The verdict in three sentences
A Dublin engineering consultancy that answers 70 tenders a year and spends 3 days writing each one burns roughly 210 engineer-days on technical proposals that reuse 70 % of the same project references and CVs. An AI assistant connected to your document base (references, CVs, method statements, certificates) typically costs 30 000 to 80 000 EUR from Irish and UK vendors in 2026, while Kolonell's mid-complexity custom application grid sits at 4 000 000 to 7 000 000 FCFA (6 100 to 10 670 EUR), plus 80 to 300 EUR a month in model API costs, and halves drafting time. The project takes 8 to 12 weeks, and success depends less on the AI model than on the quality of your reference library and the confidentiality rules set from day one.
What an AI tender assistant actually does
The assistant does not win contracts for you. It reads the tender pack (eTenders notice, scope of services, award criteria), extracts the requirements, then drafts a first version of the technical proposal by drawing on your past bids. The bid lead reviews, corrects and adds the site-specific analysis and the project's own methodology. The saving comes from eliminating copy-paste and document hunting, which accounts for almost half the time on a bid.
| Task in a typical bid (2026 estimate) | Manual time | With AI assistant | Human role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading the tender pack and requirements matrix | 4 h | 1 h | Validate interpretation of criteria |
| Selecting similar project references | 3 h | 0.5 h | Pick the best 5 |
| Tailoring key expert CVs | 4 h | 1 h | Check years and qualifications |
| Drafting methodology and programme | 8 h | 4 h | Add site-specific analysis |
| Compliance check of documents | 3 h | 1 h | Signatures and declarations |
| Formatting and proofreading | 2 h | 1.5 h | Final review |
| Total per bid | 24 h (3 days) | 9 to 12 h |
The best results come from repetitive bids: roads, water infrastructure, public buildings, site supervision. On a very unusual bid (a first mission in a new country, a new funder), the saving drops to around 25 or 30 %.
2026 budget: build, API and operations
Cost splits into three blocks: building the application (document ingestion, semantic search, drafting interface, Word export), the usage cost of AI models billed by volume, and maintenance. The table separates Kolonell's grid from benchmarks seen on the market.
| Item | 2026 range | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Custom AI assistant, Irish/UK vendor (market benchmark) | 30 000 to 80 000 EUR | Similar scope, local consultancy rates |
| Custom AI assistant, Kolonell grid (mid complexity) | 4 000 000 to 7 000 000 FCFA (6 100 to 10 670 EUR) | Reference base, CVs, proposal drafting, Word export |
| Simple version, Kolonell grid (reference search only) | 2 500 000 to 4 000 000 FCFA (3 810 to 6 100 EUR) | No long-form generation |
| AI model API cost (estimate) | 80 to 300 EUR/month | Depends on bid count and tender length |
| Kolonell Standard maintenance | 75 000 FCFA/month (110 EUR) | Updates, monitoring, small changes |
| Generic proposal SaaS licence (market benchmark) | 300 to 900 EUR/month | Less suited to public works tenders |
The most underestimated item is data preparation: 150 to 300 references and 40 to 80 CVs to structure (client, funder, value, duration, expert role). Plan 2 to 3 weeks of a half-time engineer on your side.
Confidentiality and rollout plan
Your references, expert CVs and price schedules are sensitive, and CVs fall under the GDPR, supervised in Ireland by the Data Protection Commission. Three rules apply: use an API whose terms exclude training on your data, never send price schedules to the model, and log who accesses what. The EU AI Act classes this use as limited risk, but transparency towards staff remains good practice.
| Week | Deliverable | Decision point |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Scoping, document inventory, hosting choice (EU region) | Scope of authorised documents |
| 3 to 5 | Ingestion and structuring of the reference base | Quality of reference sheets |
| 6 to 8 | Proposal section drafting, Word export | Test on 3 real past bids |
| 9 to 10 | Access rights, logging, team training | Security sign-off |
| 11 to 12 | Production use on new tenders | Measure time saved |
Mini case study
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Aoife, managing director of a 40-person engineering consultancy in Dublin (illustrative example), answers 70 tenders a year. At 3 days per bid and a loaded cost of about 450 EUR per engineer-day, drafting costs her 210 × 450 = 94 500 EUR a year. Halving the time frees 105 days, worth 47 250 EUR. First-year spend with Kolonell: 5 500 000 FCFA (8 380 EUR) build, 2 400 EUR of API (200 EUR a month) and 1 320 EUR of maintenance, about 12 100 EUR. With a local vendor at 50 000 EUR, the same gain still pays back in about 14 months; at Kolonell's grid, payback is around 3 months on time alone, before counting any extra contracts won.
FAQ
Can an AI assistant write a technical proposal without review?
No. It produces a first draft that is 60 to 70 % usable, which the engineer must correct and complete. A bid sent without review risks off-topic references or misdated CVs, which costs marks at the first evaluation.
How many references do we need to start?
A base of 100 well-documented references is enough for useful results. Beyond 300, similar-reference search becomes much more precise, especially for frameworks such as the OGP or Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
Is our data sent outside the EU?
Not necessarily: major model providers offer EU-hosted processing in 2026. With a contract excluding training, zero retention and price schedules kept out, the risk is controlled; document it in your GDPR record of processing.
What is the monthly cost once live?
Expect 80 to 300 EUR of API depending on volume, plus 75 000 FCFA (110 EUR) for Standard maintenance. For 70 bids a year, the total bill is around 200 to 420 EUR a month.
How soon do we see the first gains?
The first assisted bids arrive around week 8, and a reliable measure of time saved needs 10 to 15 bids, about two months of use.
Let's scope your project. Send us three recent tender packs and your reference list: we will price an assistant between 4 000 000 and 7 000 000 FCFA (6 100 to 10 670 EUR), delivered in 8 to 12 weeks. 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.
