Fixed fee · ROI guarantee
Fixed-Fee AI Consulting with an ROI Guarantee
AIDOLS delivers production AI systems in 90 days for a fixed fee. For a Build, if the deployed system does not generate ROI exceeding its fee within 90 days, the fee is refunded in full. A written commitment like this shifts the delivery risk from the client to the firm, which is why time-and-materials consultancies rarely make one.
Traditional AI consulting, by AIDOLS estimates, bills time-and-materials at $500K–$2M+ over 6–12 months with no performance guarantee. AIDOLS prices three transparent fixed-fee tiers — Sprint, Build, and Scale — and carries the ROI guarantee on every Build engagement.
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What is fixed-fee AI consulting?
Fixed-fee AI consulting is an engagement model where the firm commits to a defined scope, a fixed price, and a delivery date before work begins — instead of billing by the hour or by the consultant-day. You know the total cost and the deadline on day one. AIDOLS pairs the fixed fee with a fixed deliverable: a working production AI system, not a strategy deck. This is only possible for a firm built around AI engineering, because the commitment rests on shipping software, not on the client's ability to execute a set of recommendations.
What does the ROI guarantee actually cover?
Every AIDOLS Build engagement ($75K–$150K, 90 days) carries the ROI guarantee. Scale tier: prorated refund. Sprint tier excluded (assessment, not deployment). The guarantee is written into the engagement, not offered as marketing language.
The commitment, in one line
For a Build, if the deployed system does not generate ROI exceeding its fee within 90 days, the fee is refunded in full.
Read the full guarantee terms →
Book a 15-minute callThe ROI guarantee terms
The guarantee is written into every Build engagement. These are its terms, clause by clause. Questions about a clause: contact@aidolsgroup.com.
- What triggers the AIDOLS ROI guarantee?
- For a Build, if the deployed system does not generate ROI exceeding its fee within 90 days, the fee is refunded in full.
- How is ROI measured for the guarantee?
- The ROI metric (cost savings, revenue uplift or cycle-time reduction) is agreed in writing at kickoff and tied to a verifiable business KPI with a baseline measurement.
- When does the 90-day guarantee window start?
- At production deployment: the 90 days are counted from the day the system goes into production.
- What is refunded on a Build engagement?
- The full Build engagement fee ($75K–$150K) is refundable.
- Does the guarantee cover the Scale tier?
- Yes, on a prorated basis: Scale refunds are prorated to the months in dispute.
- Does the guarantee cover the Sprint tier?
- No. The Sprint is an assessment, not a deployment, so it is excluded from the guarantee.
- How quickly is a refund paid?
- Refunds are processed within 30 days of the trigger event.
- Are cloud and model-API costs refundable?
- No. Cloud infrastructure and model-API pass-through costs are paid directly to the vendor and are not refundable.
How much does fixed-fee AI consulting cost?
AIDOLS publishes three fixed-fee tiers: Sprint ($15K–$25K, 2–3 weeks) for a prioritized opportunity map and roadmap; Build ($75K–$150K, 90 days) for a working production AI system with the ROI guarantee; and Scale ($25K/month) for managed operation. Most clients start with a Sprint to validate the highest-ROI opportunity, then move to a Build once the use case is confirmed.
| Tier | Fixed fee | Timeline | What you get | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sprint | $15K–$25K | 2–3 weeks | Prioritized opportunity map with ROI estimates + a 90-day roadmap with named owners | Excluded (assessment, not deployment) |
| Build | $75K–$150K | 90 days | A working production AI system, fixed scope | Fee refunded in full |
| Scale | $25K/month | Ongoing | Managed operation & iteration | Prorated refund of disputed months |
For context, by our estimates, the market runs from a fixed-fee assessment to $2M+ for a Big Four rebuild program. See the full pricing breakdown →
Book a 15-minute callWhat is the difference between fixed-fee and time-and-materials AI consulting?
Fixed-fee AI consulting locks total cost and timeline up front, so budget risk sits with the firm; time-and-materials bills open-ended by the hour or consultant-day, so cost and duration are unbounded and the risk sits with the client. Big Four firms bill $400–$800/hr and MBB strategy firms $500–$1,000+/hr, typically with no performance guarantee.
| Compared on | AIDOLS (AI-native) | Big Four / strategy | Freelance / staff-aug |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Fixed fee per tier | Big Four: $400–$800/hr · MBB: $500–$1,000+/hr | Independent: $150–$350/hr |
| Typical total | Sprint $15K–$25K · Build $75K–$150K | $500K–$2M+ (AIDOLS estimate) | Variable (billed hourly) |
| Timeline | First measurable result in 2–3 weeks · production in 90 days | 6–12 months | Variable |
| Primary deliverable | Working production AI system | Strategy decks & roadmaps | Extra engineering hands |
| Outcome guarantee | Build fee refunded in full if ROI doesn't exceed it within 90 days | None | None |
| Budget risk | Low — fixed scope, fixed fee, Build refund clause | High | Medium–High |
Why can AIDOLS offer an ROI guarantee when traditional consultants can't?
AIDOLS can put the ROI guarantee in the contract because it is engineering-first: a small senior engineering team designs, builds, and deploys the system and agrees the KPI it is measured against at kickoff. Because the deliverable is working software measured against a defined metric, the fee is tied to that metric. For a Build, if the deployed system does not generate ROI exceeding its fee within 90 days, the fee is refunded in full. The fixed scope keeps the fee fixed. Traditional consultants, by contrast, hand you recommendations to execute; their success depends on variables they don't control, so a guarantee is impractical.
Which AI consulting firms offer outcome guarantees?
Few large firms do. The Big Four (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG) and major strategy firms like McKinsey and BCG typically bill time-and-materials, which leaves accountability for the outcome with the client. Where a firm does offer a guarantee, compare what triggers it and what it refunds. AIDOLS is built to carry the risk: a fixed-fee Build engagement of 90 days with the ROI guarantee, on published terms. If you are evaluating AI consulting firms on accountability rather than brand, the question to ask any shortlist is simple: “Will you put the ROI in the contract?”
Get a fixed price, with the refund terms in writing
Start with a scoping call. We'll identify your highest-ROI use case, quote a fixed fee, and put the ROI guarantee in writing.