The verdict in three sentences
For an Amsterdam purchasing group managing 900 suppliers for 450 members by email and Excel, a custom supplier portal costs EUR 45,000 to 85,000 excluding VAT, plus EUR 15,000 for the tender module. A SaaS suite such as Ivalua or Jaggaer starts around EUR 25,000 a year in licences, before integration. Custom makes sense when onboarding follows the group's own rules (member ratings, year-end rebates, sector documents) and becomes cheaper than SaaS from year four.
What the portal must replace
Today, onboarding a new supplier takes an average of 9 email exchanges, the collection of 6 to 10 documents (Chamber of Commerce extract, tax compliance statement, liability insurance, certifications, bank details) and re-keying into the ERP. Several of these documents expire every 6 to 12 months, which makes manual tracking risky.
The portal delivers:
- a self-service supplier registration flow with questionnaire and document upload;
- document management with expiry dates and automatic reminders at D-30 and D-7;
- an onboarding workflow: qualification, product committee review, final approval;
- a tender module: specifications, Q&A, bid submission, scoring grid;
- a member area to browse approved suppliers, terms and contracts;
- ERP synchronisation to avoid double entry.
2026 costs: custom versus SaaS
| Item | Custom excl. VAT | Procurement SaaS (Ivalua, Jaggaer) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial setup | EUR 45,000 to 85,000 | EUR 20,000 to 60,000 integration |
| Tender module | EUR 15,000 | Included depending on licence |
| Annual licence | EUR 0 | EUR 25,000 to 60,000 |
| Annual support and maintenance | EUR 10,800 to 18,000 | Partly included |
| Annual hosting | EUR 2,400 to 4,800 | Included |
| 5-year cost | EUR 126,000 to 214,000 | EUR 145,000 to 360,000 |
| Fit with the group's rules | Complete | Configuration, custom work billed extra |
SaaS remains relevant for an international group with thousands of suppliers and standard procurement processes. For a regional purchasing group with specific rules, custom keeps control of the data and the roadmap.
Functional breakdown and budget
| Module | Budget excl. VAT | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping and journey design | EUR 6,000 to 10,000 | 4 weeks |
| Registration and supplier records | EUR 10,000 to 18,000 | 4 weeks |
| Document management and expiry alerts | EUR 8,000 to 14,000 | 3 weeks |
| Multi-level onboarding workflow | EUR 9,000 to 18,000 | 3 weeks |
| Member area and search | EUR 7,000 to 15,000 | 3 weeks |
| ERP connector and dashboards | EUR 5,000 to 10,000 | 2 weeks |
| Tender module | EUR 15,000 | 4 weeks |
| Total | EUR 60,000 to 100,000 | 5 months (parallel work) |
A first release without the tender module can open after 3 months to the top 100 suppliers, then extend to all 900.
Mini case study
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Pieter, procurement director of an Amsterdam purchasing group, onboards 120 new suppliers a year and tracks documents for the 900 existing ones. His team spends 1.5 FTE on it, about EUR 72,000 loaded per year. With a EUR 75,000 portal and support at EUR 1,200 per month, year one costs EUR 89,400. If self-service and automatic reminders free 0.8 FTE, savings reach EUR 38,400 a year: the project pays back in about two and a half years, while the share of up-to-date documents rises from about 70% to over 95%.
FAQ
How much does a custom supplier portal cost in 2026?
Budget EUR 45,000 to 85,000 excluding VAT for the portal, plus EUR 15,000 for the tender module. Support then costs EUR 900 to 1,500 per month depending on change volume.
Why not go straight to Ivalua or Jaggaer?
These suites are powerful but licences start around EUR 25,000 a year and integration often costs EUR 20,000 or more. Over 5 years, they frequently exceed the cost of a custom portal for a 900-supplier group.
How are expiring certificates handled?
Each document has an expiry date; the portal reminds the supplier at D-30 and D-7, then alerts the buyer. A dashboard shows the compliance rate by category.
Does the portal connect to our ERP?
Yes, through an API or scheduled file exchange. The connector costs EUR 5,000 to 10,000 depending on the ERP and removes re-keying of approved supplier records.
How long until go-live?
The full project takes about 5 months. A first release for the top 100 suppliers can open after 3 months.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your supplier volume, onboarding steps and ERP: we will price a portal between EUR 60,000 and 100,000 excluding VAT including tenders, delivered in 5 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.
