The verdict in three sentences
A secure client portal replaces email threads about contracts, invoices and service requests with a space where each client sees only its own data. For a mid-sized B2B services firm, the market sits between 25,000 and 70,000 EUR excl. VAT in Lyon and 30,000 to 80,000 EUR in Dublin, over 12 to 18 weeks, with SSO, MFA and EU hosting. The payoff comes mainly from cutting 30 to 40% of follow-up emails and shortening payment delays.
The scope that makes the price vary threefold
The head of operations often starts with a long wish list. The right method ranks each feature by the volume of requests it removes. Three modules usually cover 80% of requests: contract documents, invoices with payment status, and service tickets with tracking.
| Module | What the client sees | Indicative 2026 market cost (EUR excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| SSO + MFA authentication | Sign-in with Microsoft or Google account, one-time code | 3,000 to 7,000 |
| Contracts and documents | Contracts, amendments, reports, download and e-signature | 4,000 to 10,000 |
| Invoices and payments | Invoice list, status, reminders, online payment | 5,000 to 12,000 |
| Tickets and interventions | Request creation, tracking, history, satisfaction | 6,000 to 15,000 |
| Multi-user management per client | Admin, accounting, operations roles | 3,000 to 8,000 |
| ERP, CRM, billing connectors | Sync with Sage, Salesforce, HubSpot or in-house tool | 5,000 to 18,000 |
With two modules and a single integration, you stay around 25,000 to 35,000 EUR. With all modules and three connectors, you approach 60,000 to 70,000 EUR in Lyon, or more in Dublin.
Security and hosting: the non-negotiables
A portal exposes contractual and financial data. A leak between two clients would be a GDPR incident to report to the regulator (the CNIL in France, the Data Protection Commission in Ireland) within 72 hours. Minimum 2026 requirements: strict per-client isolation verified by automated tests, mandatory MFA for admin roles, access logging, encryption at rest and in transit, and EU hosting (OVHcloud or Scaleway in France, the Ireland region of AWS or Azure in Dublin).
| Item | Lyon, French provider | Dublin, Irish provider |
|---|---|---|
| 3-module portal build (market estimate) | 25,000 to 70,000 EUR excl. VAT | 30,000 to 80,000 EUR excl. VAT |
| Delivery time | 12 to 18 weeks | 12 to 20 weeks |
| Managed hosting | 150 to 600 EUR a month (OVHcloud, Scaleway) | 200 to 800 EUR a month (AWS or Azure, Ireland region) |
| Annual maintenance | 10 to 15% of build | 12 to 18% of build |
| Penetration test before go-live | 3,000 to 8,000 EUR | 4,000 to 10,000 EUR |
| Senior developer day rate | 550 to 750 EUR | 650 to 900 EUR |
These amounts are market estimates. At Kolonell, this project falls under medium-complexity custom applications, 4 to 7 million FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR), or complex above 7 million FCFA if several ERP connectors are needed. Application maintenance ranges from 35,000 to 120,000 FCFA a month.
Typical 16-week plan
Projects that slip skip scoping. Two weeks mapping real client requests (an export of the support inbox over 3 months) avoids building useless modules.
| Phase | Duration | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping and request analysis | 2 weeks | Prioritized scope, low-fidelity wireframes |
| UX design and validation | 2 weeks | Mockups tested with 5 pilot clients |
| Module and connector development | 8 weeks | Demo releases every 2 weeks |
| Security testing and acceptance | 2 weeks | Penetration report, fixes |
| Pilot and gradual rollout | 2 weeks | 20 pilot clients, then open to all |
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Julien, head of operations at a 60-person IT maintenance services firm in Lyon (illustrative scenario), manages 200 clients. His team handles about 1,200 follow-up emails a month (where is my ticket, resend the invoice, which contract applies), at 6 minutes each, so 120 hours. The portal costs 48,000 EUR plus 6,000 EUR of maintenance a year. With 35% fewer emails, he saves 42 hours a month, about 500 hours a year, or 22,500 EUR at a 45 EUR loaded hourly cost. On top of that, payment delay drops by 8 days on 3 million EUR of annual billing, freeing nearly 65,000 EUR of cash. A Dublin firm would face a build around 55,000 EUR for the same result. Direct payback comes in just over 2 years, much faster once cash flow is counted.
FAQ
Should we build custom or use a SaaS portal?
A SaaS portal costs 15 to 40 EUR per user per month, so 36,000 to 96,000 EUR a year for 200 clients with several accounts each. Custom becomes profitable once business connectors are specific or volume exceeds 100 clients.
Is SSO essential?
For enterprise clients, yes: 60 to 70% of them require sign-in through their Microsoft Entra ID directory. For small businesses, a login with app-based MFA is enough.
Where should the data be hosted?
In France with OVHcloud or Scaleway if clients demand sovereignty, otherwise in an EU region of a major cloud, such as Ireland. Count 150 to 800 EUR a month for a portal of this size.
What does maintenance cost after go-live?
Maintenance represents 10 to 15% of the build per year, so 2,500 to 10,500 EUR for a portal between 25,000 and 70,000 EUR. It covers fixes, security updates and small enhancements.
How do you get clients to adopt the portal?
Open it first to 20 pilot clients, then systematically redirect emails to the portal for 3 months. A 70% adoption rate at 6 months is a realistic target.
Let's scope your project. Share your number of clients, your three most frequent requests and your current tools: we price the portal on our 2026 grid (4 to 7 million FCFA for a medium scope) with a 12 to 18 week 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.
