EUR compared with an audit commissioned separately.

FAQ

Can we require a specific CMS in the tender?

Naming a brand without the words « or equivalent » is generally not allowed. It is better to express functional requirements: approval workflow, multi-site, data export.

How long should the support contract run?

Three years, possibly renewable once, is the norm. It often represents 30 to 50% of the initial build cost.

Is sovereign hosting mandatory?

It is not imposed on every authority, but it is strongly recommended for resident data under GDPR. Budget 200 to 750 EUR a month depending on certification level.

Do we need an external accessibility audit?

Yes, an independent audit on a sample of 20 to 30 pages costs 4,000 to 8,000 EUR. It secures the accessibility statement.

Can an agency outside Ireland bid?

Yes, EU procurement rules forbid geographic preference. Simply plan video meetings and 2 to 3 on-site workshops.

Let's scope your project. We can review your tender documents, price a WCAG 2.1 AA citizen portal and propose a realistic schedule before publication. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.