The verdict in three sentences
For a 6,000-student university in Dublin, a custom room and equipment booking platform costs EUR 60,000 to 150,000 excl. VAT and goes live in about 4 months (the same scope runs at 250,000 to 550,000 MAD in Rabat). It must sync with the timetable, handle labs and loan equipment, connect through Microsoft 365 SSO and produce occupancy dashboards for management. If room clashes disrupt 10 % of classes, the issue goes beyond software: it affects teaching quality, the institution's reputation and the use of an expensive estate.
Where room clashes come from
In most institutions, the timetable lives in one system or spreadsheet, ad hoc bookings go through email or chat, and equipment (projectors, lab kits, computer rooms) is tracked in a logbook at reception. Three sources of truth mean double bookings: two groups at the same door, an exam with no invigilated room, a practical without equipment.
The platform unifies everything: the official timetable is imported with priority, ad hoc bookings can only take free slots, and each item of equipment has a calendar, an owner and rules (who can book, for how long, with which approval).
2026 budget by module
| Module | Scope | 2026 budget (EUR excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping, workshops and mock-ups | Priority rules, roles, user journeys | 6,000 - 12,000 |
| Room and equipment register | Capacity, equipment, photos, accessibility | 7,000 - 16,000 |
| Booking engine and approvals | Clashes, priorities, recurrences, workflows | 17,000 - 40,000 |
| Timetable synchronisation | Automatic import, change handling | 10,000 - 25,000 |
| Microsoft 365 SSO and Outlook calendars | Single sign-on, automatic invitations | 6,000 - 15,000 |
| Equipment loans and labs | Check-in/check-out, QR codes, overdue items | 7,000 - 21,000 |
| Occupancy dashboards and reports | Rates per building, empty slots, exports | 7,000 - 21,000 |
| Total | 60,000 - 150,000 |
Cloud hosting and monitoring usually run EUR 400 to 1,000 per month for this user volume. These ranges are 2026 estimates: final pricing depends mostly on the quality of existing timetable data.
Custom build, off-the-shelf software or an improved spreadsheet
| Option | 2026 cost | Timeline | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared spreadsheet + forms | EUR 0 - 5,000 | 2 weeks | No clash control, no equipment |
| Booking features within Microsoft 365 | Included or low cost | 1 month | Few rules, no timetable link |
| International scheduling SaaS | EUR 15,000 - 45,000 / year | 2 - 3 months | Per-user licences, rigid workflows |
| Custom platform | EUR 60,000 - 150,000 | 4 months | Higher upfront investment |
| Custom + maintenance | + EUR 1,000 - 3,000 / month | ongoing | Contractual commitment |
Custom is justified when internal rules are specific (priorities by programme, exam rooms, labs requiring safety clearance) and when the institution wants to keep its data under its own control, in line with GDPR.
Mini case study
Aoife, chief operating officer of a 6,000-student private college in Dublin, counts about 1,800 sessions per week, 10 % of them disrupted by clashes or missing equipment. Each disrupted session costs on average 25 minutes of lost teaching for a lecturer paid EUR 60 per hour, so 180 sessions x EUR 25 = EUR 4,500 per week, about EUR 144,000 over 32 weeks. With a EUR 110,000 platform that cuts disruptions to 2 %, the loss falls to EUR 28,800 per year. The project pays back in about one academic year, before counting better student satisfaction.
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FAQ
How much does a room booking platform for a university cost?
In 2026, allow EUR 60,000 to 150,000 excl. VAT in Ireland for a custom platform with timetable sync, equipment, SSO and dashboards. Hosting adds EUR 400 to 1,000 per month.
How long does go-live take?
About 4 months, including 3 to 4 weeks of scoping. Launching between terms limits risk: aim to start in April for a September go-live.
Can we keep our current timetabling software?
Yes, if it offers an export or an API. Synchronisation represents EUR 10,000 to 25,000 depending on the available format.
Can students book rooms themselves?
Yes, with rules: for example a maximum of 2 hours per day in group study rooms, with automatic release if there is no check-in within 15 minutes.
What about personal data?
It stays hosted according to your requirements, in the EU, with a GDPR record of processing and role-based access.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of rooms and labs and your timetabling software: we will price the platform, the synchronisation and Microsoft 365 SSO with a schedule aligned to your academic calendar. 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.
