The verdict in three sentences
An 8 to 15 page RFP is the most cost-effective tool in a B2B website project: it brings the gap between quotes from 3x down to about 1.5x and avoids change requests along the way. For a London SME in 2026, a B2B website budget sits between 10,000 and 40,000 GBP excl. VAT depending on features, plus a 10 to 20% contingency. Also check public support schemes for digital adoption, which can offset part of the bill.
The template: 10 sections to fill in
A good RFP describes needs and expected outcomes, not imposed technical solutions. Here is the structure to follow, with the recommended length for each section.
| Section | Expected content | Recommended length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Context and company | Business, clients, competitors, current site and its numbers (visits, enquiries) | 1 page |
| 2. Measurable objectives | For example: grow from 15 to 30 quote requests per month in 12 months | Half a page |
| 3. Audiences and journeys | Buyer profiles, questions they ask, expected actions | 1 page |
| 4. Site map | List of pages and templates (home, services, case studies, contact) | 1 page |
| 5. Features | Forms, booking, client area, multilingual, catalogue | 1 to 2 pages |
| 6. Content | Who writes, who supplies photos and video, migration of existing content | Half a page |
| 7. Technical constraints | Hosting, CRM to connect, UK GDPR, accessibility, target performance | 1 page |
| 8. SEO and measurement | Priority keywords, redirects, analytics tool | Half a page |
| 9. Budget and schedule | Range, go-live date, milestones | Half a page |
| 10. Response terms | Quote format, selection criteria, deadline, contact | Half a page |
Section 9 often surprises managers: should you reveal your budget? Yes, as a range. Without it, agencies guess your level of ambition and you get proposals that cannot be compared.
2026 budget: what each level of site costs
The amounts below are a London market estimate for 2026, excluding VAT.
| B2B site type | Budget excl. VAT (2026 estimate) | Lead time | Recommended contingency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brochure site, 10 to 15 pages, form | 10,000 to 15,000 GBP | 6 to 8 weeks | 10% |
| Brochure site, 20 to 40 pages, blog, basic SEO | 15,000 to 24,000 GBP | 8 to 10 weeks | 10 to 15% |
| Multilingual site with product catalogue | 22,000 to 32,000 GBP | 10 to 12 weeks | 15% |
| Site with client area or CRM/ERP integration | 28,000 to 40,000 GBP | 12 to 16 weeks | 15 to 20% |
| Copywriting by the agency | 200 to 500 GBP per page | In parallel | Not applicable |
| Maintenance and hosting | 150 to 600 GBP/month | Ongoing | Not applicable |
Contingency is not an admission of weakness: it covers requests that appear during the project (an extra page, a forgotten connector). Without it, every addition becomes a change request billed at full rate.
Comparing quotes on a common basis
Ask each agency to respond line by line to the RFP, with a price per section and an explicit list of exclusions. Then score responses on a simple grid: understanding of the need (30%), quality of comparable references (25%), total 3-year price including maintenance (25%), schedule and method (20%). Three to four invitations are enough; beyond that, the time spent analysing exceeds the benefit.
On funding, check with the British Business Bank, your local growth hub and the London borough business support teams which schemes apply in 2026: conditions and amounts change from year to year, and some require the application before you sign the quote.
Mini case study
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*Illustrative example.* Emma, managing director of a 25-staff industrial packaging SME in London, received three quotes last year at 9,500, 18,800 and 28,500 GBP for "a new website", a 3x gap. Impossible to decide.
This time she writes an 11-page RFP over two days (about 14 hours). The four new quotes fall between 19,800 and 28,900 GBP, a 1.46x gap. She picks an offer at 23,800 GBP and adds a 15% contingency of 3,570 GBP, for a total budget of 27,370 GBP. By the end of the project she uses only 1,500 GBP of the contingency, against about 5,700 GBP of change requests on the company's previous project, run without an RFP.
FAQ
How long does it take to write an RFP?
Allow 10 to 20 hours for an SME, spread over one to two weeks. An agency can also write it during a paid discovery phase, usually 1,500 to 4,500 GBP.
Should I impose a technology (WordPress, another CMS)?
Only if you have a real constraint, such as a team already trained on it. Otherwise, describe your editing needs and let agencies justify their choice.
What contingency should I plan?
Between 10 and 20% of the chosen quote. The more integrations the project includes (CRM, ERP, client area), the closer to the top of the range you should be.
How many agencies should I invite?
Three or four are enough. With a common RFP, the gap between quotes narrows to about 1.5x, which makes the comparison readable.
Can public funding cover a website?
Some local growth programmes and digital adoption schemes can cover part of the project, especially when it is part of a wider digital transformation. Check the conditions before signing the quote.
Let's scope your project. Send us your RFP, or a one-page brief if you are starting from scratch: we will answer section by section with a scope and a schedule. 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.