The verdict in three sentences
A trade association with 900 members rebuilding its website and directory should budget GBP 22,000 to 52,000 (about EUR 25,000 to 60,000), an ongoing support and maintenance contract of GBP 5,000 to 10,000 a year and a realistic 5-month plan. The quality of the RFP drives everything: a vague scope produces bids that cannot be compared, with gaps of 1 to 4 between agencies. A scoring grid of 40% technical, 35% price, 25% references lets you choose objectively and justify the decision to your board.
The functional scope to describe
The RFP must list each building block with its level of requirement. That is what allows agencies to price accurately and avoids change requests mid-project.
| Module | Key requirements | Typical share of budget |
|---|---|---|
| Public website (20 to 40 pages) | Sector pages, mission, governance, WCAG 2.2 AA | 20 to 25% |
| News and policy positions | Categories, featured items, sharing, email subscription | 8 to 10% |
| Events calendar | Online booking, card payment, automated reminders | 10 to 12% |
| Filterable member directory | Search by region, sector, size, interactive map | 15 to 20% |
| Secure members' area | SSO login, gated documents, self-service profile updates | 20 to 25% |
| Membership CRM sync | Connector to the subscriptions system | 8 to 12% |
| Content migration and training | 300 to 800 items migrated, 2 training sessions | 5 to 8% |
State for each module whether it is mandatory, optional or to be priced as a variant. Include your volumes: 900 member profiles, 40 events a year, 1,200 gated documents, 6 internal editors.
The bid scoring grid
Publishing the grid in the RFP reassures serious agencies and discourages generic responses.
| Criterion | Weighting | Sub-criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Technical quality | 40% | Understanding of needs (10), architecture and security (10), UX and accessibility (10), methodology and plan (10) |
| Price | 35% | Build cost (25), 3-year support cost (10) |
| References | 25% | Comparable membership or association projects (15), proposed team (10) |
| Elimination threshold | Technical score under 20 out of 40 | Bid rejected whatever the price |
| Presentation | 3 shortlisted agencies | 90 minutes each, including a demo |
Including support costs in the price score avoids the classic trap: a cheap build offset by maintenance at GBP 15,000 a year.
Reference budget and timeline
| Item | 2026 range (excl. VAT) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Site + directory + members' area (open-source CMS) | GBP 22,000 to 35,000 | Drupal, WordPress or headless |
| Version with CRM connector and membership payments | GBP 35,000 to 52,000 | Depends on existing system |
| Annual support contract | GBP 5,000 to 10,000 | 4 to 10 days of enhancements included |
| Managed UK hosting | GBP 1,000 to 3,000 a year | Backups, monitoring, certificates |
| Accessibility audit (WCAG 2.2) | GBP 2,000 to 4,500 | Recommended before launch |
Typical 5-month plan: 3 weeks of procurement and selection, 4 weeks of design, 8 weeks of development, 3 weeks of content migration and 2 weeks of testing. On the procurement side, include UK GDPR requirements (data processing agreement, UK or EU hosting, breach notification within 72 hours) and ask for Cyber Essentials certification. Avoid launching during your annual conference: testing would be rushed.
Mini case study
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Helen, chief executive of a London trade body with 900 construction-sector members, runs a 2017 website and a directory managed in a spreadsheet. Her team spends about 25 hours a month updating member profiles and emailing documents.
She selects a bid at GBP 40,000 with a support contract at GBP 7,200 a year. The self-service members' area cuts admin to 6 hours a month, saving 19 hours monthly, about 228 hours a year. At a loaded cost of GBP 40 per hour, that is GBP 9,120 a year. Membership also grows: 18 new companies in year one, attracted by the directory, at an average fee of GBP 1,050, i.e. GBP 18,900. After support costs, the net gain is GBP 20,820 a year: the project pays back in about 2 years.
FAQ
What budget should a trade association plan for its website in 2026?
Expect GBP 22,000 to 52,000 for the build, depending on the depth of the members' area and CRM integration. Add GBP 5,000 to 10,000 a year for support.
How many agencies should we invite?
Three to five agencies are enough, with presentations for the 3 finalists. Beyond 6, evaluation time exceeds 40 hours with no quality gain.
Should we specify a technology?
Better to set requirements (open source, UK or EU hosting, exit plan) than name a CMS. You will receive comparable bids with room for innovation.
How do we avoid budget overruns?
Detail volumes and mandatory modules, and ask for a fixed price per work package. Change requests then stay under 10% of the initial budget in most projects.
Is accessibility mandatory?
For a private trade body, public-sector accessibility regulations do not always apply, but an audit at GBP 2,000 to 4,500 protects reputation and improves usability. Bodies performing public functions must comply.
Let's scope your project. Send us your member count, required modules and procurement timeline: we will respond with a detailed bid between GBP 22,000 and 52,000 and a 5-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.
