The verdict in three sentences
For a federation with 40,000 registered members, a custom membership management web app costs between EUR 40,000 and 100,000 excluding VAT, depending on the modules (registrations, membership fees, competitions, medical certificates). Real sizing is driven by the September peak, when 300 clubs and thousands of families log in at the same time to renew. Plan for 4 to 6 months of work and launch the first version by June at the latest so the new season starts calmly.
What each module costs in 2026
A federation does not need everything on day one. The core (registrations and fees) usually accounts for 55 to 60% of the budget; the rest can be split into phases.
| Module | Key features | Indicative 2026 budget (EUR excl. VAT) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Members and registrations core | Member record, age groups, seasons, registration number | 15,000 - 30,000 | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Membership fee payments | Card, SEPA direct debit, 3 instalments, payouts to clubs | 8,000 - 18,000 | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Club area (300 administrators) | Roles, registration approval, exports, club dashboard | 6,000 - 15,000 | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Competitions | Entries, team registrations, fixtures, results, rankings | 8,000 - 22,000 | 5 to 8 weeks |
| Medical certificates and documents | Upload, health questionnaire, expiry alerts | 3,000 - 7,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Federation reporting | Statistics by region, age, gender, exports for funding bodies | 3,000 - 8,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
Realistic total: EUR 43,000 for a core with payments and a club area, up to EUR 100,000 with advanced competitions, a mobile app and accounting connectors. These are 2026 ballpark figures observed on comparable projects.
Custom build or off-the-shelf software: the numbers
Off-the-shelf club and association software often charges per member or per club. At 40,000 members, the annual bill climbs fast.
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf software | Custom application |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 0 - 10,000 for setup | EUR 40,000 - 100,000 excl. VAT |
| Recurring cost | EUR 0.50 to 1.50 per member per year, i.e. EUR 20,000 - 60,000/year | Hosting and maintenance EUR 6,000 - 15,000/year |
| Payment commission | 1 to 3% taken by the vendor on top of the bank | Bank fees only, about 0.8 to 1.4% |
| Federation-specific rules | Partly supported | Coded to your own regulations |
| September load | Depends on the vendor | Sized for 10,000 concurrent users |
| Data ownership | Hosted by the vendor | Your database, hosted in the EU |
| Break-even | Immediate | 2 to 4 years depending on volume |
Going custom pays off once a federation passes 20,000 to 25,000 members or when its rules (playing up an age group, transfers, multi-discipline registrations) do not fit a standard tool.
Surviving the September peak
The specification must put a number on load. For 40,000 members, typically 60% of renewals happen between 25 August and 30 September, with peaks of 10,000 logged-in users on the first weekend. An auto-scaling architecture costs roughly EUR 300 to 900 per month in September, versus EUR 150 to 300 the rest of the year. Budget a load test before the season (EUR 2,000 to 4,000): it is the cheapest insurance in the project.
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Ciaran, general secretary of a 40,000-member federation in Dublin, currently pays EUR 1.10 per member for his software, i.e. EUR 44,000 a year, plus a 2% commission on EUR 2.4M of collected fees, i.e. EUR 48,000. Total: EUR 92,000 a year. The custom project is quoted at EUR 78,000, with EUR 12,000 a year for maintenance and hosting, and bank fees of 1% (EUR 24,000). Year one costs EUR 114,000, then EUR 36,000 a year. Annual savings reach EUR 56,000, and the project pays back in about 17 months. On top of that, clubs no longer spend 300 hours a year re-keying data.
FAQ
How long does it take to launch the app?
Allow 4 to 6 months from scoping to production. For a September season start, development should begin in January at the latest, with a pilot on 10 to 20 clubs in June.
Can we migrate our member history?
Yes. Migrating 3 to 5 seasons of data usually costs EUR 3,000 to 8,000 depending on the quality of existing files. Removing duplicates often takes 30% of that budget.
How are fees passed on to clubs and regional bodies?
The app calculates each level's share (federation, region, county, club) and generates monthly payouts. An automatic split module adds EUR 4,000 to 9,000 to the budget.
Is the app GDPR compliant for minors?
It must be: parental consent, restricted access to health data, defined retention periods. A data protection impact assessment (DPIA) costs EUR 2,000 to 5,000 and is recommended as soon as you process medical certificates.
What maintenance budget should we plan?
As a rule of thumb, 12 to 18% of the initial cost per year, i.e. EUR 6,000 to 15,000 for a EUR 40,000 to 100,000 project, hosting included.
Let's scope your project. Send us your member count, priority modules and target season date: we will price a realistic scope between EUR 40,000 and 100,000 with a 4 to 6 month 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.
