How much does AI consultancy cost in the UK? A 2026 pricing guide
Most firms make you book a call to hear a number. Here are the actual ranges we see across the UK market — and the handful of questions that determine where in the range you land.
AI consultancy pricing in the UK spans two orders of magnitude, from a few thousand pounds for a focused sprint with a boutique studio to seven figures for a big-four transformation programme. Neither end is wrong — they're different products. The trick is knowing which product you're actually buying.
The three common engagement shapes
Discovery sprint — roughly £5k–£25k
One to two weeks: workshops, a review of your data and systems, and a prioritised roadmap of where AI genuinely moves the needle. Boutique studios (ours included — see AI consultancy) sit at the lower half of this range; strategy houses with big delivery teams sit higher. The output should be artefacts you own: an opportunity map, a model selection matrix, a costed build plan.
AI audit — typically £5k–£20k, often fixed-price
You already have something — a prototype, a vendor integration, an acquisition target — and need an honest assessment against production standards: accuracy, cost trajectory, security posture, evaluation coverage. Priced after a short scoping call because depth varies enormously.
Fractional AI advisory — £2k–£10k+ per month
Ongoing access to senior AI engineering judgment without a full-time hire: architecture reviews, keeping model choices current, hiring support. Price scales with cadence — a monthly review costs less than embedded weekly involvement.
What actually moves the price
- Workflow count — assessing two candidate workflows is a sprint; assessing a whole operation is a programme.
- Data readiness — if your data needs an archaeology dig before anyone can assess it, that's billable time.
- Regulatory surface — fintech, legal and healthcare due diligence goes deeper and costs more, for good reason.
- Who's in the room — practitioners who also build tend to be cheaper AND more specific than pure-strategy firms, because the recommendation is constrained by having to be buildable.
Red flags worth paying attention to
Be wary of consultancy that can only end in a recommendation to buy more consultancy; of deliverables described entirely in slide counts; and of anyone certain about your architecture before they've seen your data. The most expensive engagement is the one that produces a roadmap nobody can execute.
The cheapest option is knowing what to ask
Before you commission anything, be able to answer three questions: which workflow, measured in hours or pounds, hurts most today? Who would own the AI system internally after handover? And what would "working" look like as a number? If you can answer them, a small sprint is usually enough. If you can't, that's what the sprint is for — it's exactly what our AI consultancy discovery engagement produces, and when the roadmap points at operational quick wins, our AI automation team can ship the first one within weeks.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AI consultancy discovery sprint cost in the UK?
Roughly £5k–£25k for one to two weeks of workshops, a review of your data and systems, and a prioritised roadmap. Boutique studios sit at the lower half of this range; strategy houses with big delivery teams sit higher.
How much does an AI audit cost?
Typically £5k–£20k, usually fixed-price after a short scoping call, for an honest assessment of an existing prototype or vendor integration against production standards: accuracy, cost trajectory, security posture and evaluation coverage.
How much does fractional AI advisory cost per month?
£2k–£10k+ per month for ongoing access to senior AI engineering judgment without a full-time hire. Price scales with cadence — a monthly review costs less than embedded weekly involvement.
What factors move the price of AI consultancy?
Four main drivers: how many workflows are assessed, how ready your data is for review, how deep the regulatory/compliance surface goes (fintech, legal and healthcare cost more), and whether the consultants are practitioners who also build — which tends to be both cheaper and more specific than pure-strategy firms.