The verdict in three sentences
For an engineering school placing 400 interns a year, spreadsheets and email no longer cope: lost agreements, late signatures, supervisor evaluations never returned. An internship and co-op placement platform with three spaces (students, employers, supervisors), PDF agreement generation and online evaluation costs about CAD 60,000 to 110,000 in Montréal in 2026. Delivered in 14 weeks, it frees roughly three days of admin work per month and finally produces reliable numbers for CEAB accreditation files.
The current process and where it breaks
The industry relations director of an engineering school in Montréal oversees 400 placements a year: first-year work terms, technical internships, capstone projects and co-op terms with employers in Montréal, Laval, Québec City and sometimes Toronto or abroad. Everything runs through a shared spreadsheet, Word agreement templates and dozens of emails per file. Three points break regularly: the signed agreement missing at start date, no visibility on postings from partner employers, and supervisor evaluations that need three reminders.
| Step | Current process (spreadsheet, email) | With the platform |
|---|---|---|
| Posting openings | emails forwarded to cohorts | postings online, filtered by program |
| Student application | résumé by email | one-click application with profile |
| Academic approval | paper signature by coordinator | online approval, full history |
| Placement agreement | Word template filled by hand | generated PDF, e-signature |
| Mid-term check-in | call from faculty supervisor | check-in form, alerts |
| Final evaluation | paper or scanned PDF grid | online evaluation by workplace supervisor |
| Accreditation statistics | manual consolidation | exportable dashboard |
Budget: what CAD 60,000 to 110,000 covers
The amount depends on the number of tracks (internship, co-op, international mobility), the e-signature flow and connections to the student information system. A school wanting internships only with simple signature sits at the low end.
| Item | 2026 ballpark (CAD) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping, workshops with registrar and employers | 6,000 to 10,000 | weeks 1 to 3 |
| Student space (profile, postings, applications) | 12,500 to 22,500 | weeks 3 to 8 |
| Employer space (postings, agreements) | 11,500 to 20,000 | weeks 4 to 9 |
| Supervisor space (check-ins, evaluations) | 9,000 to 17,500 | weeks 6 to 10 |
| PDF agreement generation and e-signature | 7,500 to 15,000 | weeks 7 to 11 |
| Dashboard and accreditation exports | 6,000 to 12,500 | weeks 9 to 12 |
| QA, training, pilot on one cohort | 7,500 to 12,500 | weeks 12 to 14 |
| Market total | 60,000 to 110,000 | 14 weeks |
At Kolonell, a platform like this falls into our complex custom application range, 10,670 to 22,870+ EUR depending on scope; the exact figure is set on quote after the scoping workshops. Maintenance runs 53 to 183 EUR a month depending on service level.
Choices that make the difference
E-signature must stay simple for small employers: link by email or SMS, verification code, timestamped PDF. Large employers with their own process can upload a signed agreement. The evaluation form must take 10 minutes on mobile, or the workplace supervisor won't complete it. On personal data, the platform must comply with Québec's Law 25, including a privacy impact assessment and clear retention rules, and hosting in Canada is usually expected. The interface languages are set in the quote. Finally, hosting must absorb peaks in September and January, when cohorts look for placements at the same time.
Mini case study
Isabelle, industry relations director of an engineering school in Montréal, manages 400 placements a year with two coordinators. Each file takes about 3 hours of admin work: data entry, reminders, agreement, evaluation collection.
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- Current time: 400 × 3 hours = 1,200 hours a year, 100 hours a month.
- The platform saves 3 days a month per coordinator: 2 × 3 × 7.5 = 45 hours a month, about 540 hours a year.
- At a loaded CAD 50 an hour, the direct saving is about CAD 27,000 a year.
- The main gain lies elsewhere: no placement starting without a signed agreement, evaluation return rates rising from 55% to over 90%, and statistics ready for accreditation.
FAQ
Does the platform handle co-op as well as internships?
Yes, with a dedicated track: contract, school and employer calendar, follow-up by work term. It usually adds CAD 7,500 to 15,000 to the market budget.
Will partner employers use it?
Yes if access works through a secure link without complex account creation. With that approach, 80% of supervisors complete evaluations online in the first year.
Is e-signature legally valid in Québec?
Québec's framework on information technology documents recognises electronic signatures. For a placement agreement, a timestamped, traceable signature is enough in most cases.
Can it connect to our student information system?
Yes, through a student list import each term or via API if the system allows. Allow 1 to 2 extra weeks.
How soon is the first real use?
A pilot on one cohort is possible in week 12, before rollout to all 1,100 students the following term.
Let's scope your project. Student, employer and supervisor spaces, PDF agreements and online evaluations: we define scope and the 14-week pilot with your leadership team. 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.
