AI policy and governance · Micro business (under 10 staff) · Professional services
AI policy and governance framework for a small consultancy of under ten people
A practical AI policy and light governance for a small consultancy of under ten people: what staff may and may not do with AI tools, how new uses are approved, and how risks are recorded. A two-page policy and a short briefing are usually enough.
Illustrative cost
£2,000 to £5,000 ex VAT
- Typical
- £3,000
- Duration
- About 4 weeks
- Effort
- 3.5 to 6.5 days
Illustrative estimate, not a quote. Real prices vary.
Worked out from UK freelance contractor day rates in job adverts, with no consultancy or agency margin added. Consultancies and agencies usually charge more.
Source: IT Jobs Watch. Rates read on ; costs computed on .
What is included
- An inventory of current AI tool use
- An acceptable use policy
- A simple approval and risk register process
- A briefing for staff
Deliverables
- AI acceptable use policy
- Risk register and approval process
- Staff briefing
Assumptions
- A named owner for the policy
- Existing data protection policies to align with
Not included
- Legal advice
- Regulatory conformity assessment
- Technical controls
Project plan
Phases run one after another, about 4 weeks in all.
| Phase | Weeks | Main tasks |
|---|---|---|
| AI inventory | 1 | Survey staff use; List tools and data shared |
| Policy and risk framework | 2 | Draft the policy; Approval process; Risk register |
| Briefing and adoption | 1 | Staff briefing; Policy sign-off |
Who does the work
Person-days per role in each phase, low and high effort.
| Phase | Role | Days (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| AI inventory | AI governance consultant | 1 to 1.5 days |
| Policy and risk framework | AI governance consultant | 1.5 to 2.5 days |
| Policy and risk framework | AI consultant | 0.5 to 1 day |
| Briefing and adoption | AI governance consultant | 0.5 to 1.5 days |
How the cost adds up
| Role | Low (days × 25th percentile) | Typical (days × median) | High (days × 90th percentile) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI governance consultant | 3 × £563 = £1,690 | 4.25 × £625 = £2,656 | 5.5 × £743 = £4,088 |
| AI consultant | 0.5 × £500 = £250 | 0.75 × £575 = £431 | 1 × £717 = £717 |
| Total, rounded | £2,000 | £3,000 | £5,000 |
How these estimates are worked out
Effort: for each phase we estimate how many days each role works, as a low and a high case. These are our estimates for a typical project of this kind, not measured data.
Rates: each role's daily rate comes from UK contract job adverts over the last six months, as published by IT Jobs Watch. These are freelance contractor rates as advertised, not what was paid, and not what a consultancy or agency charges.
Low end: the low-effort days at each role's 25th-percentile rate. We use the 25th percentile, not the 10th, because the lowest effort at the cheapest rates gives a floor few buyers would ever meet.
Typical: the mid-point between low and high effort, at each role's median rate.
High end: the high-effort days at each role's 90th-percentile rate.
Totals are rounded to the nearest £500 below £10,000 and the nearest £1,000 above, and exclude VAT. Phases run one after another.
Not included:
- Software licences, model and hosting fees
- Travel and expenses
- Your own staff's time
- A consultancy's or agency's margin, overheads and risk
Real prices vary with the supplier, the state of your data and systems, how much of the work your own team does, where the work happens and how much risk the supplier carries. Consultancies and agencies usually charge more than these contractor rates, and a fixed price usually costs more than time and materials because the supplier takes the risk.
Sources
Source: IT Jobs Watch: UK contract job adverts quoting a daily rate, 6 months to 15 November 2026. Each role's page was read on . Published under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
| Role | IT Jobs Watch page | Rates quoted | 25th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI governance consultantIT Jobs Watch has no "AI Governance" contract title with daily rates; mapped to the closest title, Data Governance Consultant. Small sample (14 rates): treat as indicative. | Data Governance Consultant | 14 | £563 | £625 | £743 |
| AI consultant | Artificial Intelligence Consultant | 68 | £500 | £575 | £717 |