How much does AI consulting cost for a UK SME?

AI consulting prices are only useful when the scope is clear. A strategy call, a readiness audit and a production implementation solve different problems. The prices below are Steve Hooper AI’s published starting prices, not a survey of the UK market.

The first question is whether you need help choosing the work or delivering it. Buying implementation before agreeing the outcome creates avoidable uncertainty. Buying a broad audit when a single workflow is already well understood may also be unnecessary.

A paid strategy call starts from £450 for 60 minutes. It is for a fit assessment, an honest recommendation and a sensible cost range. An AI Readiness Audit starts from £6,500 for two weeks, covering an opportunity map, priorities, business cases and a board-ready roadmap.

Automation & Implementation starts from £12,000 and typically takes 4–12 weeks. The engagement includes the working automation, integrations, documentation, training and 30 days of support. Fractional AI Leadership starts from £4,000 per month, for one to two days a week with a three-month minimum. Half-day and full-day team workshops start from £2,500 per workshop.

Ask about software subscriptions, AI usage, hosting, ongoing support, staff review time and any travel before comparing proposals. A one-off build fee does not describe the entire cost of running a workflow. Ask for written commercial terms, including the treatment of VAT and expenses.

Your own team’s involvement matters too. Someone needs to explain the process, provide representative examples, review the output and take ownership. Make that time visible in the business case rather than treating it as free.

Saving ten staff hours a week creates capacity. It only becomes a cash saving if a real expense changes; it may instead help the team respond sooner, clear a backlog or handle more work. Do not count the same benefit twice as both a cost saving and extra revenue.

Start with a baseline and a conservative estimate of the time that can actually be reclaimed after human checks. Subtract the running costs. Compare that value with the project cost, and record the assumptions that would need to hold for the project to be worthwhile.

Ask who delivers the work, which systems are included, how acceptance will be tested, what documentation you receive and who owns the result. Ask what happens when an integration fails, what support is included and what costs continue after handover.

If the scope still feels vague, describe one repeated process and the decision you need help with. That gives a strategy conversation something concrete to resolve.