The verdict in three sentences
The website of a telecom regulatory authority in francophone Africa (Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Benin, Burkina Faso) is a 15 to 45 million FCFA (about EUR 22,900 to 68,600) project in 2026, awarded after a 6 to 10 week tender. The specifications must lock in four requirements: publication of decisions and public consultations, a market observatory in open data, WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility and sovereign hosting or hosting compliant with national data protection law. Then plan 3 to 6 million FCFA (EUR 4,600 to 9,150) a year of maintenance and support, or the site ages within 18 months.
What the site must publish, and for whom
A regulator speaks to four audiences: operators, consumers, investors and donors, and the press. Each has its mandatory content.
| Module | Main audience | Key requirement | Indicative 2026 cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decisions, opinions, regulations | Operators, lawyers | Full-text search, archives since inception | 2,500,000 to 5,000,000 FCFA |
| Public consultations | Operators, civil society | Contribution upload, publication of summaries | 1,500,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA |
| Market observatory (subscribers, traffic, prices, quality of service) | Investors, donors, press | Charts, CSV export and open data API | 3,000,000 to 9,000,000 FCFA |
| Consumer and complaints area | General public | Form, case tracking, FAQ | 1,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA |
| Numbering, spectrum, licences | Operators, integrators | Searchable registers, online procedures | 2,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA |
| News, press, careers | Press, candidates | Two-level editorial approval workflow | 1,000,000 to 2,500,000 FCFA |
| Accessibility and FR/EN | All | RGAA or WCAG AA audit, accessibility statement | 1,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA |
A complete site ranges from 15 million FCFA (editorial modules, simple observatory) to 45 million FCFA (online procedures, open data API, authenticated operator portal).
Structuring the tender: lots and scoring criteria
The common mistake is a single vague lot that attracts incomparable bids. Splitting into lots clarifies skills and secures the schedule.
| Lot | Content | Share of budget | Weighted technical criterion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lot 1: design and UX | Workshops, site map, mockups, user tests | 15 to 20% | Method and institutional references (20 points) |
| Lot 2: development and CMS | Headless stack, workflow, search, decisions engine | 35 to 45% | Architecture, security, reversibility (30 points) |
| Lot 3: observatory and open data | Statistics database, visualisations, API | 15 to 25% | Data quality and open formats (20 points) |
| Lot 4: hosting and security | Sovereign hosting, CDN, backups, audit | 10 to 15% | Legal compliance and 99.9% SLA (15 points) |
| Lot 5: support and training | 3-year maintenance, contributor training | 3 to 6 million FCFA a year | Response times and skills transfer (15 points) |
Realistic schedule: 6 to 10 weeks of tender and evaluation, then 5 to 8 months of delivery. Require a reversibility clause (source code, data and documentation handed over) so you do not depend on a single supplier.
Mini case study
Aïssatou, communications director of a regulatory authority in Dakar, receives 1,200 monthly statistics requests by email, handled by 2 part-time staff. She budgets 28,000,000 FCFA for a site with an open data observatory, plus 4,500,000 FCFA a year of support.
After launch, 70% of requests are served directly by the observatory. The time saved equals 0.7 full-time staff, about 5,000,000 FCFA a year of internal cost. Over 5 years, total cost reaches 28,000,000 + 22,500,000 = 50,500,000 FCFA (EUR 77,000), half offset by that gain, not counting the reputational benefit with donors, who increasingly require open data.
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FAQ
What budget for a telecom regulator's website?
Between 15 and 45 million FCFA depending on modules, plus 3 to 6 million FCFA a year of support. The open data observatory and online procedures drive the variation.
Is WCAG AA accessibility mandatory?
It is increasingly required in public procurement and by donors. An initial audit costs 1,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA depending on the number of templates.
Must the site be hosted in-country?
National data protection laws, such as Senegal's law 2008-12, and sovereignty policies push toward local or regional hosting. Public data can be served through a CDN.
How long does the project take after award?
Five to eight months on average, including 6 weeks of design and 4 weeks of acceptance testing and security audit.
How do we avoid supplier lock-in?
Require delivery of source code, documentation and a standard CMS. The technical score can reserve 10 to 15 points for reversibility.
Let's scope your project. Send us your priority modules and tender timeline, and we will help you frame a budget between 15 and 45 million FCFA and a 5 to 8 month schedule. 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.
