How Much Does AI Consulting Cost in the UK?

AI consulting is paid expert help to work out where artificial intelligence will genuinely improve a business, and then to make it happen. A consultant audits your current processes, identifies which tasks AI can take on, builds the business case, and either hands you a roadmap or implements the change alongside you.

The word covers a wide range in practice. At one end, a strategy-only engagement produces a prioritised plan and stops there. At the other, a full programme includes tool selection, integration, staff training and measurement. What you pay depends almost entirely on where on that range you sit.

One distinction matters more than the price: fixing the process comes before applying the tool. In 25 years in motor claims I have seen more money wasted automating a broken workflow than on any piece of software. For the fuller picture of the role, see what an AI consultant actually does at our guide on what an AI consultant does.

• -Scope of work. A focused audit on one business area costs less than a full organisational AI strategy.
• -Business complexity. More systems, more data sources, and more stakeholders mean more work to assess and plan.
• -Implementation depth. Strategy-only engagements cost less than those that include hands-on implementation and deployment.
• -Industry expertise. Consultants with deep experience in your sector may charge more but deliver faster, more relevant results.
• -Ongoing support. One-off audits are cheaper than retained advisory relationships, but ongoing support is what sustains the value.

Most UK AI consultants use one of three pricing models: fixed project fees, day rates, or monthly retainers. The figures below are market rates, not our prices.

Fixed project fees are the most common for audits and defined deliverables. You know exactly what you are paying before you commit. This is the model we use at Optimus because it removes the uncertainty that stops most SMEs starting.

Day rates range from £500 to £2,500 depending on seniority and specialism. Our operational day rate is £1,250. Day rates work for ongoing advisory but get expensive fast if the scope is not tightly defined.

Retainers provide ongoing access to expertise for a monthly fee. These suit businesses that need regular strategic input while they work through an AI roadmap.

Yes, usually. For comparable seniority, London day rates typically run 20% to 40% above the regional equivalent, and the gap is driven by overheads rather than by better outcomes. Against the UK-wide range of £500 to £2,500 a day, that puts most London engagements in the upper half.

We are based in Crewe and work UK-wide, mostly remotely, with on-site days where they earn their keep. Our published rate is £1,250 a day wherever you are.

If you are comparing a London quote against a regional one, ask what the difference actually buys you in the deliverable. A £1,750 London day and a £1,250 regional day often buy the same expertise and the same document.

AI strategy advisory is the planning half of AI consulting. Advisory stops at the recommendation. Consulting, as most UK firms use the word, includes the implementation that follows.

Pricing follows that split. Advisory is usually sold as a fixed-price workshop or a short day-rate engagement, typically £1,250 to £5,000. Implementation is priced per project or per phase and runs from £5,000 upwards, depending on how many systems it touches.

Be clear which one you are buying. The most common and most expensive mistake I see is a business paying implementation prices and receiving a document.

• -Every recommendation is tied to a measurable business outcome.
• -There is a clear, prioritised roadmap, not a generic report.
• -Quick wins are identified that can deliver a return before the next invoice.
• -You understand exactly what you are paying for and what you will receive.
• -There is no lock-in and no pressure to buy additional services.
• -The discovery call is genuinely useful, not a sales pitch with a slide deck.

Our pricing is fixed, published in full and the same wherever you are in the UK. Every figure above this section is a market range. These are our actual prices, listed in full at our services page.

AI Visibility Audit: £995 one-off.

3-Step AI Audit (operational): £1,250 per day.

Monitor and Tweak: £295 per month.

Content Sprint: £395 per month.

Authority Pack: £495 one-off.

Full Recheck at 90 days: £595.

Group broker rate: £795 per broker when five or more are booked together.

Website builds: from £2,000.

The first 45-minute discovery call is free.