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Council Platform
councilplatform.com
What it is
Council Platform is a web service for running local government CMS websites. Its drag-and-drop editor lets teams create complex pages without developer time, with a customisable front end based on the GOV.UK Design System. Features include service directories, news, event calendars, global search, CRM functions, forms, and editorial workflows. The platform supports manual and machine translation for bilingual sites, plus multi-site publishing and document management. The maker describes sites as accessible from the outset and says subscribers receive free accessibility audit scans. Listed integrations include Bartec, ModernGov, Elgin Roadworks, Council Advertising Network, Microsoft Azure Chatbots, Google Analytics, SiteImprove, and ReciteMe. Security provisions include two-factor authentication, password complexity requirements, and automatic logout. Subscriptions include production and test hosting, support, documentation, uptime monitoring, security updates, and a 99.9% uptime SLA. Pricing is based on monthly page views: the plan up to 5,000 page views costs £200 monthly licence fee (ex VAT), while the 5,001–15,000 tier costs £400 monthly licence fee (ex VAT). Plans above 100,000 monthly page views add features including microsites, cookie-less analytics, accessibility auditing, and PDF conversion.
Spec sheet
- What it does
- Council Platform is an online service for running local-government CMS websites.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Purpose
- Council Platform is an online service for running local government CMS websites.Read 3 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Intended users
- The maker presents the platform as providing tools to run public sector websites and lists councils among its customers.Read 3 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Deployment
- The service is available immediately and is fully functional from the first day of access.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Integrations
- The procurement document lists Bartec, ModernGov, Elgin Roadworks, Council Advertising Network, Microsoft Azure Chatbots, Google Analytics, SiteImprove and ReciteMe integrations.Read 21 Oct 2026 · assets.applytosupply.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk
- Security
- The homepage lists two-factor authentication, minimum password complexity requirements, and automatic logout.Read 3 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Accessibility
- The maker describes sites as accessible from the outset and provides free accessibility scans to subscribers.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- AI assistant
- The proposed chat-to-website assistant restricts answers to published site pages and documents, can cite source pages, and supports PDF references.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- AI data handling
- The AI feature defaults to an EU-resident ChatGPT service, keeps site data in the UK, and says chat queries are not stored after an answer is returned.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- API extensibility
- The AI assistant requires customers to provide their own LLM account API credentials.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Bilingual content
- The feature list says the platform supports manual and machine translation for bilingual sites.Read 3 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Bilingual publishing
- The platform supports manual and machine translation for bilingual websites.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Browser support
- The service is tested with current Apple Safari, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer 11 and Mozilla Firefox, and layouts adapt to mobile screens.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Council lookup availability
- The councillor-finder functionality is part of the core platform and is available to subscribers without an additional charge.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Council lookup integration
- A councillor finder uses uploaded CSV data and Ordnance Survey APIs to map postcodes and properties to wards and councillors.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- CRM
- CRM functionality is built into the platform.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Design
- The platform uses a customisable front end based on the GOV.UK Design System.Read 3 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Design system
- The front end is based on the GOV.UK Design System and can be customised.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Directories
- Users can create searchable and filterable find-your-nearest directories.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Documentation
- Documentation is described as searchable online material updated as features are created or expanded and as users provide feedback.Read 21 Oct 2026 · assets.applytosupply.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk
- Editing
- A drag-and-drop editor is intended to let users build complex pages without developer time.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Events
- Event listings include a monthly calendar view.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Features
- Features include service directories, news, event calendars, global search, CRM functionality, forms, and editorial workflows.Read 3 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Forms
- Editors can create custom multi-step WYSIWYG forms and surveys using the GDS visual style.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Higher-tier extras
- Subscriptions above 100,000 monthly page views include microsites, cookie-less analytics, accessibility auditing, and Doc2Page PDF conversion.Read 3 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Limit: bespoke work
- The 2022 procurement pricing document says bespoke customisation is resource-priced at £700 per development day per person ex VAT.Read 21 Oct 2026 · assets.applytosupply.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk
- Limit: traffic-based pricing
- The monthly licence fee rises across nine page-view bands, reaching £3,600 ex VAT for 800,001 or more monthly views.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Maintenance
- The maker says sites share a common platform and receive ongoing development and secure updates.Read 3 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Maker incorporation
- Companies House records Zodiac Media Ltd as an active private company incorporated on 29 January 2013.Read 21 Oct 2026 · find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk
- Maker legal name
- The service footer identifies Zodiac Media Ltd as the website owner.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Maker ownership context
- The Companies House filing classifies the business under SIC 62090, other information technology service activities.Read 21 Oct 2026 · find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk
- Maker registered office
- Companies House lists Zodiac Media Ltd's registered office at 21 Walter Road, Swansea, Wales, SA1 5NQ.Read 21 Oct 2026 · find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk
- Maker size and headquarters
- LinkedIn describes Zodiac Media as a privately held London company founded in 2013 with 2–10 employees.Read 21 Oct 2026 · uk.linkedin.com
- Microsites
- Plans above 100,000 monthly page views include microsites with no extra charge for the number of sites.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- ModernGov integration
- The platform can provide templates for ModernGov reverse-CMS integration.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- News
- The CMS includes magazine-style news pages with categories and filters.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- News: Drupal 11
- The 25 March 2026 version 3.0.0 release moved the platform to Drupal 11 and promised security updates through 2027.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- News: version 3.3.0
- A 28 August 2026 release added Card and Notification Banner blocks and other content-editor improvements.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Newsletter integration
- Newsletter sign-up can run on-site or through a service such as MailChimp.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Praise: support
- A Wrexham Council testimonial says Zodiac Media was responsive, provided strong support and delivered an intranet quickly.Read 21 Oct 2026 · assets.applytosupply.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk
- Praise: usability
- The same procurement document records Wrexham staff describing the product as easy to use.Read 21 Oct 2026 · assets.applytosupply.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk
- Revision history
- Content changes are stored as revisions that editors can compare or roll back.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Search
- Global search uses Solr and supports result highlighting and search suggestions.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Security architecture
- The service-definition document describes HTTPS, auto-logout, action logs, revision history, anti-bot forms, CSP headers, monitored dedicated VPSs, ClamAV scanning, daily backups and UK ISO 27001 data centres.Read 21 Oct 2026 · assets.applytosupply.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk
- Security controls
- The homepage states that standard security includes two-factor authentication, minimum password complexity and automatic logout.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Service pages
- Content can be organised hierarchically by service area, with related-page suggestions and an alphabetical service list.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Setup
- The site says websites are ready for content population within 24 hours.Read 3 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Subscription inclusions
- Subscriptions include production and test hosting, support, documentation access, uptime monitoring, security updates and a 99.9% uptime SLA.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
- Workflow
- Editorial workflow supports Draft, Review and Publish stages.Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
Plans and prices
Up to 5000 monthly page views £200 a month monthly licence fee (ex VAT) up to 5000 monthly page views Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
5001 to 15000 monthly page views £400 a month monthly licence fee (ex VAT) 5001 to 15000 monthly page views Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
15001 to 50000 monthly page views £800 a month monthly licence fee (ex VAT) 15001 to 50000 monthly page views Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
50001 to 100000 monthly page views £1,200 a month monthly licence fee (ex VAT) 50001 to 100000 monthly page views Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
100001 to 150000 monthly page views £1,650 a month monthly licence fee (ex VAT) 100001 to 150000 monthly page views · microsites · cookie-less analytics · accessibility auditing · Doc2Page PDF conversion Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
150001 to 300000 monthly page views £1,950 a month monthly licence fee (ex VAT) 150001 to 300000 monthly page views · microsites · cookie-less analytics · accessibility auditing · Doc2Page PDF conversion Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
300001 to 500000 monthly page views £2,250 a month monthly licence fee (ex VAT) 300001 to 500000 monthly page views · microsites · cookie-less analytics · accessibility auditing · Doc2Page PDF conversion Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
500001 to 800000 monthly page views £2,700 a month monthly licence fee (ex VAT) 500001 to 800000 monthly page views · microsites · cookie-less analytics · accessibility auditing · Doc2Page PDF conversion Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
800001 and over monthly page views £3,600 a month monthly licence fee (ex VAT) 800001 and over monthly page views · microsites · cookie-less analytics · accessibility auditing · Doc2Page PDF conversion Read 21 Oct 2026 · councilplatform.com
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Editor supports page building without developer time.
- Subscriptions include production and test hosting.
- Includes a 99.9% uptime SLA.
- Supports manual and machine translation.
Limits
- No free plan is available.
- The £200 monthly licence fee is ex VAT.
- Pricing tiers are based on monthly page views.
Who it suits
Council Platform suits councils and other public-sector teams running local government websites. Its bilingual publishing, editorial workflows, and service directories are relevant to teams maintaining public-facing information.
Verdict
Council Platform combines CMS features with hosting, support, and security updates in its subscriptions. Check the page-view tier and whether the higher-tier extras apply to your site.
Where Specifiction places it
- Government Website Builders#3 of 338.4
