Distribution Of Database (without Access)

What's the best way to go about this?

Right now I have about 40 personnel using 40 different Excel files. Each day, each file needs to be copied and pasted into one large file. I've recently had luck replacing several of my personal Excel files with MS Access and now completely hooked on using databases. I would love to replace all of those Excel files with a Database on the network, at the end of the date, compiling everything together would be as easy as a query, and possibly an export (if we needed to send the Excel file out as we sometimes need to).

I've got the use of a Network, but here's the rub. I'm the only one with MS Access installed. I can not talk my boss into buying the additional licenses needed for Access on their computers.

My edition is also not a "Developer Edition" as I've seen where you can create a runtime version, so I guess that's out.

What would be a suitable "frontend" to do something like this. I'm pretty decent at Access, but certainly no expert. What is the best/easiest options that I should be looking at?

I'm willing to learn something new if I have to (which I probably will). I'm also willing to spend some of my own money to put something on my machine at home if it will help me develop something. I just need options because I don't know enough to make a decision about this.

Thanks in advance.