The verdict in three sentences
A website for a UK council serving around 40,000 residents is typically bought through G-Cloud or a below-threshold tender for GBP 22,000 to GBP 52,000, depending on the number of online services and parish or town sites involved. The most robust weighting remains 50 % quality, 40 % price, 10 % timeline, provided that price covers 4 years of support. WCAG 2.2 AA is not optional: it must be required, audited and priced in the bid.
What a council website really costs
The head of communications must first estimate the need to choose the route and avoid a failed procurement. Here are 2026 orders of magnitude seen on councils of 20,000 to 60,000 residents.
| Item | 2026 range (GBP, ex VAT) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery, UX and designs | 4,500 to 10,500 | Workshops with members and services, 2 to 3 iterations |
| CMS build and templates | 9,000 to 22,000 | 15 to 25 templates, search, events |
| Online service integrations | 2,500 to 8,500 | 3 to 6 services (waste, council tax, planning, licensing) |
| WCAG 2.2 AA audit and fixes | 2,500 to 5,000 | Sample of 15 to 20 pages, accessibility statement |
| Content migration | 1,800 to 4,500 | 150 to 400 pages from the old site |
| Editor training | 900 to 1,800 | 2 sessions for 10 to 20 staff |
| Support and hosting over 4 years | 7,000 to 17,000 | That is GBP 1,750 to GBP 4,250 a year |
G-Cloud lets the council call off a supplier without a full open tender, but the evaluation should still be documented with the same rigour.
The scoring grid that selects the right suppliers
A 50/40/10 weighting is not enough on its own: break it into sub-criteria so the evaluation is defensible if challenged.
| Criterion | Weight | Sub-criteria | Expected document |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | 50 % | Method (15 pts), accessibility (15 pts), mobile UX (10 pts), security and hosting (10 pts) | Technical response of 20 pages maximum |
| Price | 40 % | Total price including build and 4 years of support | Completed pricing schedule, no blank lines |
| Timeline | 10 % | Overall duration and acceptance milestones | Week-by-week plan |
| Quality threshold | Pass/fail | Quality score below 25 out of 50 | Reasoned evaluation report |
| Presentation | Optional | 3 bidders maximum, 45 minutes | Demo of a delivered site |
The quality threshold stops a very low but technically weak bid from winning on price alone.
Mistakes that derail the contract
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- Support not priced over 4 years: the supplier then bills every fix on a day rate of GBP 500 to GBP 700. Require an annual fixed fee in the pricing schedule.
- No acceptance milestones: plan three sign-offs (designs, staging build, post-launch verification) with 10 working days each.
- Vague online services: list the 3 to 6 services, the back-office software vendor and the expected integration method.
- Forgotten town and parish sites: if 5 towns want their own version, price it as an option at GBP 1,800 to GBP 3,500 each.
- Ownership of code: state the transfer of rights and source code handover at contract end.
Mini case study
Catherine, head of communications at a district council in the Midlands, receives two bids. Bid A shows GBP 24,000 for the build and GBP 4,800 a year for support, GBP 43,200 over 4 years. Bid B shows GBP 29,500 for the build and GBP 2,400 a year, GBP 39,100. Without support in the price criterion, bid A would have won; on the 4-year cost, bid B is GBP 4,100 cheaper and also scores best on accessibility. Catherine reports a 9.5 % gap in favour of B to the cabinet member.
FAQ
Is WCAG 2.2 AA really mandatory for a council? Yes, the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations apply and require a published accessibility statement. The Government Digital Service monitors compliance and can publish non-compliant bodies.
How long does a council website procurement take? Allow 4 to 8 weeks from publication or G-Cloud shortlisting to award, then 4 to 6 months of build. A January start targets a September launch.
Can we negotiate? Under G-Cloud you can clarify but not change the service offer; in an open below-threshold tender, negotiation with the top 3 bidders often gains 5 to 10 % on price or extra training days.
Connect existing services or build new ones? Connect existing back-office systems first: an integration costs GBP 900 to GBP 2,200, against GBP 7,000 or more for a bespoke form.
What contract length should we choose? Two years plus two optional one-year extensions covers 4 years of support and makes whole-life cost comparison easier.
Let's scope your project. Send us your draft specification or list of online services and we will help you firm up the estimate and scoring grid before publication. 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.
