The verdict in three sentences
A custom generative AI drafts proposals, contracts and reports from your data and business templates, with human validation before sending. Budget 15,000 to 40,000 EUR in setup, 300 to 1,200 EUR/month in API and 5 to 8 weeks to deploy. Typical gain: -40 % drafting time, consistent quality, and controlled data confidentiality.
What a generative AI project costs in 2026
Budget follows the number of document types and the depth of integration with your systems. 2026 order of magnitude:
| Scope | Setup (EUR) | API/month | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 document type + templates | 15,000 - 20,000 | 300 - 500 EUR | 5 weeks |
| 2 - 3 types + document base | 20,000 - 28,000 | 500 - 800 EUR | 6 weeks |
| + CRM/ERP connection + client data | 28,000 - 35,000 | 700 - 1,000 EUR | 7 weeks |
| Full suite + validation workflow | 35,000 - 40,000 | 900 - 1,200 EUR | 8 weeks |
| Annual maintenance / tuning | 15 - 20 % of project | - | - |
API cost depends on volume and document length: expect roughly 0.50 to 2 EUR per generated document depending on size and injected context.
The impact on productivity
The gain comes from first-draft time, not from removing human review:
| Metric | Before | After generative AI |
|---|---|---|
| Time to draft a proposal | 3 - 5 h | 1 - 2 h |
| Time to send a report | 2 days | 2 hours |
| Document consistency / compliance | Variable | Standardized |
| Documents produced/week/person | 4 | 7 |
| Error / omission rate | High | Reduced (targeted review) |
| Data confidentiality | - | EU hosting, no third-party training |
The first draft generated in minutes frees the expert for higher-value work: verify, personalize, negotiate.
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Mini case study
Camille, director of an engineering consultancy in Singapore (18 staff), produces 40 proposals/month each needing 4 h of drafting, i.e. 160 engineer-hours/month valued at ~60 EUR. With a custom generative AI at 30,000 EUR (+ 800 EUR/month API), time per proposal drops to 1.5 h: 100 hours saved/month, i.e. 6,000 EUR/month of freed engineering time. Netting off the API, the net gain is around 5,200 EUR/month; the project pays back in about 6 months, and the freed capacity lets the firm handle more tenders without hiring.
FAQ
Is our data used to train a public model? No: we use enterprise-mode APIs with no data reuse for training, hosted in the EU. Your documents and client data stay confidential.
Does the human stay in control? Always: the AI produces a draft, a staff member validates and adjusts before any send. No document goes out unreviewed.
Does the AI respect our legal wording? It relies on your validated templates and clauses; for sensitive contracts a legal review is still recommended, but formatting time is slashed.
Can it draw on our past documents? Yes, via an indexed document base (RAG): the AI reuses your best examples and project references for a coherent first draft.
What is the real recurring cost? Budget 300 to 1,200 EUR/month in API depending on volume, plus 15-20 % of the project in annual maintenance to refine templates.
Let's scope your project. Specify the document types to automate, your monthly volume and data sources: we'll frame a project between 15,000 and 40,000 EUR with the API budget. 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.