AI retainer
Continuous AI capability, not a one-off project. A monthly partnership that keeps your AI advantage growing, your team enabled and your investment pointing in the right direction.
From £2,000/month
The problem with one-off AI projects
A single project delivered well is a good start. But AI is not a destination. The tools are evolving rapidly, the opportunities change as your business changes and the organisations pulling ahead are the ones building AI into how they operate every month, not just once.
Most businesses do not have the internal resource to keep up with that. They need someone senior, available and genuinely invested in their progress. That is what the retainer provides.
What the retainer covers
The engagement is flexible and shaped around what you actually need each month. The core areas it covers are:
Ongoing optimisation
AI implementations do not perform at their best the moment they go live. They improve as you feed them better data, refine the prompts and rules, and adjust the outputs to what your team actually needs. The retainer covers this continuous improvement work so your initial investment keeps compounding.
New use cases
As your business evolves and as AI capabilities advance, new opportunities emerge. Each month we review what is worth adding, what has changed and where the next area of value is. You stay ahead of the curve without your team having to track the AI landscape themselves.
Team enablement
The biggest barrier to AI adoption inside most organisations is not the technology. It is confidence. The retainer includes practical coaching and enablement for the people who need to use and manage AI tools day to day. This is not an AI training course. It is specific, practical support tied to what your team is actually doing.
Strategic AI advisory
When board-level decisions involve AI, you have someone in your corner who understands both the technology and the commercial implications. Whether that is evaluating a vendor proposal, responding to a client asking about your AI capability, or preparing for an investor conversation, you have senior advice on tap.
Performance tracking and reporting
What gets measured gets improved. Each month I track the performance of your AI investments against the targets we have set, flag what is working and what needs attention, and provide a clear summary you can share with your leadership team.
Who the retainer is for
The retainer works best for organisations that:
- Have completed an audit or sprint and want to maintain momentum
- Are serious about building AI capability as a competitive advantage over the next one to three years
- Want senior, consistent support without the cost and complexity of a full-time hire
- Need someone who can work across strategy, delivery and team enablement, not just one of the three
It is not suitable for businesses that are still at the exploration stage. The retainer is built for organisations ready to commit to AI as an ongoing strategic priority.
How the engagement works in practice
Each month includes:
- A monthly strategy and review call (60 to 90 minutes)
- Agreed deliverables for that month, set at the start of each period
- Async support via email for questions, decisions and quick-turnaround advice
- A brief monthly report covering performance, actions taken and priorities for the following month
The relationship is intentionally lean. You are not paying for a team of people to attend meetings. You are paying for consistent senior focus on your AI programme and the work that comes out of it.
Investment
Retainer pricing is based on the scope of ongoing work and is agreed at the start of the engagement. Typical monthly investment ranges are:
- Light-touch advisory and oversight: from £2,000 per month
- Active delivery and advisory combined: from £3,500 per month
- Full AI programme management: from £5,000 per month
Retainers are agreed on an initial three-month basis and reviewed from there. There are no long-term lock-ins. If the engagement is not delivering value, either party can give 30 days notice.
How the engagement works in practice
Not sure where to start?
Most clients begin with a conversation. No pitch, no hard sell.
Just a straightforward discussion about where you are and whether I can help.
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