The verdict in three sentences
A web agency tender is won or lost on the scorecard, not on the pitch presentation. For a Dublin mid-size company investing 35,000 to 70,000 EUR excluding VAT, the criteria that actually protect the business are exit terms, the maintenance SLA and a named team, far more than the look of the mock-up. A 100-point grid, sent with the brief, shrinks the tender to 2 to 3 weeks and makes the decision defensible in front of the board.
Why a written scorecard changes the tender
Take an 800-employee port logistics company in Dublin. The website must speak to three audiences: shippers and shipping lines (services, coverage, certifications), candidates (dock, warehouse and machine operator roles) and institutional partners (port authority, local councils, investors). Without a scorecard, each committee member remembers the agency that charmed them most in the meeting. With one, everybody scores the same criteria from the same documents.
The scorecard should be sent to the agencies together with the brief. Good agencies answer point by point, weaker ones show quickly: no logistics references, a vague team, no clause on code ownership.
The 100-point scorecard
| Criterion | Points | What you check | Red flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2B sector references | 15 | 2 to 3 live industrial or logistics sites, reachable client contact | Only B2C work or mock-ups |
| Method and timeline | 15 | Workshops, deliverables per phase, acceptance testing, 12 to 20 week plan | 6-week plan for 40 pages |
| Named dedicated team | 15 | Project lead, UX, senior developer, CVs provided | "A team depending on availability" |
| Price and day rate | 15 | Day rate of 650 to 900 EUR, days broken down per phase | Lump sum with no breakdown |
| Exit terms and ownership | 15 | Code, accounts, domain and content in the company's name | Captive hosting, proprietary CMS |
| Maintenance SLA | 15 | Response time, security patches, 99.9% uptime | Time-and-materials maintenance with no commitment |
| Financial strength | 10 | CRO filing, 3 years of accounts, professional indemnity insurance | Firm under 2 years old with no insurance |
Below 65 points, an agency does not reach the pitch stage. Between 65 and 80, it is kept with reservations. Above 80, it joins the final shortlist.
Reading the prices: day rate, days and total budget
The day rate alone tells you nothing. An agency at 900 EUR delivering in 50 days costs less than one at 650 EUR billing 75 days. Compare the number of days per phase.
| Phase (corporate site, 30 to 45 pages) | Estimated days | Cost at 650 EUR | Cost at 900 EUR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoping and workshops | 5 to 8 | 3,250 to 5,200 EUR | 4,500 to 7,200 EUR |
| UX and sitemap | 6 to 10 | 3,900 to 6,500 EUR | 5,400 to 9,000 EUR |
| UI design | 8 to 12 | 5,200 to 7,800 EUR | 7,200 to 10,800 EUR |
| Development and CMS | 25 to 40 | 16,250 to 26,000 EUR | 22,500 to 36,000 EUR |
| Testing, technical SEO, launch | 6 to 10 | 3,900 to 6,500 EUR | 5,400 to 9,000 EUR |
| Total | 50 to 80 | 32,500 to 52,000 EUR | 45,000 to 72,000 EUR |
These are 2026 ballpark figures for Irish agencies of 10 to 50 people. Add annual maintenance, often 8 to 15% of the build cost per year, and content production if the agency writes the copy.
An alternative exists for companies that accept a remote team: a nearshore or offshore agency. As an example, Kolonell's published grid (in FCFA) runs from 2,000,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA for a Premium website, i.e. 3,050 to 5,340 EUR, and 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) for a medium-complexity custom application. The scope must then be compared line by line with local bids.
A 3-week tender calendar
- Week 1: brief and scorecard sent to 4 agencies, written questions until day 5.
- Week 2: bids received on day 10, individual scoring by 3 committee members, anything under 65 points dropped.
- Week 3: 90-minute pitches for 2 agencies, client reference calls, negotiation and decision.
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Mini case study
Aoife, head of communications at a port logistics company in Dublin (illustrative example), receives 4 bids. Agency A offers 48,000 EUR and scores 71 points: excellent design, but captive hosting. Agency B offers 58,000 EUR and scores 86 points: transport references, named team, code delivered to the company's own Git repository. Agency C offers 33,000 EUR and scores 58 points (no insurance, unrealistic plan). Agency D scores 63 points.
Aoife estimates the cost of leaving agency A in 3 years: a forced rebuild of roughly 28,000 EUR. B's extra 10,000 EUR is therefore covered by the first migration avoided. The committee approves B in 19 working days.
FAQ
How many agencies should a mid-size company invite?
Four is a good balance: enough to compare, few enough to score properly. Beyond 5, committee scoring time often exceeds 20 hours.
Should we ask for a free mock-up?
No. An unpaid mock-up pushes the committee to judge aesthetics over method. If you want one, pay for it, usually 1,500 to 3,500 EUR per finalist.
How much weight should price carry?
Between 15 and 25% of the total score. Above 30%, the grid mechanically favours the cheapest bid, which is often the riskiest.
What should the exit clause contain?
Assignment of rights over code and content, handover of all access within 10 working days, and technical documentation. The domain must be registered in the company's name from day one.
What maintenance SLA should we require?
Response within 4 business hours for a blocking incident, security patches within 72 hours and 99.9% uptime, i.e. under 9 hours of downtime a year.
Let's scope your project. Send us your brief: we answer your scorecard point by point, with a scope priced per phase and a realistic 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.
