Free Template

IT Budget Template

A comprehensive IT budget template that separates run-the-business costs (infrastructure, licences, support) from change-the-business costs (projects, innovation). Includes per-seat SaaS licence tracking and total cost of ownership calculations.

What's included

Everything in this template

  • Run vs Change spend categorisation
  • SaaS licence inventory with per-seat costs
  • Infrastructure and hosting costs
  • IT headcount and contractor budget
  • Project portfolio cost tracking
  • Total cost of ownership (TCO) calculations

Template preview

See the structure

fx=SUM(Run_Costs) + SUM(Change_Costs)
Category
Run
Change
Total
SaaS Licences
£85k
£0
£85k
Infrastructure
£42k
£15k
£57k
Headcount
£320k
£80k
£400k
Projects
£0
£120k
£120k
Total
£447k
£215k
£662k

Step by step

How to use this template

1

Audit current IT spend

List all current IT costs — SaaS subscriptions, infrastructure, hosting, support contracts, and IT team salaries. This forms your "Run" baseline.

2

Categorise as Run or Change

Classify each item as Run-the-business (keeping the lights on) or Change-the-business (projects, improvements, innovation).

3

Plan new projects and initiatives

Add planned IT projects with estimated costs, timelines, and expected benefits. These are your "Change" costs.

4

Track SaaS licence utilisation

For each SaaS tool, record the number of licences, per-seat cost, and actual usage. Identify unused licences for potential savings.

Watch out

Common mistakes to avoid

Underestimating SaaS cost growth — many tools increase prices 10-15% annually

Not tracking shadow IT spend that sits in other department budgets

Budgeting IT headcount without including recruitment, onboarding, and training costs

Treating all IT spend as a cost centre without measuring business value delivered

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FAQ

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