Pricing and terms
Fractional COO pricing, stated plainly
Three engagement models with published rate ranges, a written proposal before any commitment, and a standard business-to-business contract. Rates depend on the depth of the mandate; all prices exclude VAT.
Engagement models
Three ways to engage
Each model is a different answer to a different problem. The discovery call exists to work out which one fits — not to sell the largest.
Advisory retainer
£1,500–£2,500 / month
Scheduled sessions plus reasonable access
- Duration
- Rolling monthly after an initial three months
- Scope
- Board-level operational scrutiny, review of the operating plan, and a named executive to test decisions against — without day-to-day ownership.
- Best for
- Boards that want operational scrutiny without an embedded executive — including Non-Executive Director and board advisory mandates.
- Board meeting preparation and attendance
- Monthly operational review
- Access for ad-hoc questions between sessions
- Quarterly deep-dive on one operational area
Most common
Fractional COO
£900–£1,200 / day
1–3 days per week, retained
- Duration
- Typically 6–12 months, three-month initial commitment
- Scope
- Embedded ownership of the operating plan, the weekly leadership cadence and the functions agreed in the statement of work, handed over to a permanent team on exit.
- Best for
- Scaling technology and manufacturing businesses that need an operating executive, not more advice.
- Operating plan ownership and weekly leadership cadence
- Direct leadership of operational functions
- Availability for critical issues between committed days
- Board and investor reporting
- Defined outcomes and measurable KPIs
Interim COO
£900–£1,300 / day
4–5 days per week, fixed term
- Duration
- Fixed term, usually 3–9 months
- Scope
- Full executive ownership of operations, including stabilisation, restructuring where needed, and recruitment plus handover of the permanent successor.
- Best for
- Urgent turnarounds, post-raise scale-up sprints, or covering a leadership gap with the job actually done.
- Full executive ownership of operations
- Rapid diagnostic and stabilisation plan
- Recruitment of the permanent successor where required
- Structured handover and knowledge transfer
Cost by cadence
What a month actually costs
Indicative monthly and quarterly cost by weekly cadence, calculated from the published day rates. The written proposal confirms the exact figure before any commitment.
| Cadence | Indicative monthly cost | Indicative quarterly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Advisory retainer | £1,500–£2,500 | £4,500–£7,500 |
| 1 day / week | ≈ £3,900–£5,200 | ≈ £11,700–£15,600 |
| 2 days / week | ≈ £7,800–£10,400 | ≈ £23,400–£31,200 |
| 3 days / week | ≈ £11,700–£15,600 | ≈ £35,100–£46,800 |
| Interim (4–5 days / week) | ≈ £15,600–£28,100 | By fixed term |
Day-rate months calculated at 4.33 working weeks. All figures exclude VAT.
How a COO contract works
From first call to first week
A fractional COO engagement is a standard business-to-business consultancy arrangement — not an employment relationship and not a vague retainer. Here is the whole path.
1
Scope call
A confidential 30–45 minute call on the objective, the constraint and the timing. No charge, no obligation — and no proposal until both sides are sure the fit is real.
2
Written proposal
A one-to-two page proposal within two working days: scope, cadence, outcomes, a fixed rate and a start date. The rate is stated plainly before any commitment.
3
Consultancy agreement and NDA
A business-to-business consultancy agreement with GJM Consultants Ltd, with NDA and IP assignment signed before work begins. No employment relationship is created.
4
Onboarding and first week
Systems access, stakeholder introductions and a structured first week — usually starting within a fortnight of signature.
Minimum commitment
Fractional and advisory retainers run on an initial three-month commitment, then roll monthly. Interim mandates are fixed-term by agreement, reviewed monthly.
Notice period
One month's written notice on either side after the initial commitment. Interim mandates carry a two-week handover clause to protect continuity.
Invoicing and payment
Retainers are invoiced monthly in advance; day-rate work monthly in arrears. Payment terms are 14 days. No deposit is required — the initial commitment is the guarantee on both sides.
Statement of work
Scope is defined by outcomes and deliverables in a written statement of work, reviewed quarterly. Changes in cadence or scope are agreed in writing before they take effect.
Conflicts and confidentiality
NDA and IP assignment are standard before any engagement begins. No conflicting mandates are held in the same market at the same time.
Travel and on-site time
On-site days are expected where the operation is physical — manufacturing, fulfilment and audits need presence. Reasonable UK travel is included; international travel is agreed in advance.
IR35
Structured to sit outside IR35
Medium and large private-sector clients are responsible for the status determination. These working practices support an outside-IR35 engagement — and the determination is made openly at the outset.
- Contracted business-to-business through GJM Consultants Ltd, a UK limited company (No. 17333662) — not personal services to an individual.
- Multiple concurrent clients, with no economic dependence on a single engagement.
- Scope defined by outcomes and a written statement of work, not by supervision, direction and control.
- A genuine right of substitution, with professional indemnity and public liability insurance in place.
- Own equipment, workspace and overheads; no integration into the client's employment framework.
- Status assessed at the outset — using CEST or independent advice — and reviewed if working practices change materially.
Small companies — meeting two of: turnover under £10.2m, balance sheet under £5.1m, fewer than 50 employees — are exempt from the off-payroll rules, and the limited company determines its own status. See the COO models comparison for a fuller treatment.
Common questions
Pricing questions, answered directly
- How much does a fractional COO cost in the UK?
- A fractional COO from GJM Consultants costs £900–£1,200 per day, typically 1–3 days per week — roughly £3,900–£15,600 per month depending on cadence. Advisory retainers start at £1,500 per month; interim mandates run £900–£1,300 per day. All prices exclude VAT.
- How is the day rate set?
- By the depth of the mandate: executive ownership with P&L responsibility sits at the top of the range; narrower operational scopes sit lower. The proposal states a fixed rate before any commitment.
- How does a fractional COO contract work?
- A business-to-business consultancy agreement with GJM Consultants Ltd: a statement of work defining outcomes and cadence, an initial three-month commitment rolling monthly, one month's notice on either side, and invoicing monthly in advance for retainers or in arrears for day-rate work.
- Can an engagement start smaller and grow?
- Yes. A common pattern is a two-day-per-week start, scaling up around a funding round, a product transfer or a peak period — and back down as the internal team is built.
- Is the engagement inside or outside IR35?
- Engagements are structured to operate outside IR35: contracted through a limited company, defined by outcomes, with a genuine right of substitution and no integration into the client's employment framework. Status is assessed at the outset and reviewed if working practices change.
- What happens at the end of an engagement?
- The goal is always independence: documented operating systems, a leadership team that owns them, and a structured handover. Many clients move to a light advisory retainer afterwards.
Ready to talk numbers?
Book a discovery call
Thirty minutes on the objective, the constraint and the timing. A written proposal with a fixed rate follows within two working days if the fit is real.
Prefer the full proposal?
Proposal, quote and terms
The proposal page carries the engagement terms in full, a downloadable quote, and a direct enquiry form.
View the proposal page1. Pick a time
30 minutes, by video or phone. Times shown are UK time over the next two working weeks.
No time selected yet.
Questions on rates or terms? Email gareth@gjm-consultants.com.