The verdict in three sentences
For a foundation receiving 2,000 applications a year and funding 150 projects, a custom grant management platform costs GBP 25,000 to 50,000 in London and ships in 4 to 6 months. It covers online submission, multi-reviewer committee scoring, grantee narrative and financial reports and disbursement tracking. Against international SaaS priced at USD 8,000 to 25,000 a year (about GBP 6,300 to 19,800), often rigid for bespoke programmes and multilingual applicants, custom software pays back in 2 to 4 years and belongs to the foundation.
The hidden cost of running grants by email
The grants team of a London foundation lives the same story every round: 15 MB attachments, budgets in different formats, reviewers scoring in separate spreadsheets and disbursements tracked in a shared file. The risks are real: lost applications, untracked conflicts of interest, financial reports never received.
| Cycle step | Email-based process | Dedicated platform |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving 2,000 applications | Manual sorting, 3 to 4 weeks | Structured forms, automatic completeness check |
| Eligibility | Reading every file | Automatic filters (country, amount, legal status) |
| Committee review | Spreadsheets sent to 20 reviewers | Shared rubric, weighted scores, conflict declarations |
| Decision and notification | Letters one by one | Bulk notifications in English, French or other languages |
| Staged disbursements | Shared Excel file | Schedule linked to approved reports |
| Grantee reporting | Chasing by email and phone | Automatic reminders, late-report dashboard |
Features and 2026 budget
| Module | Scope | Cost (GBP) |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant portal | Accounts, multi-step forms, attachments, drafts | 4,000 to 7,500 |
| Call management engine | Several rounds a year, criteria, calendars | 3,500 to 6,500 |
| Multi-reviewer scoring | Weighted rubrics, committees, conflicts, mean and spread | 5,000 to 10,000 |
| Grant tracking | Agreements, tranches, disbursements, receipts | 5,000 to 11,000 |
| Grantee reports | Narrative and financial reports, impact indicators | 3,500 to 7,500 |
| Dashboards and funder exports | Programme stats, Excel and PDF exports | 2,500 to 5,000 |
| QA, training, go-live | Tests, staff and reviewer training | 1,500 to 2,500 |
| Total | 25,000 to 50,000 | |
| Maintenance and hosting | Fixes, backups, minor improvements | GBP 500 to 1,000 per month |
The low end fits a single call type with one review round. The high end covers several programmes, two-round review, a dedicated funder area and an impact indicator module.
Custom build or international SaaS
| Criterion | International SaaS (Submittable, SmartSimple, Fluxx) | Custom platform |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | USD 8,000 to 25,000 a year, about GBP 6,300 to 19,800 | GBP 25,000 to 50,000 once + GBP 6,000 to 12,000 a year |
| Language | Mostly English, partial translations | Any languages, including French for African grantees |
| Applicant access | Heavy on low-bandwidth networks | Mobile-optimised, offline drafts |
| Data | Often hosted in the US | UK or EU hosting, UK GDPR compliance |
| Grant payments to Africa | Bank transfer only | Mobile money (Wave, Orange Money) tracking possible |
| Ownership | Rental | Code and data owned by the foundation |
Mini case study
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Eleanor, director of grants at a London foundation, today uses 3 staff half-time for 4 months per round, about 6 person-months, or GBP 24,000 at a loaded GBP 4,000 per month. With the platform, sorting and eligibility drop from 4 weeks to 1 week and total effort halves, saving GBP 12,000 a year. She chooses a GBP 38,000 project plus GBP 750 a month maintenance. Compared with a SaaS at USD 15,000 a year (about GBP 11,900), the annual gap against maintenance (GBP 2,900) combined with the time savings pays back the platform in around 3 years.
FAQ
Can we start with a single grant round?
Yes, with a GBP 25,000 to 30,000 scope, then add impact reporting and other programmes in phase 2 for GBP 6,500 to 13,000.
How are reviewer conflicts of interest handled?
Each reviewer declares links before accessing applications, and the platform hides the affected files automatically. The declaration log is kept for funder and Charity Commission audits.
Can applicants in low-connectivity areas apply?
Yes if the platform is mobile-first: form steps under 2 minutes, autosave and attachments compressed under 5 MB.
Is the data compliant with UK rules?
The platform must follow UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, with a data protection impact assessment. Budget GBP 1,000 to 2,000 for documentation support.
Let's scope your project. Describe your programmes and application volumes, and we will price a platform between GBP 25,000 and 50,000 with a 4 to 6 month plan. 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.
