The verdict in three sentences
For a water resources engineering firm in London, a website that helps win donor-funded contracts (World Bank, FCDO, AFD, European Union) costs between 15,000 and 28,000 GBP in 2026. Its value lies in verifiable project sheets (contract value, donor, client, period, the firm's exact role) and up-to-date expert CVs, in English and French. An 8-week timeline is enough if you gather your completion certificates from day one.
What evaluators and consortium leads look for
When a consortium lead is looking for a technical partner on an AFD bid, or a donor project officer checks a shortlist, reviewing your website takes a few minutes. They want to see your references in their sector (water supply, urban sanitation, irrigation, hydrology), with values and named donors, and to download your engineers' CVs in the expected format.
A generic site with "our values" and three site photos fails this filter. You need a filterable reference database, one page per key expert and a clean French version, because many francophone African clients and French-speaking donor teams read French first.
| Site element | What an evaluator expects | Common mistake | Indicative 2026 cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project sheets | Value, donor, client, duration, role | List with no figures or dates | 3,000 to 5,000 GBP |
| Reference filters | By donor, sector, region, year | No search at all | 1,800 to 3,500 GBP |
| Expert CVs | PDF in donor format, updated | Undated CVs from 2019 | 1,500 to 3,000 GBP |
| French version | Reviewed technical translation | Raw machine translation | 2,400 to 4,500 GBP |
| Resources and accreditations page | Headcount, equipment, accreditations | Missing information | 900 to 1,800 GBP |
| Design and corporate pages | Sober, readable on slow connections | Image-heavy pages | 3,500 to 7,000 GBP |
Budget and scope by ambition
The entry tier, around 15,000 GBP, covers a bilingual site of 12 to 15 pages, 20 project sheets and 8 downloadable CVs. The mid tier, around 22,000 GBP, adds a filterable database of 40 to 60 projects, a map of interventions and an admin area to update CVs. The top tier, up to 28,000 GBP, adds an extranet to share bid files with consortium partners and traffic analytics.
| Tier | Budget excl. VAT | Content | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | 15,000 GBP | 15 pages, 20 project sheets, 8 CVs, EN and FR | 6 to 7 weeks |
| Reference | 22,000 GBP | 50 filterable sheets, map, CV back office | 8 weeks |
| Consortium | 26,000 to 28,000 GBP | Partner extranet, analytics, hardened security | 10 weeks |
| Hosting and maintenance | 150 to 400 GBP per month | Updates, backups | Ongoing |
| Writing project sheets | 90 to 150 GBP per sheet | If you only have certificates | 2 to 3 weeks |
Think about performance too: many of your project partners in Africa and Asia browse on mobile with patchy connections. A light site, under 1.5 MB per page, stays readable everywhere, including for staff on field missions.
The 8 weeks, week by week
Week 1: inventory of references and certificates. Weeks 2 and 3: site map, mock-ups, project sheet template. Weeks 4 to 6: development, data entry, translation. Week 7: technical review of the French by an engineer. Week 8: go-live and indexing of project pages.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
James, managing director of an 18-person engineering consultancy in London, responds to about 10 expressions of interest a year on water and sanitation projects. His shortlisting rate is 2 out of 10. With a 22,000 GBP site showing 50 costed references, he aims for 4 out of 10, thanks to stronger credibility with consortium leads. If a single extra assignment a year brings 300,000 GBP in fees at a 15 % margin, that is 45,000 GBP, and the site pays back in about 6 months. This is an estimate: the technical quality of the bid remains decisive.
FAQ
Can we publish the value of contracts won?
Yes, the values of public contracts funded by the World Bank, AFD or the European Union are generally public. Still check each contract's confidentiality clauses and state your share if you were in a consortium.
Do we really need a French version?
For work in francophone Africa and with AFD, yes. A reviewed technical translation costs 2,400 to 4,500 GBP for a 15-page site with 50 sheets.
What format should expert CVs use?
The safest option is the CV template required by the target donor, as a dated PDF. Plan an update every 6 months, about 2 hours per expert.
How many references do we need at minimum?
Aim for at least 15 to 20 detailed sheets covering the last 5 years. Beyond 40, a donor and sector filter becomes essential.
Who updates the site after delivery?
Your team, through a simple back office. A 3-hour training session is included, and maintenance costs 150 to 400 GBP per month.
Let's scope your project. Send us your reference list and the number of experts to feature for an estimate between 15,000 and 28,000 GBP with an 8-week 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.
