The verdict in three sentences
A platform matching locum doctors with medical practices across 3 French regions costs 50,000 to 120,000 EUR excl. VAT to build, plus 300 to 900 EUR a month for HDS-certified hosting. The safest business model is a practice subscription of 49 to 149 EUR a month, because a percentage commission on fees raises an ethical fee-splitting issue. With about 97,000 EUR of annual costs, break-even sits at around 80 to 110 paying practices, reachable in 12 to 18 months across 3 regions.
What needs to be built, and at what price
The core product comes down to three functions: post a locum period, find a verified practitioner and sign the contract paperlessly. Everything else is comfort that can wait for version two.
| Module | Content | Indicative 2026 budget (EUR excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor and practice accounts | Sign-up, profiles, specialties, areas, availability | 8,000 to 15,000 |
| RPPS verification | Check via the national health directory, practice status, locum licence for residents | 5,000 to 10,000 |
| Listings and matching | Dates, proposed fee share, practice software, housing, targeted alerts | 10,000 to 25,000 |
| Secure messaging | Practice and locum exchanges, attachments | 5,000 to 12,000 |
| Automatic locum contracts | Compliant template, e-signature, sending to the regional medical council | 8,000 to 18,000 |
| Subscription billing | Stripe, invoices, plan management | 4,000 to 10,000 |
| Back office and analytics | Moderation, disputes, fill rate by region | 6,000 to 15,000 |
| Native mobile apps | Optional, otherwise PWA | 4,000 to 15,000 |
| Total | 3 regions | 50,000 to 120,000 |
HDS-certified hosting (the French health data hosting standard) is mandatory as soon as the platform handles patient data (for instance named schedules or handover notes), and practices and health centres often require it anyway. Allow 300 to 900 EUR a month depending on redundancy and volume.
Revenue models and break-even
Estimated annual costs for 3 regions: 7,200 EUR of HDS hosting, 18,000 EUR of maintenance and improvements, 36,000 EUR of acquisition (trade shows, resident networks, targeted ads), 9,000 EUR of legal and support, and 26,700 EUR of depreciation on an 80,000 EUR build over 3 years. Total: about 96,900 EUR a year, or 8,075 EUR a month.
| Revenue model | 2026 price | Average monthly revenue per practice | Break-even |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential subscription | 49 EUR a month | 49 EUR | 165 practices |
| Pro subscription (unlimited listings, priority) | 99 EUR a month | 99 EUR | 82 practices |
| Network subscription (health centres, groups) | 149 EUR a month | 149 EUR | 55 organisations |
| Flat fee per filled assignment | 39 EUR per assignment | 58.50 EUR (1.5 assignments a month) | 207 assignments a month |
| Hybrid: 49 EUR a month plus 19 EUR per assignment | 49 EUR + 19 EUR | 77.50 EUR | 105 practices |
| Percentage commission on fees | 5 to 10% | Variable | Avoid: fee-splitting risk |
The French medical code of ethics prohibits fee splitting with a non-physician third party, and the Medical Council reviews contracts linked to practice. A flat subscription or fixed fees per assignment, unrelated to fee amounts, sharply reduce that risk. Have the model validated by a health law attorney before launch (1,500 to 4,000 EUR excl. VAT).
Levers that speed up traction
Locums must stay free: they create the liquidity. Listings fill faster when they show the fee share (often 70 to 80% in general practice), the practice software and housing. An average fill time under 10 days is the strongest sales argument with practices.
Mini case study
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Dr Leroy, a GP in Rennes, launches the platform in Brittany, Pays de la Loire and Normandy with an 85,000 EUR excl. VAT build. By the end of year two, she has 140 paying practices at 89 EUR average revenue, i.e. 12,460 EUR a month and 149,520 EUR a year. With 98,600 EUR of annual costs (depreciation included), operating margin reaches 50,900 EUR, and break-even was crossed in month 15.
FAQ
Can RPPS verification be automated?
Yes, the national health directory exposes practitioners' registration data through a free public API. The check takes seconds and is completed by a manual review of the locum licence for residents.
Are automatically generated contracts valid?
Yes, if they follow a template in line with Medical Council recommendations and are e-signed by both parties. The platform can prepare their submission to the regional council, which remains the doctors' obligation.
Is HDS hosting strictly required?
It is mandatory as soon as patient health data passes through the platform. For pure matching without patient data, it remains recommended and costs 300 to 900 EUR a month.
How long to launch a first version?
Allow 4 to 5 months for a 50,000 to 70,000 EUR excl. VAT version covering accounts, RPPS, listings, contracts and subscriptions. Native apps and advanced matching come later.
Can we start with a single region?
Yes, it is even advisable: a region with 2,000 to 3,000 GPs is enough to validate the fill rate. Expanding to 2 more regions costs mostly acquisition, not development.
Let's scope your project. Describe your target regions, revenue model and priority features: we will price the platform between 50,000 and 120,000 EUR excl. VAT with a 4 to 5-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.
