The verdict in three sentences
A nursery group that sells 60% of its places to employers serves two customers at once: families and the companies that reserve places. Off-the-shelf software charges EUR 80 to 200 per nursery per month, i.e. EUR 11,500 to 28,800 a year for 12 sites, and copes poorly with split billing between parents and employers. Custom software at EUR 30,000 to 65,000 excl. VAT, delivered in 4 to 6 months, pays off as soon as occupancy across the group rises by 2 to 3 points.
What the software must handle across 12 small nurseries
With 12 places per site, the group runs 144 places, around 86 of them reserved by employers. Every empty place that is not resold costs hundreds of euros a month. The software must connect contracts, actual attendance and billing.
| Module | Key features | Users | Expected gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family contracts | Childcare contract, booked days, hours, monthly billing plan | Site managers, head office | No more Word contracts or billing plan errors |
| Employer places | Reservation agreements, places per employer, term | Head office sales | Clear view of places left to sell |
| Schedules and check-in | Arrivals, departures, absences, extra hours | Nursery staff on tablet | Billing on actuals without re-keying |
| Billing | Parent invoices including funded hours, employer invoices, reminders | Head office finance | Faster month-end close |
| Daily updates | Meals, naps, care, photos, parent messaging | Practitioners, parents | Fewer calls, reassured parents |
| Management | Occupancy per site, waiting list, revenue per place | Founder, directors | Weekly fill-rate decisions |
The hard part is split billing logic. A family in an employer place pays a balance under its contract, while the employer pays an annual price per place. The software must produce both invoices from the same schedule, with no spreadsheet in between.
What custom nursery software costs in 2026
2026 estimates for a group of 10 to 15 sites.
| Scope | Content | Budget excl. VAT | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | Contracts, schedules, tablet check-in, parent billing | EUR 30,000 to 38,000 | 4 months |
| Group | Core + employer places, employer billing, occupancy board | EUR 38,000 to 50,000 | 4 to 5 months |
| Group and families | Group + parent app, daily updates, photos | EUR 50,000 to 58,000 | 5 months |
| Complete | All + multi-site waiting list, employer portal, accounting exports | EUR 58,000 to 65,000 | 5 to 6 months |
Market licence or custom tool: the 5-year comparison
| Criterion | Market licence | Custom software |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | Low, setup fees | EUR 30,000 to 65,000 excl. VAT |
| Recurring cost | EUR 80 to 200 per nursery per month | Hosting and enhancements priced to scope |
| Licence cost over 5 years for 12 sites | EUR 57,600 to 144,000 | No per-site licence |
| Employer billing | Often outside the tool, in spreadsheets | Built into the schedule |
| Opening a 13th nursery | One more licence | Configure a new site |
| Data ownership | With the vendor | With the group |
Above 10 sites and with a high share of employer places, custom compares well over 5 years, especially as groups tend to keep expanding.
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Emma, founder of a group of 12 small nurseries across London, pays EUR 160 per nursery per month today, i.e. EUR 23,040 a year, and bills her 86 employer places from a spreadsheet. She picks the Group scope at EUR 46,000 excl. VAT, delivered in 5 months. The occupancy board lifts the group from 91% to 94% fill rate, about 4 more places sold out of 144. Taking average revenue of EUR 1,500 per place per month (2026 estimate), the gain reaches EUR 72,000 a year. Combined with the licences removed, the project pays back in under a year.
FAQ
Does the software handle funded hours and parent contributions?
Yes, it builds parent invoices from the contract and actual hours, separating funded hours from paid hours. Settings are validated with your accountant before go-live, planned between 4 and 6 months.
Can employers be invoiced automatically?
The Group scope, from EUR 38,000 excl. VAT, generates employer invoices based on the price per place and the frequency of each agreement, monthly, quarterly or annual.
Do nursery staff have to type a lot?
Check-in takes 2 taps per child on a tablet. A site manager typically saves 3 to 5 hours a month on billing preparation.
What happens to data from the old software?
Contracts, child records and billing history are migrated by export. Allow 2 to 3 weeks of migration within the 4 to 6 month plan.
Is children's data protected?
Yes, hosting in Europe, role-based access and access logs, in line with GDPR. Parents only see their own child's information.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of nurseries, the share of employer places and your current software, and we will price a scope between EUR 30,000 and 65,000 excl. VAT with a 4 to 6 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.
