The verdict in three sentences
When 70% of revenue comes from public tenders, the real website user is not the alderman but the engineer in the public space department who writes the technical specification. If your technical sheets and BIM/DWG files are the easiest to download, your products become the reference described in the tender. For an Amsterdam manufacturer with 8 M EUR revenue, such a catalogue costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, 15,000 to 28,000 EUR excl. VAT over 10 to 12 weeks.
How a municipal engineer chooses a bench or a shelter
Before publishing a tender on TenderNed, the technical team of a gemeente compares products, collects dimensions, materials, weights, anchoring methods and compliance certificates. They then write these characteristics into the specification, often based directly on a manufacturer sheet. The landscape architect or engineering firm needs BIM objects for its model.
A 120-page PDF catalogue sent by email no longer does the job. The engineer wants to filter by range, material, accessibility and budget, then download the sheet and 3D file in two clicks.
| Specifier need | PDF catalogue | Structured online catalogue |
|---|---|---|
| Find a product | Browse 120 pages | Filters: range, material, accessibility, anchoring |
| Technical sheet | A PDF page | Dedicated, up-to-date downloadable sheet |
| BIM/DWG files | On request, 2 to 5 days | Instant download, with tracking |
| Colours | Printed colour chart | Real-time RAL configurator |
| References | A few photos | Map of equipped municipalities |
| Measuring interest | None | Download statistics by municipality |
2026 budget for a 450-product catalogue
The figures below are a 2026 order of magnitude seen among Dutch agencies for a manufacturer of this size. The most underestimated item is data migration: 450 products means 450 sheets to normalise.
| Item | 2026 range (excl. VAT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery, sitemap, UX | 2,500 to 4,500 EUR | Interviews with engineers and sales |
| Design and development | 5,000 to 9,000 EUR | Filterable catalogue, product pages |
| Importing 450 products | 2,500 to 5,000 EUR | Normalisation from ERP or Excel |
| BIM/DWG files and specifier area | 2,000 to 3,500 EUR | Download after light sign-in |
| RAL colour configurator | 3,000 to 6,000 EUR | Preview by product and colour |
| EU hosting | 40 to 80 EUR per month | Common public buyer requirement |
| Total project | 15,000 to 28,000 EUR | 10 to 12 weeks |
At Kolonell, the showcase part falls under our Premium tier, from 2,000,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA (3,050 to 5,340 EUR). An ERP-connected catalogue with a RAL configurator is closer to a simple custom application, from 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (3,810 to 6,100 EUR). Hosting and data import are quoted separately; maintenance follows our plans at 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month (53, 114 or 183 EUR).
Features that win tenders
Three features directly affect specification rates. First, the specifier area: the engineer leaves a name and municipality to download files, giving sales a list of projects in preparation months before the tender is published. Second, the RAL configurator, which lets the municipality preview a shelter in its own corporate green. Third, the reference map, which proves the furniture holds up over time in a wet North Sea climate.
On compliance, the site should state the applicable standards clearly (accessibility, structural strength, playground safety where relevant) and meet WCAG 2.1 AA, since Dutch public bodies are bound by the digital accessibility decree and notice it. EU hosting and a cookie banner compliant with the Dutch data protection authority complete the setup.
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Daan, sales director of a street furniture manufacturer in Amsterdam, manages 8 M EUR in revenue, 5.6 M EUR of it from public contracts. His tender win rate is 22% and the average contract is worth 45,000 EUR.
The new catalogue generates 120 BIM/DWG downloads a month, about 35 municipalities identified upstream. If only 4 additional contracts a year are won thanks to early specification, that is 4 × 45,000 EUR = 180,000 EUR in revenue. At a 35% gross margin, the gain reaches 63,000 EUR a year, for an investment of 24,000 EUR excl. VAT and 720 EUR in yearly hosting.
FAQ
Should BIM downloads require a sign-in?
Yes, a light sign-in (name, municipality, email) is accepted by 80 to 90% of engineers. Beyond three fields, drop-off rises sharply.
Can the catalogue connect to our ERP?
Yes, through a scheduled export or an API. For 450 products, a daily sync prevents gaps in dimensions or colours between the site and production.
Should the site show prices?
In public procurement, prices are rarely displayed. A price on request mention with a quick quote form answered within 48 hours works better.
How long until return on investment?
A public tender cycle often runs 6 to 18 months. Return is therefore measured over a full financial year, tracking municipalities that downloaded files.
Do we need Dutch, English and German?
Dutch covers domestic tenders, while English and German help with Belgian and German municipalities. Languages are set in the quote.
Let's scope your project. Share your product export and target markets, and we will scope the catalogue, the specifier area and the migration plan for your 450 products. 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.
