The verdict in three sentences
Without a specification document, a London managing director receives quotes from 15,000 to 120,000 GBP for the same need, because every supplier imagines a different project. A 12-section brief with user stories and acceptance criteria brings the spread between offers below 30% and makes quotes comparable. A discovery workshop at 2,500 to 7,500 GBP costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, under 10% of the project and avoids change requests that often push budgets 40% over.
Why quotes vary by a factor of eight
A 15,000 GBP quote often assumes a configured off-the-shelf tool, with no data migration or training. A 120,000 GBP quote sometimes includes a mobile app, a banking integration and two years of support. Both suppliers answered honestly to a vague brief such as « an app to manage our field staff and sales ».
The specification fixes what is in scope and what is not. It does not describe the technology: it describes users, processes, data and business rules. The supplier then picks the stack and commits to a price.
The 12 essential sections
| No. | Section | Expected content | Budget impact if missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Context and goals | Problem, measurable success metrics | Project without priorities |
| 2 | Users and roles | Profiles, headcount, permissions | Permissions rebuilt, +10% |
| 3 | Business processes | Current and target flows | Useless screens |
| 4 | User stories | « As a… I want… so that… » | Quotes not comparable |
| 5 | Acceptance criteria | Test conditions per story | End-of-project disputes |
| 6 | Data and migration | Volumes, existing spreadsheets | +15 to 25% found late |
| 7 | Integrations | Payments, accounting, Microsoft 365 | Costly change requests |
| 8 | Technical constraints | Hosting, browsers, accessibility | Rework at go-live |
| 9 | Security and personal data | UK GDPR, backups, Cyber Essentials | Legal exposure |
| 10 | Plan and milestones | Releases, acceptance dates | Unenforceable delays |
| 11 | Budget and contingency | Range, 15% contingency | Off-target offers |
| 12 | Support and exit | Maintenance, source code, documentation | Supplier lock-in |
Sections 4 and 5 make the difference. A good user story fits on one line: « As a branch manager, I want to approve any order above 2,500 GBP so that bad debt is limited. » Its acceptance criterion: « A 3,000 GBP order stays blocked until the branch manager approves it, and the history shows who approved it and when. »
How much to budget in 2026
| Item | Small project | Mid-size project | Strategic project |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery workshop and writing | 2,500 GBP | 4,500 GBP | 7,500 GBP |
| Web application build | 18,000 GBP | 45,000 GBP | 75,000 GBP |
| Data migration and training | 1,500 GBP | 4,000 GBP | 7,500 GBP |
| Contingency (15%) | 3,300 GBP | 8,000 GBP | 13,500 GBP |
| Indicative total | 25,300 GBP | 61,500 GBP | 103,500 GBP |
| Typical timeline | 2 to 3 months | 4 to 5 months | 6 to 8 months |
| Yearly maintenance (15 to 20%) | 3,000 GBP | 7,500 GBP | 13,000 GBP |
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These amounts are 2026 orders of magnitude for a serious UK or nearshore supplier (1 GBP is roughly 1.17 EUR). Milestone payments on validated deliverables (30%, 40%, 30%) remain the healthiest practice.
Mini case study
James, managing director of a 45-person building supplies distributor in London with 6 depots, received three quotes: 16,000, 55,000 and 118,000 GBP. After a two-day discovery workshop billed 4,500 GBP, the specification lists 38 user stories and pushes the mobile app to a second phase. New quotes land between 49,000 and 62,000 GBP. Choosing the 53,000 GBP offer plus a 15% contingency, 60,950 GBP, he avoids the 20,000 to 25,000 GBP change request the lowest bid would have triggered once real needs surfaced.
FAQ
Who should write the specification? Ideally a pair: an internal business owner and a consultant who asks the right questions. The workshop lasts 1 to 3 days depending on size.
How many pages? Between 15 and 40 pages for a 25,000 to 100,000 GBP project. Beyond that, nobody reads it.
Should we mandate a technology? No, unless there is a real constraint such as existing hosting. Mandating a language cuts the number of capable suppliers by 50% or more.
Why a 15% contingency? Because 10 to 20% of needs surface during acceptance testing. Without a reserve, every discovery becomes a dispute.
Does the template work outside London? Yes, the 12 sections are universal. Only the data protection law and payment integrations change by country.
Let's scope your project. We run the discovery workshop, write the specification and price your application with a milestone-based 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.
