The verdict in three sentences
A custom membership platform for a federation of 1,200 clubs and 180,000 registered members costs EUR 90,000 to 180,000 excluding VAT in 2026, covering registrations, competitions, medical forms and payments. Against a vendor charging EUR 1.50 to 3 per member per year, or EUR 270,000 to 540,000 annually, a custom build pays back in under 12 months in most scenarios. The real risk is not the budget but the season-start peak, when 60% of registrations happen in six weeks.
What the budget covers, module by module
A federation CEO is first buying a reliable registration tool for clubs. Everything else (competitions, referee training, statistics) is prioritised according to the strategic plan.
| Module | Features | 2026 range (EUR, excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Online registration | Club and individual forms, one-click renewal, PDF membership card | 18,000 - 32,000 |
| Medical and health forms | Upload, validity checks, automatic reminders, minors' rules | 8,000 - 15,000 |
| Payments and redistribution | Card, SEPA direct debit, split across federation, province, county, club | 14,000 - 28,000 |
| Club area | Member management, committee, affiliations, exports | 12,000 - 25,000 |
| Competitions | Entries, fixtures, results, league tables | 20,000 - 45,000 |
| Insurance and grant schemes | Insurer integration, subsidy codes, proof documents | 6,000 - 12,000 |
| Dashboards and funder reporting | Stats by region, age, gender, Sport Ireland exports | 7,000 - 15,000 |
| Data migration | 5 seasons of history, deduplication | 5,000 - 8,000 |
A core of registration, medical forms, payments and club area runs EUR 90,000 to 110,000. The competitions module and advanced integrations push the bill to EUR 150,000 to 180,000. These are 2026 estimates for a European agency or a hybrid Europe and Dakar team; a Dublin-only agency at EUR 800 to 1,100 per day typically quotes 30 to 50% more.
Custom build or vendor: the 5-year maths
Specialist vendors charge per member. The comparison must include maintenance and hosting for the custom option.
| 5-year item | Vendor at EUR 1.50/member | Vendor at EUR 3/member | Custom EUR 140,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial cost | EUR 15,000 setup | EUR 25,000 setup | EUR 140,000 |
| Annual subscription or maintenance | EUR 270,000 | EUR 540,000 | EUR 28,000 |
| Annual EU-resident hosting | Included | Included | EUR 9,000 |
| 5-year total | EUR 1,365,000 | EUR 2,725,000 | EUR 325,000 |
| Code and data ownership | No | No | Yes |
| Specific features | Vendor roadmap | Vendor roadmap | On demand |
A vendor still makes sense for a small federation under 15,000 members, where the subscription stays below EUR 45,000 a year. Above 50,000 members, custom almost always wins.
Timeline, data residency and the season-start peak
A national governing body handles health data (medical forms) and data on minors. Hosting should be in the EU, with encrypted storage for medical documents, and fully GDPR compliant.
| Phase | Duration | Watch point |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping and workshops with provinces and clubs | 6 to 8 weeks | Pricing rules by region |
| UX design and mock-ups | 4 to 6 weeks | Mobile journey for parents |
| Core development | 12 to 18 weeks | Payment redistribution |
| Data migration and acceptance testing | 4 to 6 weeks | Duplicates across seasons |
| Pilot with 2 regions | 4 weeks | Feedback from club secretaries |
| Load test before season start | 2 weeks | 3,000 registrations per hour at peak |
The ideal schedule starts in October for a June go-live, ahead of the new season. Launching at season start without a load test is the number one cause of failure on these projects.
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Mini case study
Siobhán, CEO of a federation with 1,200 clubs and 180,000 members in Dublin, currently pays her vendor EUR 2.20 per member, or EUR 396,000 a year. She receives a custom quote at EUR 145,000 excluding VAT, with EUR 29,000 maintenance and EUR 9,000 secure hosting per year. Year-one cost: 145,000 + 38,000 = EUR 183,000, a saving of EUR 213,000 in the first season. Over 5 years the gap reaches 1,980,000 − 335,000 = EUR 1,645,000. The federation redirects part of it to coach education, and club secretaries save about 2 hours a week during the registration window thanks to one-click renewal.
FAQ
How much does a federation registration platform cost in 2026?
Between EUR 90,000 and 180,000 excluding VAT for 1,200 clubs and 180,000 members, depending on modules. A core of registration, medical forms and payments starts around EUR 90,000.
What timeline should we plan?
Six to 10 months, pilot included. Aim for a June go-live to absorb the season-start rush.
Can the platform handle the peak?
Yes, if sized for about 3,000 registrations per hour and load-tested. Elastic infrastructure costs EUR 600 to 1,200 per month during peak periods.
Where should medical documents be hosted?
In the EU, with encrypted document storage and strict access logs. The premium over standard hosting is about EUR 3,000 to 5,000 a year.
Can we migrate history from our current vendor?
Yes, migrating 5 seasons costs EUR 5,000 to 8,000 including deduplication. Check the reversibility clause and export format in your contract.
Let's scope your project. Send us your number of clubs and members and your priority modules: we price the core, options and schedule so you are ready before season start. 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.
