The verdict in three sentences
For an engineering school managing 900 placement agreements and 300 degree apprenticeships a year, a custom app costs roughly 22,000 to 39,000 GBP excl. VAT in 2026, delivered in about 4 months. The three building blocks that matter are e-signature of agreements, an employer portal and an integration with the student records system to avoid double entry. The main gain is measured in admin hours freed and in agreements signed before day one of the placement rather than after.
The current process and what the app replaces
The employer relations manager currently juggles a shared spreadsheet, PDFs sent by email, phone chasing and manual entry into the student records system. A placement agreement goes through four signatories: student, employer, academic supervisor, programme director. Each lost round trip delays the start.
| Step | Current process | With the app |
|---|---|---|
| Placement details entry | Student email, retyped | Student form prefilled from student records |
| Academic approval | Email to programme lead | Workflow with automatic reminder at day 3 |
| Agreement generation | Word template filled by hand | PDF generated with the school's clauses |
| Signatures (4 parties) | Print, scan, chase | E-signature, average turnaround 3 to 5 days |
| Supervisor follow-up | Spreadsheet | Follow-up record, online assessment |
| End of placement assessment | Paper form or email | Employer questionnaire from the portal |
| Accreditation statistics | Manual consolidation | One-click export per cohort |
For apprenticeships, the app tracks the contract, the off-the-job training calendar, progress reviews and evidence for the funding body. The student records system stays the reference; the app reads and writes through its API rather than replacing it.
Detailed budget: where the 22,000 to 39,000 GBP goes
| Work package | Essential version | Full version |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping, workshops with registry and employer relations | 2,200 GBP | 3,900 GBP |
| Student area and approval workflow | 5,300 GBP | 8,700 GBP |
| Agreement generation and e-signature | 3,900 GBP | 6,000 GBP |
| Employer portal (offers, agreements, assessments) | 4,400 GBP | 7,800 GBP |
| Apprenticeship module (contracts, calendar, reviews) | 2,600 GBP | 6,100 GBP |
| Student records integration and SSO | 2,200 GBP | 4,300 GBP |
| Acceptance, accessibility, training | 1,400 GBP | 2,200 GBP |
| Total excl. VAT | 22,000 GBP | 39,000 GBP |
Recurring costs, 2026 estimate: e-signature at 1 to 2 GBP per envelope, or 1,200 to 2,400 GBP a year for 1,200 documents, UK hosting around 70 to 180 GBP a month, plus corrective and evolutive maintenance.
Comparing with an off-the-shelf product
| Criterion | Placement management SaaS | Custom app |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | 2,600 to 7,000 GBP of setup | 22,000 to 39,000 GBP |
| Annual cost | 5,200 to 13,000 GBP depending on student numbers | 2,600 to 6,100 GBP (maintenance, signature, hosting) |
| School-specific clauses and workflows | Limited to built-in options | Fully tailored |
| Student records integration | Depends on vendor, sometimes extra | Included in the specification |
| Ownership of data and code | Data exportable, code not | School owns both |
| Time to go live | 1 to 2 months | About 4 months |
SaaS remains sensible for a small school. Beyond 1,000 files a year, with specific workflows and an apprenticeship unit, custom becomes competitive over 4 to 5 years.
Mini case study
Hypothetical example: Rachel, employer relations manager at a London engineering school, and her team of three administrators process 1,200 files a year.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
- Current time: about 2.5 hours per file across entry, chasing and archiving, or 3,000 hours a year.
- With the app: 1.5 hours per file, or 1,800 hours. Gain: 1,200 hours, about 0.75 full-time equivalent.
- Value: at a loaded cost of 33 GBP an hour, 39,600 GBP a year.
With a 33,000 GBP project and 4,400 GBP of annual costs, the school breaks even in about 11 months, and reduces the number of placements starting without a signed agreement.
FAQ
Is an e-signature as valid as a paper agreement?
Yes, under UK law an electronic signature is valid for a placement agreement. The cost is around 1 to 2 GBP per signed document.
Do we need to replace our student records system?
No. The app connects to its API to read students and record placements. Plan 4 to 8 days of development for that integration.
Do employers need to create an account?
A secure link is enough to sign. An account becomes useful for repeat employers who post several offers a year and assess several students.
Does the app need to be accessible?
Yes, UK universities must meet the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations, aligned with WCAG 2.2 AA. An audit and fixes usually represent 3 to 6 % of the budget.
Can we start with placements and add apprenticeships later?
Yes, it is a good way to spread the budget: a first phase at 22,000 GBP on placements, then the apprenticeship module at 2,600 to 6,100 GBP the following year.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your volumes of agreements and apprenticeships, your current tools and your intake calendar, and we will price the scope, an indicative budget and the timeline. 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.
