The verdict in three sentences
For a municipality of 30,000 residents, whether a French commune or a council area served from Dublin, custom software to manage citizen requests costs EUR 40,000 to 120,000 excl. VAT in 2026, depending on the number of services, connectors and required hosting level. Above EUR 40,000 excl. VAT, French public buyers go through an adapted procedure (MAPA) with advertising, which adds 6 to 10 weeks to an overall schedule of 5 to 8 months; Irish authorities follow comparable national advertising rules below EU thresholds. The project is justified when paper or email requests tie up more than 2 full-time equivalents and off-the-shelf tools do not cover internal approval workflows.
Scope and price: what drives the bill
A chief executive or town manager usually wants three things: a citizen portal with national digital ID login (FranceConnect in France, MyGovID in Ireland), a back office that routes each request to the right department with service deadlines, and dashboards for elected members. The price depends mostly on the number of services modelled and the connections to existing systems (civil registry, finance, CRM, GIS).
| Component | Content | Indicative 2026 price (EUR excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Citizen portal | Forms, request tracking, notifications, accessibility compliance | 10,000 to 25,000 |
| Digital ID login | Authentication, identity data retrieval | 3,000 to 7,000 |
| Service engine | 10 to 30 configurable services, approval workflows | 12,000 to 35,000 |
| Staff back office | Queues per department, deadlines, reminders, reply templates | 8,000 to 22,000 |
| System connectors | CRM, GIS, e-signature, document management, finance | 5,000 to 20,000 |
| Reporting and open data | Dashboards for members, exports, deadline indicators | 2,000 to 11,000 |
A first lot of 10 services with digital ID login and back office sits around EUR 40,000 to 55,000 excl. VAT. A full platform of 30 services connected to the IT estate approaches EUR 100,000 to 120,000 excl. VAT, 2026 order of magnitude.
Public procurement: thresholds, procedure and hosting
Public procurement sets the frame. In France, below EUR 40,000 excl. VAT, the buyer can award a contract without prior advertising or competition, while avoiding always picking the same supplier. Between EUR 40,000 and the EU threshold for local authority supplies and services (around EUR 220,000 excl. VAT), the adapted procedure applies: advertising, specifications, bid analysis.
| Estimated value | Procedure | Advertising | Average time to award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under EUR 40,000 excl. VAT | Direct award | Optional | 2 to 4 weeks |
| EUR 40,000 to 90,000 excl. VAT | Adapted procedure | Buyer profile, press optional | 6 to 8 weeks |
| EUR 90,000 to EU threshold | Adapted procedure | National official journal or legal notices mandatory | 8 to 10 weeks |
| Above EU threshold | Open tender | National journal and OJEU | 3 to 5 months |
On hosting, citizen data remains personal data under GDPR, with an impact assessment if sensitive data is processed. If the tool touches health data (social services, home care), the French host must be HDS certified. For the most sensitive data, a SecNumCloud qualified cloud is the state-recommended benchmark. Budget EUR 150 to 600 excl. VAT per month for hosting depending on the level.
Typical 5 to 8 month project schedule
| Step | Duration | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Needs definition and specifications | 3 to 5 weeks | Chief executive, IT, pilot departments |
| Tender and supplier selection | 6 to 8 weeks | Procurement office |
| Design workshops and mock-ups | 3 weeks | Supplier and staff |
| Lot 1 development (10 services) | 8 to 10 weeks | Supplier |
| Acceptance, accessibility tests, training | 3 weeks | IT and staff |
| Go-live and support | 2 weeks | Supplier |
Mini case study
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Nathalie, chief executive of a 30,000-resident municipality near Rennes, sees 9,000 requests a year arriving by post, at the counter and by email. Each takes on average 25 minutes of staff time (data entry, routing, reminders), or 3,750 hours a year, about 2.4 full-time equivalents. Digitisation brings average time down to 12 minutes: 1,950 hours freed. At EUR 32 loaded hourly cost, the gain reaches EUR 62,400 a year. For a EUR 75,000 excl. VAT project and EUR 6,000 excl. VAT of maintenance and hosting a year, payback arrives in 14 to 15 months, and redeployed staff handle complex cases.
FAQ
What budget for digitisation software in a municipality of 30,000 residents?
Between EUR 40,000 and 120,000 excl. VAT depending on the number of services and connectors. A first lot of 10 services with digital ID login sits around EUR 40,000 to 55,000 excl. VAT.
Is an adapted procedure mandatory?
In France, above EUR 40,000 excl. VAT, yes, with advertising scaled to the amount. Below that, a contract without advertising is possible, respecting sound use of public funds.
Is digital ID login hard to integrate?
The accreditation request and technical integration take 4 to 8 weeks. Development cost stays modest, around EUR 3,000 to 7,000 excl. VAT.
Is SecNumCloud hosting required?
Not always. It is recommended for sensitive data, and HDS certification becomes mandatory as soon as the tool processes health data.
Does the municipality own the code?
Yes if the contract provides for assignment of rights, which we recommend. The authority can then evolve the tool or share it with other councils.
Let's scope your project. Send us your priority services and your tender calendar: we price the scope, the indicative budget in EUR excl. VAT and a procurement-compatible schedule. 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.
