The verdict in three sentences
A B2B SaaS MVP exists to prove that one core feature solves a problem painful enough for 10 pilot customers to pay. In Paris or Berlin in 2026, this scope costs 25,000 to 60,000 EUR excl. VAT and ships in 12 weeks, with Stripe subscriptions, a dashboard and infrastructure at 100 to 300 EUR a month. Public funding such as the French Bourse French Tech (up to 30,000 EUR) or Berlin's start-up grants can cover much of the budget if you apply before work starts.
What goes into the MVP, and what stays out
MVP discipline is about the list of things you refuse. One core feature, one paying user type, one onboarding channel. Anything that does not help measure whether pilots use and pay goes to the backlog.
| Component | In the MVP | Indicative cost excl. VAT | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core feature | Yes | 10,000 to 25,000 EUR | 50 % of budget, the only thing that matters |
| Authentication and team accounts | Yes | 2,000 to 4,000 EUR | Magic link, admin and member roles |
| Stripe subscriptions (Billing + customer portal) | Yes | 2,500 to 5,000 EUR | Free trial, monthly and annual plans, VAT |
| Usage dashboard | Yes | 3,000 to 7,000 EUR | Metrics for the customer and for you |
| Guided onboarding | Yes, simple | 1,500 to 3,500 EUR | 3 to 5 steps, sample data |
| Third-party integrations (Slack, HubSpot) | One at most | 2,000 to 6,000 EUR | The one pilots ask for |
| Native mobile app | No | 15,000 EUR and up | Responsive web is enough |
| Enterprise SSO, SOC 2 | No | 8,000 to 25,000 EUR | After the first enterprise deals |
Budget and 12-week schedule
The figures below are 2026 orders of magnitude for a team of 2 to 3 people (senior full-stack developer, product designer, part-time project lead) on a Next.js, PostgreSQL and Stripe stack. Berlin freelance rates are broadly in line with Paris.
| Weeks | Deliverable | Share of budget | Example for 40,000 EUR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Pilot interviews, target journey, clickable mockups | 12 % | 4,800 EUR |
| 3 to 4 | Technical base: accounts, roles, database, CI/CD | 13 % | 5,200 EUR |
| 5 to 8 | Core feature, in two sprints demoed to pilots | 40 % | 16,000 EUR |
| 9 to 10 | Stripe, dashboard, onboarding | 20 % | 8,000 EUR |
| 11 | QA, security, performance, GDPR | 8 % | 3,200 EUR |
| 12 | Launch to the 10 pilots, analytics follow-up | 7 % | 2,800 EUR |
Starting infrastructure stays modest: app hosting 20 to 80 EUR, managed database 25 to 100 EUR, e-mail sending 15 to 40 EUR, monitoring and logs 20 to 50 EUR, so 100 to 300 EUR a month for a few hundred users. Stripe charges about 1.5 % + 0.25 EUR per European card payment, plus 0.7 % for Stripe Billing.
Funding the MVP without diluting too early
In France, the Bourse French Tech funds up to 30,000 EUR of creation costs for a company under one year old, as a grant, after an application to Bpifrance. Honour loans from Initiative or Réseau Entreprendre often add 15,000 to 50,000 EUR at zero interest. In Berlin, founders typically look at EXIST for university spin-offs or IBB programmes. These schemes change every year: confirm eligibility before signing the quote, since spend committed before applying may be excluded.
Mini case study
Thomas, founder of a route planning SaaS for cleaning companies, signs a 42,000 EUR excl. VAT MVP. He secures a 30,000 EUR French Tech Grant and a 20,000 EUR honour loan, funding everything without raising equity. His 10 pilots move to a 290 EUR per month plan after a one-month trial, and 7 stay. That is 2,030 EUR of monthly recurring revenue, 24,360 EUR a year, for 200 EUR a month of infrastructure. With 7 paying customers and measured retention, his pre-seed case is far stronger than with a mockup alone.
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FAQ
Can a SaaS MVP be built for under 25,000 EUR?
With no-code (Bubble, Softr) you can get down to 8,000 to 15,000 EUR, but migrating to code later costs 30,000 EUR or more. For a B2B SaaS aiming at annual contracts, code from day one is often cheaper over 24 months.
Who owns the source code?
You, fully, as each milestone is paid. The Git repository and hosting accounts are created in your company's name in week 1.
What does the SaaS cost after launch?
Allow 100 to 300 EUR a month of infrastructure and 1,500 to 4,000 EUR excl. VAT a month of ongoing development to iterate on pilot feedback.
Do we need GDPR compliance at MVP stage?
Yes, because B2B customers will ask in their vendor questionnaire. Record of processing, EU hosting, data processing agreement and account deletion represent about 1,500 to 3,000 EUR of the budget.
How many pilots are needed to validate?
Ten committed pilots are enough for a signal. If 6 out of 10 pay after the trial at over 150 EUR a month, the problem is probably real.
Let's scope your project. Show us your core feature and your pilots: we will scope an MVP between 25,000 and 60,000 EUR excl. VAT, delivered in 12 weeks, with a schedule compatible with grant applications. 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.
