The verdict in three sentences
A Montreal chamber of commerce managing 900 members, a calendar of paid events and a business directory is not redesigning a brochure site: it is rebuilding a member relationship tool. In 2026, this kind of project ranges from 40,000 to 100,000 CAD with Quebec agencies, while the Kolonell custom application grid puts it at 6,100 to 10,670 EUR (4 M to 7 M FCFA) for medium complexity. Allow 12 weeks, accessibility built in from design and ongoing support at 180 EUR a month with Kolonell.
The modules to price and their weight in the budget
The difficulty of a chamber of commerce redesign lies in the business modules, not the editorial pages. Market ranges are 2026 estimates for Montreal agencies.
| Module | Market budget (estimate) | Complexity | Watch points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bilingual editorial core FR/EN | 10,000 to 20,000 CAD | Low | Templates, approval workflow, translation |
| Online membership and renewal | 8,000 to 18,000 CAD | Medium | Fee scale by company size, automatic invoices |
| Online payments (cards, PAD) | 3,000 to 7,000 CAD | Medium | 2.2% to 2.9% fee per transaction |
| Paid events calendar | 6,000 to 15,000 CAD | Medium | Ticketing, member and non member rates, badges |
| Member directory | 6,000 to 13,000 CAD | Medium | Profiles updated by members, search by sector |
| Member area | 5,000 to 12,000 CAD | Medium | Private documents, invoice history |
| Data migration and CRM integration | 3,000 to 9,000 CAD | Variable | Cleaning 900 records, connector to existing CRM |
The market total easily reaches 45,000 to 100,000 CAD. The Kolonell grid, 6,100 to 10,670 EUR (4 M to 7 M FCFA) for a medium complexity application, covers this functional scope; beyond 3 external integrations, the project moves to the 10,670 to 22,870+ EUR band (7 M to 15 M+ FCFA).
Splitting the project into lots
A chamber that follows public procurement style rules, by obligation or good governance, benefits from splitting the contract. It makes bids easier to compare and limits risk.
| Lot | Content | Duration | Acceptance deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lot 1: scoping and UX | Workshops, sitemap, mockups, initial accessibility audit | 3 weeks | Approved mockups, test plan |
| Lot 2: core and content | FR/EN templates, migration of 150 pages, CMS | 4 weeks | Editorial site in staging |
| Lot 3: member modules | Membership, payments, member area, directory | 4 weeks | Membership flow tested end to end |
| Lot 4: events | Calendar, ticketing, tiered pricing | 2 weeks (in parallel) | Ticket purchase tested |
| Lot 5: testing and launch | Accessibility tests, acceptance, training, go live | 1 week | Accessibility statement published |
| Lot 6: ongoing support | Fixes, updates, minor changes | 12 to 36 months | Monthly report |
Selection criteria should weight technical value at 60% and price at 40%. Price alone pulls toward bids that underestimate data migration, often the first source of overruns.
Accessibility, language and privacy
Quebec public bodies follow the SGQRI 008 accessibility standard, aligned with WCAG 2.0 AA, and WCAG 2.1 AA is the sensible target for any chamber working with public partners. Allow an initial and a final audit, 3,000 to 6,000 CAD each as a market estimate. The French version must lead under the Charter of the French Language, and Law 25 requires explicit consent before publishing each member's contact details in the directory.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Julie, executive director of a Montreal chamber of commerce, manages 900 members at an average fee of 650 CAD and 25 paid events a year. Today, an assistant spends 12 hours a week on manual reminders and registrations.
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She chooses an application at 9,150 EUR (6 M FCFA, about 13,400 CAD) and support at 180 EUR a month: about 16,600 CAD in year one. If online membership lifts renewal from 82% to 87%, she keeps 45 more members, which is 29,250 CAD of fees a year. The 8 weekly hours freed up are also worth around 14,000 CAD of staff time per year.
FAQ
Why a 12 week timeline?
Member modules and migrating 900 records need several review rounds with the team. Scoping and accessibility testing alone take 4 weeks.
Can we keep our current CRM?
Yes, if the CRM has an API. The connector costs 3,000 to 9,000 CAD as a market estimate, depending on the tool, and avoids double entry.
What fees apply to online payments?
For Canadian cards, allow 2.2% to 2.9% plus 0.30 CAD per transaction, and much less for pre authorized debits. On 585,000 CAD of fees, that is about 15,000 CAD a year at most.
What does support at 180 EUR a month include?
It is Kolonell Premium maintenance at 120,000 FCFA a month: security updates, backups, priority fixes and small changes. New modules are quoted separately.
Do we need a full English version?
In Montreal, yes: a large share of members work in English, even though French must lead. Allow 0.15 to 0.25 CAD per word for professional translation.
Let's scope your project. For a redesign with online membership, ticketing and a directory, in the 6,100 to 10,670 EUR band (4 M to 7 M FCFA) and delivered in 12 weeks, we split your project into lots. 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.
