What does a forward-deployed AI engineer cost in the UK?
See the £1,250 senior engineer day rate, £20,000–£55,000 proof of concept and the team included in £70,000–£85,000 monthly continuation.
At Tenhaw, a forward-deployed engineer is billed at the published senior practitioner rate of £1,250 a day, excluding VAT. On a two-to-four-week proof of concept, one or two of them are the whole team (£20,000–£55,000 fixed). After the 90-day programme, a three-person continuation team that includes one engineer costs £70,000–£85,000 a month.
30 minutes with James · how this would work in your organisation
The basis for this approach
This explains Tenhaw’s published prices and team shapes. It is not a contractor-market rate survey; compare a contractor against the responsibilities your actual proposal includes.
The demand signal
Tenhaw’s continuation has three practitioners: an interim agentic lead, an engineer and an adoption lead, under partner oversight from James Rooney. It is optional after the 90-day programme and ends on 30 days’ written notice either way.
Bring the reason this is on your agenda to a 30-minute call with James, and we can explore what it would take in your organisation.
Book a 30-minute callWhy it stalls
2 failure modes we keep meeting
One engineer’s rate is compared with a whole team’s fee
The continuation fee covers leadership, engineering, adoption and partner oversight. The engineer’s day rate is one component, not the price of those combined responsibilities.
The build price is confused with running costs
Tenhaw’s work runs in your repositories and infrastructure. Model, platform and licence charges remain on your accounts and belong beside the delivery fee in the budget.
If one of these sounds familiar, bring it to a 30-minute call with James and we can explore a way past it.
Book a 30-minute callHow we approach it
3 moves, in order
- 01
Choose the outcome you are buying
One or two engineers test a workflow in the proof of concept. The 90-day programme carries a defined production and adoption scope. Continuation is a separate monthly decision after that programme.
- 02
Read the rate and the team together
The engineer is at the published £1,250 senior practitioner day rate, excluding VAT. Monthly illustrations use 20 billable days; the proposed allocation and scope establish the fee.
- 03
Agree the handover and notice
Your team pairs during the build and keeps client-specific deliverables on payment. Continuation is cancellable on 30 days’ written notice either way, with no introduction or permanent-placement fee.
Your team pairs during the build and keeps client-specific deliverables on payment.
Prefer to talk it through? Ask us on a discovery call →
Sources
Every source below was opened and read before it was attached. Where nothing survived that check, the claim on this page was softened rather than given a plausible-looking link.
Tenhaw, published pricing and rate cardTenhaw, Agentic Proof of ConceptTenhaw, optional continuation after 90 daysThe closest guides to this one
Nearest first, then the rest. Each one carries the same label: written from delivery, or the method we would bring. All 34 are on the hub.
What is a forward-deployed engineer?
Understand how forward-deployed engineers work in your repositories, pair with your engineers and hand over the capability. See the buying options.
Our approachAI consultant day rates in the UK
Compare Tenhaw’s published AI consultancy day rates, fixed fees and monthly price basis, with the dated G-Cloud 14 benchmark caveats.
DeliveredDocument intelligence to business intelligence
Turn source documents into data your business can check and use.
DeliveredVoice agents and conversation intelligence
Choose recorded-call insight or a live agent, then design the right workflow.
Our approachRetrieval, RAG and permission-aware knowledge access
Answer from useful sources while keeping access tied to the person asking.
Our approachRAG, fine-tuning or prompting: how to choose
Choose the experiment that answers your knowledge, behaviour or cost question.
Or bring the problem to a call instead of reading three more of these.
Book a 30-minute callWork out the next step for your team.
A 30-minute call with James Rooney to discuss your workflow, people and budget. Leave with a rough scope and a useful next step.
Agentic Proof of Concept · £20k–£55k fixed · 2–4 weeks · excluding VAT
No time that suits? Email hello@tenhaw.com. Calendar not loading? Open it on cal.com.
Describe the work
Describe the work in a paragraph. James replies with a rough scope and budget range within two working days.
Questions this guide answers
Day rate or fixed fee?
The senior practitioner day rate is £1,250 excluding VAT. The proof of concept is an agreed fixed scope at £20,000–£55,000. The 90-day programme is £120,000 or £180,000 fixed, and later continuation is a separate monthly engagement.
What else is in the monthly fee?
The £70,000–£85,000 continuation covers three practitioners: an interim agentic lead, an engineer and an adoption lead, with partner oversight. It is not the fee for one engineer alone.
Are there placement fees?
No. Tenhaw supplies an engagement rather than an agency placement. The published role terms have no introduction fee and no permanent-placement conversion clause.
How does this compare with a contractor?
Compare the scope and responsibilities in the proposals. A contractor may fit if you already have direction and management in place. Tenhaw’s engagement combines the agreed outcome, pairing and partner oversight; it does not publish a universal contractor rate.
What do we own when it ends?
Code lives in your repositories. Client-specific deliverables, documentation and code become yours on payment of the applicable fees. Pairing and the agreed handover help your engineers continue the work.