The verdict in three sentences
For a foundation processing 4,000 scholarship applications on paper, a custom platform costs USD 16,000 to 35,000 in 2026 (9 to 20 million FCFA, the benchmark we use in West Africa), with a 4-month project timeline. The most visible gain is selection time, cut from 3 months to about 5 weeks, but the decisive gain is the traceability donors require. The range depends mainly on three modules: jury scoring, scholarship payouts and the donor dashboard.
What paper costs today
A 4,000-application paper campaign typically ties up 6 staff for 3 months for intake, document checks, data entry and jury logistics. Incomplete files often account for 25 to 35% of submissions, and every follow-up is done by phone. For the foundation, direct costs (staff, printing, copies, jury travel) frequently exceed USD 21,000 per campaign (12 million FCFA), not counting the risk of disputes with no audit trail.
Modules and their cost
The table below gives 2026 orders of magnitude for a responsive web platform, usable on mobile by applicants.
| Module | Key functions | 2026 cost (USD) | Essential? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online submission | Form per programme, attachments, automatic missing-document check, SMS receipt | 3,500 to 6,200 | Yes |
| Applicant portal | Status tracking, file completion, SMS and WhatsApp notifications | 1,800 to 3,500 | Yes |
| Automatic pre-screening | Eligibility filters (age, grades, field, region), anonymisation | 1,800 to 4,400 | Yes |
| Jury scoring | Weighted criteria grids, double scoring, gap detection, deliberation | 3,500 to 7,000 | Yes |
| Scholarship payouts | Schedule, payouts via M-Pesa, Wave, Orange Money or bank transfer, reconciliation | 2,600 to 6,200 | Depends |
| Donor dashboard | Indicators by programme, gender, region, PDF and Excel export | 1,800 to 4,400 | Depends on donor |
| Scholar follow-up | Semester transcripts, dropout alerts | 900 to 3,500 | Optional |
A USD 16,000 version (9 million FCFA) covers submission, applicant portal, pre-screening and basic scoring. The USD 35,000 version (20 million FCFA) adds integrated payouts, a multi-programme donor dashboard and multi-year scholar follow-up. Hosting and maintenance then run USD 270 to 700 per month, SMS included for one campaign a year.
Before and after the platform
| Indicator | Paper | Platform | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selection duration | 3 months | 5 weeks | About minus 60% |
| Incomplete files at submission | 25 to 35% | 5 to 8% | Automatic document check |
| Staff involved | 6 full-time | 2 full-time | 4 fewer roles over the period |
| Direct cost per campaign | USD 21,000+ | USD 7,000 to 8,800 | Excluding depreciation |
| Time to first payout | 6 to 8 weeks after results | 1 to 2 weeks | Mobile money or transfer |
| Donor report | 3 weeks of compilation | Instant export | Live data |
The 4-month timeline breaks down as: 3 weeks of scoping with programme managers and donors, 10 weeks of iterative development, 2 weeks of testing with a sample of applicants, then a pilot campaign launch.
Protecting applicant data
Files contain sensitive personal data (parents' income, family situation, sometimes health). Kenya's Data Protection Act 2019 requires registration with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, secure hosting and strict access rights; Senegal's Law 2008-12 sets similar obligations. We plan encryption of attachments, logging of every jury member's file views and a defined retention period.
Mini case study
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Mr. Otieno, director of a corporate foundation in Nairobi, handles 4,000 applications a year for 350 scholarships. Current campaign cost: about USD 22,000. He chooses a platform at USD 24,500 (14 million FCFA): submission, pre-screening, jury scoring, mobile money payouts and donor dashboard.
Campaign cost on the platform: about USD 8,000, annual maintenance included (USD 5,300). Saving: about USD 14,000 a year. The platform pays for itself in under 2 campaigns. Above all, the main donor, who required a detailed report by gender and region, now gets an online dashboard, which made renewing its contribution easier.
FAQ
Can applicants without a computer submit their file?
Yes, the platform is mobile-first: over 85% of submissions are made on smartphones. Documents can be photographed, and a light 2 to 3 MB file per application works even on 3G.
How do you prevent favouritism in scoring?
Anonymised double scoring and detection of gaps over 3 points out of 20 force a reasoned deliberation. Every score is timestamped and attributed to a jury member.
Can scholarships be paid directly from the platform?
Yes, through mobile money APIs (M-Pesa, Wave Business or Orange Money) for monthly amounts, or via a bank transfer file. Mobile money transfer fees typically stay around 1% on the sending side for bulk payouts.
What about the following campaigns?
Programmes, criteria and grids are reconfigured without development. A new campaign launches in 1 to 2 days of setup.
Can we start small?
Yes, a USD 16,000 phase 1 covers submission, pre-screening and jury in 10 weeks, then payouts and the donor dashboard come in phase 2.
Let's scope your project. Tell us the number of applications, programmes and your donor requirements: we price the platform between USD 16,000 and 35,000 (9 to 20 million FCFA), delivered in 4 months. 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.
