Pricing
Priced for outcomes, not hours
No mystery day-rates. Here are the ranges for each service, what moves the number, and a quick estimator — then we confirm a firm fee in writing before any work begins.
Start here
AI Opportunity Sprint
Not ready for a full Discovery? Start here. A focused half-day session that turns your assessment into one costed, ranked opportunity you can act on straight away — the entry point into consulting with us, before any larger commitment. No day-rate, no commitment beyond the half day.
Fee ranges
What each service costs
A focused half-day that turns your assessment into one costed, ranked opportunity you can act on straight away.
£1,500 · half-day, fixed
A fixed-price, structured deep-dive that turns gut-feel into a costed roadmap — agreed upfront, with no day-rate surprises.
£2,500–£7,500 · fixed fee
We install and configure the full operational AI stack — not just a chatbot.
£7,500–£35,000+
Your outsourced AI Operations Department on a monthly retainer.
£2,000/mo · 12-month term
Local-first and hybrid AI that keeps confidential data on your hardware — built for regulated SMEs.
Included in Deployment
Practical training so the team uses AI confidently, safely and well.
£1,000–£3,000 per workshop
Managed AI Operations runs on a 12-month term — that's how we stay accountable for outcomes rather than handing over a system that decays. It isn't a lock-in: you can end it on 30 days' written notice in months 1–3, for any reason or none, and on 90 days' notice from month 4. There is no early-termination fee and no balance of the term to settle.
The price shown is the total payable. Consultancy in Action is not VAT registered, so no VAT is chargeable.
Planning tool
Estimate your investment
Pick your size and the services you're weighing up for an indicative figure. Not a quote — a planning aid.
- One-off setup
- £2,500–£7,500
- Managed operations
- £2,000–£3,500/mo
- Indicative first-year total (incl. 12-month term)
- £26,500–£49,500
Indicative ranges to help you plan — not a quote. Final fees depend on scope and are confirmed in writing before any work begins.
Price drivers
What drives the price
- Number and complexity of processes you want to automate
- How many systems we integrate with, and how clean your data is
- Whether you host local-first, hybrid, or cloud
- Team size and how much training and change support is needed
- Depth of governance, security and audit requirements
Compare paths
Why not just hire someone, or DIY?
The honest comparison most SMEs weigh up before deciding.
| Consultancy in Action | In-house AI hire | DIY / ChatGPT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to a working capability | Weeks | Months (hire + ramp) | Stalls at experiments |
| Typical first-year cost | From £2.5k + £2,000/mo | £60k+ salary + tools | Low £, high hidden cost |
| Breadth of expertise | Whole stack + governance | One person's skillset | Whatever you learn |
| Built and integrated for you | |||
| Governance & audit trails | Depends on hire | ||
| Kept running & improving monthly | If they stay | ||
| Local-first / data control option | Depends | ||
| Single accountable partner |
Questions on any of this? See the FAQ or ask for a call .
Not sure where you stand?
The free AI Readiness Assessment scores you 0–100 in three minutes and recommends the next step. No signup to start.