Ashforte's engagement models are designed to fit how contractors buy and consume commercial support. Portfolio Retainer, project-embedded, fixed-fee claim packages, tender sprints — priced against the value they protect on live projects, not against advisory rate cards built for owner-side budgets.
Ashforte's structural approach — pooled senior oversight, standardized delivery on recurring workstreams, and fixed-fee predictability where it matters — is what allows contractors to access senior contract and commercial capability without the cost of hiring senior heads into every project team.
One senior commercial director costs the same whether they cover one project or fifteen. Ashforte's model spreads senior capacity across the client's portfolio — which is why pooled capability delivers materially better economics than staffing every project separately.
Recurring workstreams — notice tracking, variation registers, CVR, commercial reporting — run to defined SOPs across every project. Repetition of process at scale is where consulting economics get better, not worse. Contractors benefit directly.
Claim packages, tender sprints, controls audits — all scoped as fixed fee against defined outputs. Contractors get budget predictability on high-stakes commercial work. Time-and-materials pricing is reserved for genuinely unpredictable scope.
Ashforte's engagements are priced against the value they protect on the contractor's live projects — not against generic advisory rate cards built for owner-side spending. This produces a commercial fit that developer-side advisory rates rarely achieve.
Every engagement fits one of six structural models. Most contractor relationships start with either the Initial Commercial Risk Assessment or a Fixed-Fee Claim Package, and extend from there as trust builds and scope widens.
Continuous shared senior capability across the contractor's live projects. Ashforte becomes the contractor's contract, claims and commercial support function — pooled oversight, standardized delivery, monthly reporting cadence.
Fixed monthly fee scaled to the size of the portfolio and the depth of support. Reviewed quarterly. Materially lower than the cost of staffing equivalent capability across every project separately.
The Portfolio Retainer is where Ashforte's model returns the highest value — because standardization, senior review and portfolio visibility all compound over time. Contractors that adopt the retainer typically report improved certification cycles, reduced claim leakage and clearer executive visibility inside two to three reporting cycles.
A named senior lead plus supporting delivery team embedded into a single project or programme for a defined period. Full commercial, contract and claims capability applied to one specific engagement.
Fixed monthly or defined-term fee. Team composition sized to the project's complexity. Priced against the value protected on the specific project — not against advisory rate cards.
Project-Embedded engagements are how many contractors first experience Ashforte. A specific project needs support, the engagement lands, results are visible, and the model then extends to a broader Portfolio Retainer for the contractor's other live projects.
A single claim scope delivered as a fixed-fee engagement. One senior claims lead, a defined evidence base, a defined submission or defence deliverable. Predictable cost, predictable output.
Fixed fee against defined scope. Where scope is uncertain at engagement start, a short scoping phase precedes the fixed-fee stage.
Fixed-fee claim packages give contractors budget certainty on high-stakes commercial recovery work. Ashforte's ability to deliver at fixed fee comes from pooled senior capacity and standardized delivery — not from cutting corners on senior review.
Focused pre-award commercial and contractual review before signature. Onerous clause identification, pricing input, subcontract structuring, and pre-mobilisation delivery setup — delivered inside the tender timeline.
Fixed fee scoped to the bid's complexity and the sprint duration. Turnaround inside the tender timeline.
Pre-contract review is the highest-leverage point in the commercial lifecycle. Fixed pricing and defined scope make it easy for contractors to embed pre-contract review as standard practice on bids above an agreed threshold — a common evolution for repeat clients.
Retained arrangement where Ashforte reviews every contractor bid above an agreed threshold as part of the client's internal bid governance — with defined turnaround windows.
Retainer fee covering a defined number of bids per period. Bespoke pricing per bid above the retainer allowance.
Standing Bid Reviewer arrangements formalize commercial discipline at the point of highest leverage — before signature. They are a natural evolution for contractors already engaged in a Portfolio Retainer.
A focused review of one live project to identify contract, claims and commercial-control gaps before they turn into margin loss. Designed as a no-obligation entry point to Ashforte's model.
No charge. No obligation to continue.
The Snapshot lets contractors see Ashforte's model applied to a real project on their own portfolio, without financial commitment. Most Snapshots either identify enough exposure to justify further engagement immediately — or reassure the client that a specific project is in better shape than they feared. Either outcome is useful.
Ashforte publishes starting prices across every engagement type plus a bespoke Custom Scope tier for engagements that don't fit a standard package. Fixed-fee, not day rate. USD, SAR, AED and EUR shown inline.
View full pricingBy invitation, Ashforte provides qualified contractors with an initial commercial risk assessment on one live project. A structured senior review of contract, claims and commercial-control exposure, delivered as a documented briefing with a 30-day action plan. Qualification is determined in the first conversation.
A structured review of one live project — offered by invitation, at no cost, to qualified contractors.
Request an initial assessmentNo client is asked to commit to a Portfolio Retainer at first contact. The relationship evolves through defined steps — each one small enough to say yes to, each one large enough to be useful.
Contact through the website or via referral. Initial conversation to understand the portfolio, live projects, current commercial pressure and the specific trigger for reaching out.
Most first engagements start with either the Initial Commercial Risk Assessment on one live project, or a short paid scoping engagement for larger portfolio-level discussions.
A defined-scope first engagement — usually a Fixed-Fee Claim Package, Project-Embedded Support engagement, or Tender Sprint. Scope, deliverables, fee and duration all agreed in writing before start.
Most clients extend the model to cover additional projects, additional workstreams, or transition to a Portfolio Retainer. Extension happens on the client's timeline — never pushed.
Continuous shared capability across the contractor's live projects. Reviewed quarterly. Scaled to the portfolio's changing shape.
No cost. No obligation. One live project reviewed, exposure identified, 30-day action plan delivered. If it works, extend it. If it doesn't, walk away with a useful document either way.