Short answer: a CIC website has to serve three audiences at once. Beneficiaries who need to access services, funders and commissioners checking your credibility, and partners considering referrals. Most CIC sites are built for only the first, which quietly costs them funding. Budget £1,750 to £5,000 for a site that does all three.
Why CIC websites are a different job
A commercial site has one job, which is to convert visitors into customers. A CIC site has to do something harder.
Your beneficiaries need clear, accessible information about what you offer and how to get it. Your funders and commissioners are assessing whether you are competent, governed properly and delivering measurable outcomes. Your referral partners are deciding whether to send people to you.
Those three audiences want different things from the same pages, and writing for one usually weakens the case for the others. Solving that is the design problem.
What funders and commissioners look for
We have seen enough funding conversations to know the site gets checked, usually before any meeting.
- Evidence of impact, with numbers and dates rather than adjectives
- Clear governance details, including directors and the CIC number
- Annual reports and the CIC34 available to download
- Named contacts who look like real people
- A site that has been updated in the last twelve months
That last point does more damage than people realise. A site with a news section last touched in 2023 signals an organisation that has lost momentum, whether or not that is true.
The pages a CIC site needs
Start with these and add only what your delivery model requires.
Home. Who you help, how, and where. Impact evidence above the fold.
What we do. One page per programme or service, written for beneficiaries in plain language.
Impact. Outcomes with figures, case studies with consent, and the methodology if you have one.
About and governance. Directors, CIC number, community interest statement, annual accounts.
Get involved. Referrals, volunteering, partnerships and donations, separated clearly rather than merged.
Contact. Including a referral route if partners send you people.
The general structure in what a small business website should include still applies underneath this, particularly on speed, forms and analytics.
Accessibility is not optional
CIC beneficiaries disproportionately include people with disabilities, low literacy, English as an additional language, or limited digital confidence.
WCAG 2.2 AA should be your baseline. In practice that means proper colour contrast, keyboard navigation, real text rather than text in images, sensible heading structure and descriptive link text.
It is also cheaper to build in than to retrofit, so specify it in the brief rather than raising it after launch.
Funding the build
Most CICs we work with fund their site in one of three ways.
Inside a grant. Website and communications costs are frequently eligible under capacity building or project delivery headings. The application is stronger when the site is tied to a specific outcome, such as increasing referrals from a defined area.
From trading income. If the CIC has a commercial arm, the site usually pays for itself faster than any other marketing spend.
Phased. Build the core site first and add programme pages, portals or booking as funding allows. This works well and avoids stalling on a budget you do not have yet.
If you are applying for funding, get a fixed written quote to attach to the application. Vague estimates weaken applications.
What it should cost
Our CIC packages are fixed price and published openly. The Impact Site starts at £1,750 and covers the core structure above. The Impact Programme starts at £4,500 for organisations that need programme pages, referral systems or beneficiary portals.
The full breakdown, including what sits in each tier, is on our community interest companies page.
For general market context on how those figures compare, see what a website costs in the UK.
Keeping it current
An out-of-date CIC website costs you funding rather than just looking untidy. Impact figures, annual reports and programme information all need refreshing on a schedule.
Build that into a maintenance arrangement rather than relying on finding time. Website care plans covers what that should include and what it should cost.
One note on our own position. Masuyo Digital's founder sits on the board of Beanstalk Skills Academy CIC in Preston, which is why we understand this sector properly rather than treating it as a niche to sell into.
Common questions
Can a CIC use grant funding for a website?
Often yes. Many funders will cover a website as part of capacity building, communications or project delivery costs, particularly where it is tied to a specific outcome such as reaching more beneficiaries.
How much should a CIC website cost?
A well-built CIC website typically costs between £1,750 and £5,000 depending on whether you need programme pages, referral forms or a beneficiary portal. Our fixed-price CIC packages start at £1,750.
Does a CIC website need to show its social impact?
Yes, prominently. Funders, commissioners and referral partners all check the website before engaging, and a site that describes activities without evidencing outcomes puts you at a disadvantage.
Should a CIC website be accessible?
Yes. Beyond the legal position for organisations delivering public sector contracts, many CIC beneficiaries have access needs, so WCAG 2.2 AA should be the baseline rather than an upgrade.
Let's build something that actually works.
One senior person builds your project from start to finish, with trusted specialists brought in when a job needs them. No account managers, no layers, no juniors learning on your budget.