Web Application Development in Europe

Web application development for European businesses

RaftLabs builds custom web applications for companies across Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, and the Nordics. GDPR-native, EU data residency, and a fixed price in euros.

  • Custom web applications shipped for European clients since 2015

  • GDPR-native, with EU data residency and EN 301 549 accessibility built in

  • Launch a validated v1 in 10 to 14 weeks, then grow it, priced in euros

  • Working software every two weeks, reviewed in your time zone

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The problem

Sound familiar?

  • Your web app is slow, dated, or built on a stack that now blocks you, and a rebuild feels risky?

  • Need a web platform that satisfies GDPR and EU accessibility expectations, not just looks the part?

  • Getting time-and-materials quotes from EU agencies that grow as the scope drifts?

Short answer

RaftLabs builds custom web applications for European businesses across Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, and the Nordics. Builds are GDPR-native, with EU data residency and EN 301 549 accessibility, priced in euros. A validated v1 launches in 10 to 14 weeks, with working software every two weeks, then grows from there.

Key takeaways

  • RaftLabs builds GDPR-native web applications with EU data residency (Frankfurt, Dublin, or Amsterdam) by default.
  • Accessibility is built to EN 301 549 and WCAG 2.1 AA, the bar the European Accessibility Act has enforced since June 2025.
  • A validated v1 launches in 10 to 14 weeks, priced in euros, then grows from there, with working software every two weeks.
  • We rebuild dated or slow web apps incrementally, keeping the business running throughout, as we did rebuilding the Energia rewards platform from WordPress to Next.js.

Compliance

Built for European web standards

  • 01

    GDPR designed in

    Consent, data-subject rights, and data-minimisation built into the application from the first sprint, so your Data Protection Officer signs off on the design.

  • 02

    EU data residency by default

    EU-region hosting and EU-based sub-processors as the standard, so personal data stays inside the bloc.

  • 03

    EN 301 549 accessibility as a requirement

    Built to EN 301 549 and WCAG 2.1 AA, the bar the European Accessibility Act has enforced since June 2025, so the app works for every user rather than failing an audit or a market-surveillance check later.

  • 04

    Incremental rebuilds

    A path off a slow or dated web app that keeps the business running, replacing the parts that block you without a big-bang cutover.

Why European businesses build their web apps with RaftLabs

A web application is where most European businesses meet their customers, so it has to be fast, accessible, and compliant, not just presentable. Our opinion after a decade of EU builds: most web apps that get into trouble here fail on compliance and accessibility that was bolted on at the end, not on the code. GDPR and the European Accessibility Act are build inputs, decided before the first sprint, not launch-day surprises. So we design in EU data residency, data-subject rights, and EN 301 549 accessibility from the start, at a fixed price in euros, with working software every two weeks. Our track record is deepest in Ireland, including a full rebuild of a national utility's rewards platform.

Why this matters in the EU

€6.2B+
in GDPR fines issued since 2018, most of it since 2023
CMS GDPR Enforcement Tracker, 2025
June 2025
European Accessibility Act enforcement began for digital products sold in the EU
EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.1 AA
Since 2015
shipping production web applications for European clients
RaftLabs delivery record

Why us

What working with us actually looks like

  • 01
    Working software fortnightly

    You see running software every two weeks, reviewed live in your time zone, rather than waiting months for a reveal.

  • 02
    Fixed price in euros

    Scope and cost agreed before we start, quoted and invoiced in euros, with no open day-rate.

  • 03
    Fast and accessible

    Performance and EU accessibility treated as requirements, so the app passes an audit and holds up under real load.

  • 04
    Rebuilds without downtime

    An incremental path off an ageing stack that keeps the business running, proven on national-brand platforms.

  • 05
    You own the platform

    Full source code and IP on delivery, with no proprietary lock-in.

  • 06
    Same-time-zone delivery

    Full overlap with CET and GMT hours, so decisions and releases happen in your working day.

What we build

Web applications we build for European teams

EU delivery reality

What building in Europe actually demands

  • 01

    Data residency decided in the architecture, not after

    Hosting region and every sub-processor are chosen when we design the data model, so personal data stays in the EU (typically Frankfurt, Dublin, or Amsterdam). Anything that would leave the bloc is flagged up front and covered by the right transfer mechanism, not discovered in a later audit.

  • 02

    A data-processing agreement that names names

    We sign a GDPR Article 28 DPA that lists our sub-processors and their hosting regions, so your Data Protection Officer reviews specifics, not a generic assurance.

  • 03

    Procurement and contracting the EU way

    MSA and NDA, euro invoicing against agreed milestones, and the security, residency, and accessibility evidence public-sector and regulated buyers ask for, scoped before the contract is signed.

  • 04

    Nearshore, not a delayed offshore handoff

    Full overlap with CET and GMT hours means standups, reviews, and releases happen live in your working day, so decisions do not wait overnight for a time-zone gap to close.

The process

How we build your web application

  1. 01

    Scope, compliance, and accessibility review before we start

    We define the build and its GDPR, residency, and accessibility requirements, then quote a fixed price in euros. You approve scope before any code is written.

  2. 02

    Build in two-week milestones

    Senior engineers ship working software every two weeks, reviewed live in your time zone.

  3. 03

    Integrate, test, and harden

    Integration with your existing systems, automated testing, performance work, and an accessibility and data-protection pass.

  4. 04

    Launch and hand over

    Deployment to EU infrastructure, full source-code handover, and the documentation your team needs.

Recent work with European clients

We've built and rebuilt web applications live with European users. Recent Irish work includes a rebuilt rewards platform for the utility Energia, a receipts-and-rewards platform for Musgrave's SuperValu and Centra, and booking and keyless-entry software for City Break Apartments. Each shipped to a fixed scope, in the client's time zone, with EU data handling built in.

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Frequently asked questions

Yes. Consent, data-subject access and deletion, data-minimisation, and audit logging are designed into the application from the first sprint. We also build to EN 301 549 and WCAG 2.1 AA, the accessibility bar the European Accessibility Act has enforced since June 2025 for digital products sold in the EU. GDPR and accessibility are treated as build requirements, agreed before development starts, not as a review bolted on before launch.

Usually, yes. We assess what is worth keeping, replace the parts that block you, and migrate incrementally so the application keeps serving users throughout. Our rebuild of the Energia rewards platform from WordPress to Next.js is one example of removing a performance bottleneck without a risky big-bang cutover.

Yes. We default to EU-region hosting (typically Frankfurt, Dublin, or Amsterdam) and EU-based sub-processors, so personal data stays inside the bloc. Any service outside the EU is flagged up front and handled with the correct transfer mechanism.

Pricing is in euros and fixed before we start. A first version that proves the idea with real users usually starts around €30,000 to €45,000. From there it grows: a full platform with complex integrations, real-time features, and compliance requirements reaches €150,000 to €200,000 or more over time. You approve a fixed scope and price before each phase begins, so cost tracks scope instead of an open day-rate.

Yes. We contract under an MSA and NDA, invoice in euros against agreed milestones, and can sign a GDPR Article 28 data-processing agreement naming our sub-processors and their EU hosting regions. For public-sector or regulated buyers, we scope the security, data-residency, and accessibility evidence your procurement process needs before the contract is signed.

Our team overlaps fully with CET and GMT business hours, so standups, reviews, and releases happen live during your working day. Most European clients treat us as a nearshore extension of their in-house team rather than an offshore vendor on a delayed handoff.

Work with us

Building or rebuilding a web app for Europe?

Tell us what you're building and the compliance and performance bar it has to clear. Within one business day you get a straight take on cost in euros, timeline, and the right first step.

  • Scope and cost agreed before work starts. No surprises. No obligation.
  • Working prototype within 3 weeks of kickoff.
  • Pay by milestone. You see progress before each invoice.
  • 60-day post-launch warranty. Bug fixes, UI tweaks, and deployment support. No retainer.
  • All conversations are NDA-protected.