The verdict in three sentences
For a public body in Nairobi or Rabat, a custom web application procured by tender represents a 2026 budget of MAD 800,000 to 3 million excl. tax (about USD 80,000 to 300,000), with 6 to 10 months of delivery. The tender document makes the difference: well-split lots, technical criteria weighted at 70% and proportionate references attract solid vendors instead of the lowest bidder. Require in-country hosting, a 12-month warranty and a priced skills transfer from the start, or these items will come back as change orders.
Structuring the tender: lots and observed budgets
Splitting into lots limits risk and opens competition to specialist vendors. Here is a common structure for a citizen services platform (online requests, case tracking, staff back office).
| Lot | Scope | Budget excl. tax (2026 ballpark) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lot 1: design and UX | Workshops, user journeys, mockups, accessibility | MAD 120,000 to 350,000 (USD 12,000 to 35,000) | 6 to 10 weeks |
| Lot 2: citizen portal | Accounts, forms, attachments, tracking, SMS notifications | MAD 300,000 to 1,100,000 (USD 30,000 to 110,000) | 4 to 6 months |
| Lot 3: back office and workflows | Case processing, approval circuits, statistics | MAD 250,000 to 900,000 (USD 25,000 to 90,000) | 4 to 6 months |
| Lot 4: integrations | Links to existing systems, online payment, e-signature | MAD 80,000 to 350,000 (USD 8,000 to 35,000) | 2 to 3 months |
| Lot 5: in-country hosting | National datacenter, backups, 12-month monitoring | MAD 50,000 to 150,000 a year (USD 5,000 to 15,000) | Ongoing |
| Lot 6: training and handover | Staff training, documentation, handover to IT team | MAD 40,000 to 150,000 (USD 4,000 to 15,000) | 4 to 6 weeks |
A project covering all lots falls between MAD 840,000 and 3,000,000 excl. tax. Below MAD 800,000, a single well-scoped lot is simpler to manage.
An evaluation grid that screens out the lowest bidder
| Criterion | Recommended weight | What should be scored |
|---|---|---|
| Methodology and plan | 20% | Sprints, milestones, risk management, governance |
| Technical architecture quality | 20% | Security, scalability, in-country hosting, source code delivered |
| Proposed team | 15% | Named CVs, certified project manager, on-site presence |
| Similar references | 10% | 2 to 3 public or semi-public projects above USD 50,000 |
| Skills transfer and warranty | 5% | Training plan, warranty length and scope |
| Financial offer | 30% | Scoring proportional to the lowest price |
A 70% technical weighting stops a bid that is 30% cheaper but fragile from winning. Avoid requiring 5 references above USD 200,000, though: you would cut bidders to 2 or 3 and push prices up.
Clauses that prevent change orders
Specify source code ownership and handover at each milestone, a 12-month warranty covering blocking defects within 24 h and major ones within 72 h, late penalties (often 1/1000 of the contract value per day, capped at 10%), compliance with the local data protection law (Kenya's Data Protection Act 2019, Morocco's law 09-08) and data hosting in-country. Also require functional acceptance testing on real data before provisional acceptance.
Mini case study
Grace, head of IT at a public agency in Nairobi, has an envelope equivalent to MAD 2 million excl. tax (about USD 200,000). A first tender as a single lot, weighted 50% on price, received 3 bids; the lowest at MAD 1.3 million ran 4 months late and accumulated MAD 420,000 of change orders. For the new project she splits into 4 lots, weights technical criteria at 70% and prices skills transfer separately. She receives 7 bids, awards a total of MAD 1.75 million and avoids about MAD 400,000 of change orders: 20% of the envelope preserved.
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FAQ
How long between publication and kick-off?
Allow 2 to 4 months: 21 to 40 days of publication depending on the procedure, then bid opening, evaluation, award and notification. Actual kick-off often happens 3 months after publication.
Should hosting be a separate lot?
It is advisable if your organisation has no datacenter. An in-country hosting lot of MAD 50,000 to 150,000 a year lets you change development vendor without migrating infrastructure.
How should skills transfer be priced?
Plan 10 to 20 days of training and support for your IT team, MAD 40,000 to 150,000 excl. tax, with architecture and operations documentation delivered.
Can a foreign agency bid?
Yes if the tender rules allow it, usually with a local representative, equivalent administrative documents and in-country data hosting. State it clearly in the rules.
What does the 12-month warranty cover?
Free defect correction with contractual response times. Functional changes stay outside the warranty and fall under an evolutive maintenance contract, often 10 to 15% of the contract value a year.
Let's scope your project. Share your draft tender document or functional needs, and we will help structure the lots, estimate each one within a MAD 800,000 to 3 million envelope and set a 6 to 10-month plan. 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.
