The verdict in three sentences
For the public website of a local authority or public agency, managed European hosting (OVHcloud, Scaleway or a German equivalent) is enough in most cases, for 30 to 120 EUR a month. A SecNumCloud or BSI C5 grade offer only becomes relevant if the site hosts e-services handling sensitive personal data or connects to classified line-of-business systems. The real budget risk is not the hosting itself but the lack of tested backups, a disaster recovery plan and a clear managed services contract.
What the rules actually say in 2026
The head of digital at a Berlin district agency or a regional public body often hears conflicting advice: 'we need sovereign cloud', 'get off the US hyperscalers', 'just make it work'. In France, SecNumCloud is mandatory for particularly sensitive central government data; in Germany, the BSI C5 catalogue plays a comparable role in procurement. A local body is not always bound to the same degree, but GDPR, national data protection authorities and cybersecurity agencies push it toward providers shielded from extraterritorial laws such as the US Cloud Act.
In practice, an information website (news, events, opening hours, council minutes) processes almost no personal data. An e-services portal (school registrations, waste bin requests, room bookings) processes much more. That line should drive the decision.
Comparison table of hosting options in 2026
| Option | Monthly cost | Data location | Stated SLA | Cloud Act exposure | 3-year cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVHcloud VPS (unmanaged) | 15 to 60 EUR | EU (France, Frankfurt, Limburg) | 99.9 % | Low (French company) | 540 to 2,160 EUR |
| Managed Scaleway (Instances + managed database) | 30 to 120 EUR | EU (Paris, Amsterdam, Warsaw) | 99.9 % to 99.95 % | Low (Iliad group) | 1,080 to 4,320 EUR |
| SecNumCloud or C5 grade offer (OVHcloud Hosted Private Cloud, Outscale, IONOS, STACKIT) | 300 to 1,200 EUR | EU, certified operator | 99.95 % to 99.99 % | None by design | 10,800 to 43,200 EUR |
| US hyperscaler, Frankfurt region | 40 to 200 EUR | EU, US parent company | 99.95 % | High | 1,440 to 7,200 EUR |
| Kolonell managed hosting on European infrastructure | 25,000 to 75,000 FCFA, i.e. 40 to 110 EUR | EU region chosen with the client | 24/7 monitoring | Depends on chosen provider | 1,440 to 3,960 EUR |
| Consumer shared hosting | 5 to 15 EUR | Variable | Rarely contractual | Variable | 180 to 540 EUR |
Ranges are 2026 orders of magnitude based on public price lists. The unmanaged VPS looks unbeatable, but it assumes that someone applies security updates, watches certificates and tests restores. In a public body without a dedicated IT team, that hidden time quickly costs more than the price gap.
Backups, disaster recovery and forgotten costs
A public website that goes down on the day of a storm warning or a water outage becomes a political problem. The specification must price continuity, not just the server.
| Item | Recommended minimum | Indicative 2026 cost |
|---|---|---|
| Daily off-site backup | 30-day retention, separate datacenter | 3 to 15 EUR a month |
| Restore test | Twice a year, documented | 300 to 800 EUR per test |
| Disaster recovery plan | RTO 4 h, RPO 24 h | 1,500 to 4,000 EUR setup |
| TLS certificate and monitoring | Auto renewal, alerts | Included or 5 to 20 EUR a month |
| WAF and anti-DDoS | Provider baseline protection | Included to 50 EUR a month |
| Application maintenance | CMS and dependency updates | Kolonell 35,000 to 120,000 FCFA (50 to 180 EUR) a month |
The tender must state who is responsible for each line. A contract that only says 'hosting included' leaves the authority with no recourse if data is lost.
Mini case study
Anja, head of digital at a Berlin public agency serving 28,000 residents, compares two 3-year scenarios for an information website with a small room booking module.
Scenario A: OVHcloud VPS at 35 EUR a month, i.e. 1,260 EUR, plus 6 days a year of an in-house technician valued at 350 EUR, i.e. 6,300 EUR over 3 years. Total: about 7,560 EUR.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Scenario B: managed hosting on Scaleway at 80 EUR a month (2,880 EUR) plus Kolonell Standard maintenance at 75,000 FCFA, i.e. 110 EUR a month (3,960 EUR). Total: about 6,840 EUR, with updates, tested backups and monitoring included.
The managed scenario costs 720 EUR less and frees up the technician. A certified sovereign offer, at 400 EUR a month minimum, would have pushed the bill above 18,000 EUR with no real benefit for a booking module that only stores names and email addresses.
FAQ
Is a public body required to use a SecNumCloud or C5 certified provider?
Not for an information website. Certification mainly targets sensitive government data; a body hosting health or social data should however aim for a certified provider, at an extra 300 to 1,200 EUR a month.
Are OVHcloud and Scaleway subject to the Cloud Act?
They are French companies, so exposure is low. Still check that the contract is signed with the European entity and that data stays in the EU, which both providers offer at no extra cost.
What SLA should the tender require?
A 99.9 % SLA allows about 8 h 45 of downtime a year, which suits an information website. For an e-services portal, aim for 99.95 % (4 h 20 a year) and contractual penalties.
How much does a migration away from a US provider cost?
Budget 1,500 to 5,000 EUR for a 50 to 200 page site, depending on the CMS and media volume. The switch usually takes 2 to 4 weeks, with less than one hour of downtime.
Should we budget for SEO after launch?
For a public website, local search matters ('recycling centre opening hours', 'school canteen registration'). Kolonell SEO plans start at 100,000 FCFA, i.e. 150 EUR a month, though many public bodies settle for an initial audit.
Let's scope your project. We price the hosting, maintenance and redesign of your public website based on your actual data, with a 3-year OVHcloud versus Scaleway comparison and a 6 to 10 week schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h via our quote form. 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.
