The verdict in three sentences
In expression of interest calls from the World Bank, AFD or the African Development Bank, shortlisting committees increasingly check a consultancy's references online before drawing up the shortlist. A bilingual English and French site with 30 priced project sheets and downloadable expert CVs costs EUR 9,000 to 19,000 ex VAT in Amsterdam in 2026. Delivered in 6 to 9 weeks, it becomes the document base for every bid.
What donors and consortium leads look at
A water engineering consultancy rarely bids alone: it positions itself as lead or technical partner in a consortium with local firms in West Africa, South Asia or the Middle East. The local partner looking for European expertise, like the procurement officer of a funded project, visits the site to check similar experience, staffing and financial standing.
| Shortlisting criterion | Content to publish | Recommended format |
|---|---|---|
| Similar experience | project sheets: country, donor, value, duration | filters by donor and sector |
| Contract values | EUR 40,000 to 1,400,000 per assignment | exportable summary table |
| Key experts | donor format CVs, degrees, years | downloadable PDFs, EN and FR |
| Technical capacity | software (EPANET, HEC-RAS), survey equipment | resources page |
| Regional presence | Sahel, East Africa, Bangladesh | intervention map |
| Compliance | KvK registration, ISO 9001, insurance | corporate page |
| Language | full French version | essential for francophone Africa and AFD |
The format of project sheets matters as much as their number. A sheet mirroring the donors' reference forms (project name, client, funding, value of services, period, description, firm's role) can be pasted straight into a bid, saving 1 to 2 days per expression of interest.
Cost of a consultancy website in 2026
| Item | 2026 range (EUR, ex VAT) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping and sitemap | EUR 900 to 1,600 | water supply, dams, sanitation sectors |
| Corporate design | EUR 1,400 to 3,200 | sober, credible, site photography |
| Development and bilingual CMS | EUR 3,200 to 6,800 | simple editing for staff |
| Database of 30 filterable project sheets | EUR 1,600 to 3,600 | by donor, country, sector, value |
| Downloadable expert CV area | EUR 700 to 1,800 | updated by the administrator |
| Professional French translation | EUR 1,200 to 2,000 | 12,000 to 18,000 words |
| Total | EUR 9,000 to 19,000 | 6 to 9 weeks |
| Hosting and maintenance | EUR 60 to 150 per month | backups, domain, monitoring |
The site must stay light for slow connections: WebP images, pages under 1 MB, CVs as PDFs under 500 KB. Project officers in the field often browse on 3G.
Schedule and internal effort
| Week | Stage | Firm's effort |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scoping, reference collection | 1 day of the technical director |
| 2 to 3 | Mockups and approval | 2 one hour meetings |
| 3 to 5 | Development | supply photos and logos |
| 4 to 6 | Writing 30 project sheets | 30 to 45 min per sheet |
| 6 to 7 | Translation and QA | technical proofreading of French |
| 8 to 9 | Launch, training | 1 two hour session |
The bottleneck is always gathering completion certificates and exact contract values. Starting with the 10 most recent and largest projects lets you go live, then enrich the database over the months.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Pieter, director of a 22 person water engineering consultancy in Amsterdam, invests EUR 14,000 in the site. His team answers 18 expressions of interest a year, spending 2 days formatting references per bid. Ready to paste sheets bring that down to 0.5 day, so 27 working days saved a year, valued at EUR 520, or EUR 14,040. If the site helps him join just one more consortium on a EUR 1,800,000 assignment where his share is 30% at a 15% margin, that is EUR 81,000 in margin. The site pays for itself with the first assignment won.
FAQ
Can we publish contract values on the site?
Yes for public contracts, whose values are usually published at award. For a private client, ask permission or show a range, for example « EUR 100,000 to 250,000 ».
Do expert CVs have to be public?
No, you can keep full CVs in a password protected area shared with partners. The public page shows a summary: specialism, years of experience, languages.
Is the site enough to get shortlisted?
No, selection rests on the submitted file. The site strengthens credibility and helps local partners find you, as consortium builders often contact 3 to 5 European firms before forming a group.
How much does a third language cost?
A Portuguese or Arabic version costs EUR 1,200 to 3,000 depending on volume, useful for Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau or the Gulf.
Who updates project sheets after delivery?
Your team, through the CMS, in 20 to 30 minutes per sheet after a 2 hour training. Maintenance covers support when needed.
Let's scope your project. Send us your main references and target donors, and we will price the bilingual site, the project database and the experts area, with an indicative budget of EUR 9,000 to 19,000 ex VAT and a 6 to 9 week timeline. 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.
