One-time
Fixed-fee project
Scoped delivery with a defined start and end. CMMC L2 readiness, QMS implementation, SOC 2 Type II prep, audit binder build, financial model build, custom software v1.
Billing: 50% on SOW signature, 50% on go-live. Net-15.
Pricing
Plain-spoken pricing. Written quote in 48 hours.
Every AC5 engagement is fixed-fee with a clear scope, deliverable list, and timeline — no hourly billing, no surprise invoices. Run the estimator below for a directional range, then book a 30-minute discovery call to get a written, scoped quote inside 48 hours.
How our pricing process works.
We don't publish a catalog list because the right number for your engagement depends on scope, audit overhead, organization size, and timeline. Instead, we run a tight, repeatable process that gets you a written quote fast.
1
Run the estimator
Five questions. Directional range in under two minutes. Email gate so we know where to send the follow-up.
2
30-min discovery call
No deck, no slides. We pressure-test scope, ask the questions that move the price, and confirm fit.
3
Written quote in 48 hours
Fixed-fee SOW with deliverables, timeline, payment terms, and a named principal. No marketing-funnel runaround.
4
Kickoff within 2 weeks
Signed SOW → kickoff in days, not weeks. First deliverable arrives within the scoped window.
Pricing models we offer.
Every engagement is fixed-fee. The difference is whether you're buying a one-time delivery, ongoing operations, or both. We'll recommend the shape on the discovery call.
Ongoing
Monthly retainer
Managed operations after go-live. Quarterly evidence reviews, control monitoring, release cadence on tooling, async support from a named principal.
Billing: Fixed monthly amount, billed start of month. Defined scope, no scope creep.
Hybrid
Setup + retainer
The most common shape. Pay a fixed-fee to set up the program, then roll into a retainer to keep it audit-ready or to ship continuous improvements.
Billing: Setup billed as fixed-fee; retainer kicks in at go-live. Often a 5-10% discount on setup.
Bespoke
Custom-scoped
Nothing in the productized catalog fits. Discovery call defines scope, we quote a fixed-fee SOW. Bespoke scopes typically run 1.5-2× the equivalent productized engagement due to design overhead.
Billing: Milestone-based billing per the SOW. Always a fixed total.
What drives a quote.
The estimator below uses the same five inputs we ask about on the discovery call. Two engagements with the same name (say, “CMMC L2 readiness”) can vary 3-5× on price depending on these.
01
Type of work
Compliance, quality, audit defense, process improvement, data, custom software, financial ops, or something adjacent.
02
Organization type
Federal contractor, SLED agency, commercial company, or small business. Procurement context drives audit overhead.
03
Organization size
Headcount, number of sites, breadth of the evidence base. Larger orgs mean more interviews, more controls, more documentation.
04
Engagement shape
One-time setup, ongoing managed support, or a hybrid. Drives total cost and billing cadence.
05
Timeline urgency
Rush timelines may carry a small surcharge; planning-stage timelines often unlock a discount.
Pricing estimator
Get a directional price in two minutes.
Five questions. Email at the end. Range on the next screen. Anthony gets your answers and follows up with a written quote when you're ready.
Pricing estimator
Get a directional price for your engagement.
What kind of work are you scoping?
Pick the closest fit. You can add detail in the notes field at the end.
Pricing FAQ
- Why don't you publish list prices?
- Because two engagements with the same name can vary 3-5× on price depending on scope, organization size, audit overhead, and timeline. A published number would either be misleading high (most clients) or misleading low (federal). The estimator gives you a directional range; the discovery call produces the written number.
- Are engagements fixed-fee or hourly?
- Fixed-fee for setup work (CMMC readiness, QMS implementation, SOC 2 Type II prep, audit binder builds, custom software v1, etc.). Ongoing operations after go-live run on a monthly retainer — fixed dollar amount, named principal, defined scope. We never bill hourly.
- What's the difference between one-time delivery and a retainer?
- A one-time delivery has a defined start and end — we ship a working program, train the team, and hand over. A monthly retainer keeps the program audit-ready and continuously improving: quarterly evidence reviews, control monitoring, release cadence on tooling, and async support from a named principal.
- What's included in the monthly retainer?
- Depends on the engagement, but generally: managed software updates, evidence collection cadence, quarterly health checks, async support from a named principal, and inclusion in our internal community (Discord) for tactical questions. Right-sized SLA tiers, not enterprise defaults.
- Do you do custom / bespoke engagements?
- Yes. If nothing in the productized catalog fits, we scope a custom engagement during the discovery call. Bespoke scopes typically run 1.5-2× the equivalent productized fixed-fee due to the discovery and design overhead.
- What's the typical timeline from discovery call to first deliverable?
- Discovery call → written framing within 48 hours → statement of work within 5 business days → signed SOW + kickoff within 2 weeks → first deliverable depends on engagement (CMMC L2 v1 in ~4 weeks, QMS-in-a-Box v1 in 4–5 weeks, custom software MVPs in 6–12 weeks).
- How do you bill?
- Fixed-fee setup is 50% on SOW signature, 50% on go-live. Monthly retainers are billed at the start of the month. Net-15 terms standard. ACH or wire; we don't pass through credit-card fees.
- Do you offer set-aside-eligible delivery?
- Yes. AC5 Labs is SDVOSB self-certified. Federal engagements can flow through us as the prime under SDVOSB set-asides; we sub to credentialed implementation partners as needed. Veteran-owned and small-business set-aside posture is documented in the capability statement.
Ready for a written quote?
Run the estimator or book a 30-minute discovery call. We come back within 48 hours with a written framing of the problem and a fixed-fee SOW.