The verdict in three sentences
A custom business platform in Dublin costs between 50,000 and 200,000 EUR depending on scope, with a first production release in 4 to 9 months. The secret to a successful project is shipping an MVP in 10 to 14 weeks, then iterating in sprints rather than building everything at once. Budget 15-20% of the build cost per year for application maintenance and enhancements: a platform is a living system, not a frozen deliverable.
How much a business platform costs by scope
Price depends on the number of modules, the level of automation and integrations. Here are 2026 orders of magnitude seen in the Dublin market.
| Scope | Typical modules | Timeline | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focused MVP | 1 process, 2-3 roles | 10-14 wks | 50,000-75,000 EUR |
| Standard platform | 3-5 modules, workflows | 4-6 months | 80,000-130,000 EUR |
| Extended platform | Multi-service, reporting | 6-9 months | 130,000-200,000 EUR |
| Critical platform | High availability, SLA, audit | 9-12 months | 200,000 EUR and up |
On top of these come cloud infrastructure (300 to 1,500 EUR/month depending on load) and maintenance. A 100,000 EUR platform thus generates 15,000 to 20,000 EUR/year in corrective and evolutive maintenance.
The agile method that avoids the tunnel effect
The tunnel effect — shipping after 9 months a product that no longer fits the need — is the primary risk. The countermeasure is to pace the project in short, measurable phases.
| Phase | Duration | Deliverable | Share of budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery workshops | 2-3 wks | Prioritised backlog, mockups | 8-12% |
| Technical design | 2 wks | Architecture, data model | 8-10% |
| MVP sprints | 6-8 wks | Real-world testable version | 40-45% |
| Iterations | 4-8 wks | Additional modules | 25-30% |
| UAT and go-live | 2-3 wks | Platform in production | 8-12% |
Each two-week sprint ends with a demo: the client validates, redirects or cuts a feature. You only build what truly serves.
Mini case study
Mark, operations director at a 140-person industrial mid-cap in Dublin, runs production on three shared Excel files and email. Data-entry errors, lost versions, no traceability. Kolonell scopes a 68,000 EUR MVP delivered in 12 weeks: centralised entry, approval workflows, real-time dashboard. Result over 12 months: 11 hours/week saved per 4 shop-floor managers, i.e. about 44 hours/week at a loaded cost of 42 EUR, or nearly 95,000 EUR/year. The MVP pays for itself in under 9 months, before iterations even begin.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
FAQ
Do we need to specify everything before starting?
No. You lock the vision and the first process, then refine sprint by sprint. A 100%-frozen spec is often obsolete at delivery; 60-70% of scoping is enough to start confidently.
How long before the first usable version?
Count 10 to 14 weeks for an MVP your teams can genuinely use, versus 4 to 9 months for the full platform. The MVP creates value while the rest is being built.
Do we own the code?
Yes. Source code, documentation and access are delivered to you. You are never locked in and can bring maintenance in-house.
What budget after delivery?
Between 15 and 20% of the build cost per year for maintenance, plus hosting (300 to 1,500 EUR/month). A business platform evolves with your activity.
No-code or custom?
No-code fits under 20 users and simple workflows. Beyond that, or as soon as you need fine business rules and integrations, custom becomes more cost-effective over 3 years.
Let's scope your project. Describe the process to digitise, your indicative budget and your deadline: we will propose a costed MVP scope. 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.
