Our standard rates & retainer model.

Effective date: 1st April 2024

Why choose a retainer over standard hours?

Cost Efficiency: The retainer locks in a discounted hourly rate of £50/hour, saving £10/hour compared to non-retainer work.

Flexibility: Rollovers and borrowing hours allow clients to manage creative needs across months without incurring unexpected costs.

Strategic Planning: Clients can plan for larger projects by using borrowed hours or agreeing on extended rollovers for future work.

Priority Support: Retainer clients receive priority scheduling, ensuring timely delivery and availability.

Our standard fees and retainer rates

  • Hourly standard rate: £60/hour

  • Hourly retainer rate: £50/hour

  • Minimum contract time: 8 hours/ month

  • Minimum contract term: 3 months

  • Maximum rollover amount: 2 months equivalent (e.g. 2 X 8 hours = 16 hours OR 2 X 20 hours = 40 hours )

Retainer example:
- Retainer Fee: £400 per month (no VAT)
- Hours Included: 8 hours of creative work

A client on the retainer benefits from the discounted rate of £50/hour, saving £10 per hour compared to the standard rate. Over a 3-month period, this equates to a total of 24 hours for £1,200, compared to £1,440 at the standard hourly rate for the same work.

Scope of Services

  • Design service examples include but not limited to:

  • Reports, brochures, and case studies

  • Social media graphics and animated banners

  • Email template design and build

  • User experience (UX) and interface (UI) design and development

  • Web design

  • Illustration

  • Branding and logo design

Flexible Hour Management

  • Rollover Policy:
    - Unused hours can roll over to the following month, up to a maximum of 16 hours (2 months' worth of unused time).
    - Once the rollover cap is reached, further unused hours are forfeited unless otherwise agreed in advance for a planned future project.

  • Borrowing Hours:
    - Clients may borrow hours from upcoming months to avoid incurring additional charges.

  • Project Costing and Time Management:
    - All projects will be costed upfront, and the time required will be outlined before work begins.
    - If the project exceeds available hours, clients will be provided with alternative options:
    - Use the available hours (e.g., 8 hours on account) plus additional hours charged at the standard rate of £60/hour.
    - Use the available hours plus borrow the required hours from future months, if available.

Retainer example:
- Retainer Fee: £360 per month (no VAT)
- Hours Included: 8 hours of creative work

If a client requires 10 hours in Month 2 but only has 8 hours available, they can borrow 2 hours from Month 3. In Month 3, they would then have 6 hours remaining without incurring the standard £60/hour rate for the overage in Month 2.

Time Tracking, Reporting, and Reviews

  • Reporting:
    Hours used and rollover balances will be tracked and reported to clients every 2 months, ensuring full transparency.

  • Annual Review:
    The retainer agreement will be reviewed annually and adjusted as necessary in line with:
    - The evolving needs of both parties
    - Inflation, interest rate changes
    - HM Government budget changes

Termination

Clients may terminate the retainer after the 3-month minimum term with 30 days’ notice, but unused hours will expire upon termination.

Additional Terms

Costs from external suppliers:
Costs for third-party services such as printing, stock photography, licensing, or other external supplier fees are not included within the retainer model. These costs will be outlined separately if required.

Non-Applicable Scenarios:

  • Specialised services:
    Highly technical or specialised work (e.g., 3D modeling, advanced animations, or custom app development) requiring outsourcing may fall outside the retainer scope.

  • Urgent work or deadlines:
    Projects requiring fast turnarounds or work outside regular scheduling (e.g., evenings, weekends) may incur additional charges or be excluded from the retainer.

  • Large-scale projects:
    Significant projects such as full-scale website builds, or complex branding overhauls may require custom proposals and pricing outside the retainer terms.

  • Excessive rollover usage:
    Clients relying heavily on rollovers instead of consistent month-to-month work may be advised to adjust the retainer or switch to project-based billing.

  • Additional client requests:
    Extended client involvement (e.g., frequent in-person meetings, stakeholder management, or on-site work) may fall outside the scope of the retainer.