The verdict in three sentences
For a trade association with 1,200 members in Amsterdam, a website with a members area, a directory and a headless CMS costs 25,000 to 60,000 EUR excluding VAT in 2026. The tender itself takes 6 to 8 weeks, and the whole project 4 to 6 months from publishing the brief to going live. A 40% technical, 30% price, 30% methodology weighting stops you from choosing the cheapest bid that ends up costing the most in change requests.
Budget ranges by scope
| Work package | Low scope | High scope | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery, workshops, sitemap | 3,000 EUR | 6,000 EUR | 3 to 6 workshops with the board |
| UX and UI design | 5,000 EUR | 10,000 EUR | WCAG 2.1 AA targeted |
| Public site and headless CMS | 7,000 EUR | 15,000 EUR | News, position papers, publications |
| Members area (SSO, documents, dues) | 5,000 EUR | 14,000 EUR | Connected to your CRM or AMS |
| Member directory with filters | 2,500 EUR | 6,000 EUR | Geolocation, editable profiles |
| Content migration and training | 1,500 EUR | 4,000 EUR | 300 to 1,000 items |
| QA, security, go-live | 1,000 EUR | 5,000 EUR | Load tests if you run events |
| Total | 25,000 EUR | 60,000 EUR | Excluding support contract |
The support and maintenance contract is priced separately, usually 400 to 1,200 EUR per month depending on change volume and service level.
Ready-to-use scoring grid
| Criterion | Weight | Sub-criteria scored out of 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Technical value | 40% | Architecture, security, accessibility, performance, reversibility |
| Price | 30% | Total 3-year cost including support, clarity of options |
| Methodology | 30% | Schedule, governance, dedicated team, risk management |
| Comparable references | Pass/fail | At least 2 association sites with a members area |
| Pitch | Bonus | 45 minutes, demo on a real use case |
| Data reversibility | Pass/fail | Full export and source code handed over |
Score price on the 3-year total cost, not only the build: a 28,000 EUR bid with 1,500 EUR per month of support costs more than a 38,000 EUR bid with 600 EUR per month.
Typical 6-month reverse schedule
Weeks 1 to 3: write the brief and get board approval. Weeks 4 to 7: publish and answer bidder questions. Week 8: bid analysis and pitches. Week 9: negotiation and award. Weeks 10 to 13: discovery and mock-ups. Weeks 14 to 21: development and content migration. Weeks 22 to 24: QA, training and launch, ideally before the general assembly.
Mini case study
Eva, director general of a 1,200-company trade association in Amsterdam, receives three bids. Bid A: 31,000 EUR and support at 1,300 EUR per month, so 77,800 EUR over 3 years. Bid B: 44,000 EUR and 650 EUR per month, so 67,400 EUR. Bid C: 58,000 EUR and 500 EUR per month, so 76,000 EUR. On the 30% price weighting, B gets the top score; with 8.5 out of 10 on technical and 8 on methodology, it wins. The members area also digitises dues collection and saves about 70 hours of data entry a year.
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FAQ
Does a trade association have to follow public procurement rules?
Usually not, unless it is mainly publicly funded or controlled by a public body. Check your status; when in doubt, a transparent, documented procedure remains best practice.
How many agencies should we invite?
Three to five is enough. Beyond 6 bids, analysis takes more than 25 hours and response quality drops.
Should the brief impose a technology?
Better to impose outcomes: WCAG accessibility, LCP under 2.5 s, data export, SSO with your membership system. Let bidders justify their stack, scored within the 40%.
What payment schedule is standard?
Commonly 30% on order, 40% on design sign-off and 30% at launch, with a 5% retention for 3 months.
Can we ask bidders for a free mock-up?
It is not advisable: the best agencies decline. Offer finalists a fee of 1,500 to 3,000 EUR if you want a deliverable.
Let's scope your project. Send us your brief or your member count and key features, and we will reply with an indicative budget and a 4 to 6 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.
