Less than a permanent hire. More than a generalist consultant charges. Here is an honest breakdown of how interim and fractional technology leadership is priced in the UK, and what you get when you engage Starkhorn. No fixed price list, because the right model depends on scope, size, time commitment and IR35. What we offer instead is transparency: real UK market rate ranges, IR35 clarity, rolling 30-day notice, and no hidden costs. Starkhorn serves organisations of 100 to 5,000 employees, from PE-backed and privately owned mid-market businesses to not-for-profits, with one person doing the work.
A permanent CIO or CISO at mid-market level typically costs a base salary of £120,000 to £180,000 per year, plus employer National Insurance at around 13.8% on top, and pension contributions of typically 5 to 10% of salary.
Add a benefits package of £15,000 to £30,000 per year, a recruitment fee of 20 to 25% of first-year salary payable upfront, a notice period of three to six months on exit, and three to six months to hire and ramp before full productivity.
All in, a permanent hire at this level commonly exceeds £200,000 in total first-year cost, before the risk of a poor hire. An interim or fractional engagement is paid only for the days or time you actually use.
Served as Interim Group Technology Director at VetPartners, a £1.2bn PE-backed group of 14,000 staff, BC Partners-backed.
Led technology across nine Western European countries shaped by rapid acquisition.
Engaged as interim leadership, paid for the time used, with no recruitment fee, no pension and no employer NI exposure for the client.
Served as interim CIO and CISO at VetPartners, providing strategic and operational technology leadership plus cyber security governance and risk oversight.
Demonstrates the interim model in practice: rapid onboarding, board-level reporting, and a structured handover at close, all under rolling notice rather than a long permanent commitment.
Engaged by Alzheimer’s Society as Fractional Associate Director of IT, ongoing from May 2026.
A live example of the fractional model for the not-for-profit sector: board-level leadership and accountability at a fraction of the cost of a permanent hire, with no long-term commitment.
The ranges below reflect the UK interim and fractional technology leadership market as of 2025 to 2026. They are provided to help you benchmark and understand what you are likely to encounter.
Interim CIO or CISO day rates, outside IR35: mid-market, focused scope £700 to £1,200 per day. Complex, regulated or transformation-led £1,200 to £2,000 per day. Group-level, multi-entity or distressed £1,800 to £2,500 per day.
Starkhorn’s actual engagement fees are discussed directly and depend on scope, duration, sector and time commitment. All figures are exclusive of VAT.
Per-month arrangements scale with scope.
Entry-level fractional, lighter touch: a few thousand pounds per month. Structured fractional with regular presence and deliverables: mid-four figures per month. Senior fractional covering significant scope across governance, cyber and strategy: low five figures per month.
Expenses such as travel and materials are agreed in advance and are typically minimal for UK-based engagements.
A vCISO gives you security leadership without a permanent hire.
Light: framework oversight, board reporting, policy governance.
Full: strategic security leadership, incident oversight, supply chain risk, regulator readiness.
Ranges broadly follow the fractional tiers above, and the right level is agreed against your actual risk and obligations.
For private sector engagements, IR35 status is determined by the client organisation under the off-payroll working rules (Chapter 10, ITEPA 2003). Starkhorn operates through a limited company.
For an engagement to sit outside IR35, the working arrangement must reflect genuine business-to-business practice: substitution rights, absence of control over how the work is done, and no mutual obligation beyond the agreed scope. Where a client determines the engagement is inside IR35, the commercial terms are adjusted accordingly. We recommend clients take independent advice if they are unsure.
Starkhorn engagements operate on rolling 30-day notice as standard. There are no six-month lock-ins, no penalty clauses for changing business priorities, and no commitment to a headcount you cannot justify. This matters most when a transformation completes ahead of schedule, when funding, ownership or leadership changes, or when the organisation is ready to hire permanently and needs a clean handover.
Fixed-term arrangements are available where the client prefers certainty, particularly for project-based or programme-led mandates.
A permanent hire at mid-market level commonly exceeds £200,000 in total first-year cost once salary, employer NI at around 13.8%, pension, benefits of £15,000 to £30,000, and a recruitment fee of 20 to 25% are added up, before the risk of a poor hire.
An interim or fractional engagement removes that exposure. You pay only for the days or time you actually use, with no recruitment fee, no pension, and no employer NI for you under a properly structured engagement.
Every month you carry a permanent cost you cannot justify is a month of value leaking out of the budget. The flexible model lets the cost follow the need.
Rapid onboarding, briefed within 24 hours and operational within days. Strategic and operational technology leadership across the agreed scope, with board and executive-level reporting and communication. Unlike a staffing agency or consultancy that places someone else and takes a margin, Starkhorn is a solo practice. Daniel Jacobs is the person you speak to, and the person who does the work.
Vendor and supplier management, including contract negotiation. Cyber security strategy, governance and risk oversight where in scope. Team leadership, hiring support and organisational design, so capability stays after the engagement ends, not just while it runs.
Access to Starkhorn’s free assessment tools for internal use, including the Technology Health Check, Cyber Essentials Readiness and AI Readiness Check. Delivery follows the Embed-to-Independence method: Discover, Diagnose, Deliver, Sustain. A structured handover and knowledge transfer comes as standard at close.
Software licensing fees. Third-party tooling. External legal or audit costs. Work outside the agreed scope without a change discussion. The boundary is clear from the outset, so there are no surprises on the invoice and no hidden costs.
Three groups, one model
PE-backed and portfolio companies that need immediate technology or cyber leadership during acquisition, integration or growth. Privately owned mid-market businesses that cannot justify a full-time CIO salary but need genuine strategic capability. Not-for-profit organisations and charities that face the same technology and security risks as commercial organisations, often with tighter budgets and greater accountability to trustees and regulators.
Book a no-cost initial conversation about your situation
We agree scope, model and IR35 position openly
You receive a clear fee, on rolling 30-day notice
If your organisation sits outside these brackets but the challenge fits, the right approach is a conversation. Starkhorn only engages where it can genuinely move the needle, and the initial call carries no cost and no obligation.
You pay only for the time you use, and the person you speak to is the person who does the work. No associates, no junior teams, no bait-and-switch after the proposal. Daniel Jacobs, Founder, Starkhorn
The table sets a permanent CIO or CISO against the interim and fractional models across the costs that actually move the total: base salary or fee, employer NI, pension, benefits, recruitment fee, notice period, time to productivity, and who does the work. It shows where the flexible models remove cost rather than where they add it.
Permanent often exceeds £200,000 in Year 1. Interim and fractional are paid for time used only.
Charities and not-for-profits face the same technology and cyber risks as commercial organisations, are subject to Charity Commission expectations on governance, and often operate under ICO scrutiny. A fractional CIO or vCISO provides board-level leadership and accountability at a fraction of the cost of a permanent hire, with no long-term commitment.
Board-level leadership for charities, at a fraction of permanent cost.
Whether you need interim leadership during a transformation, a fractional CIO you cannot justify hiring full-time, or a vCISO to carry security and governance: start with a conversation. There is no cost for an initial call.
Common questions
How much does a fractional or interim CIO cost?
It depends on scope, time commitment and IR35. UK interim day rates typically run from £700 to £2,500, and fractional retainers from a few thousand to low five figures per month. Starkhorn fees are agreed directly against your scope, exclusive of VAT.
Is there a fixed price list?
No. The right model depends on scope, organisation size, time commitment and IR35 status. What we offer instead is transparency: real UK market ranges, clear terms, and no hidden costs.
How is IR35 handled?
For private sector engagements the client determines IR35 status under the off-payroll working rules. Starkhorn operates through a limited company, and where an engagement is determined inside IR35 the commercial terms are adjusted accordingly.
What notice period applies?
Rolling 30-day notice as standard. No six-month lock-ins and no penalty clauses for changing business priorities.
What do I actually get?
The agreed scope of senior leadership, with one experienced practitioner doing the work. No agency layer, no recruitment fee, and no employer National Insurance or pension exposure.
The Technology Health Check shows where your technology leadership has gaps, scored across eight dimensions with a one-line recommendation for each. It is one of Starkhorn’s free assessment tools, with no cost and no obligation.
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Fractional CIO cost is a monthly retainer scaled to the days you book, while an interim CIO day rate is billed per day for a fixed full-time assignment. Both avoid a permanent salary, pension, bonus and recruitment fee. Fees reflect scope, days, seniority, sector and whether the work is in London or the regions.
| Engagement model | How it is priced | Best for | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interim CIO or CISO | Day rate, billed per day worked, London above the regions | Full-time leadership gap, transformation, turnaround, integration | Higher monthly, full-time intensity for a fixed period |
| Fractional CIO or CISO | Monthly retainer set by days per month | Ongoing part-time leadership and oversight | Lower total, you buy only the days you need |
| Fixed-scope project | Project fee for a defined deliverable | A specific outcome with a clear endpoint | Fixed and predictable for the scope agreed |
A fractional CIO usually costs a monthly retainer scaled to the days you book each month, so you pay for senior leadership without a full-time salary, pension, bonus or recruitment fee. The exact figure depends on scope, days per month and seniority. Book a pricing conversation for a range matched to your stage.
A fractional CISO is typically priced like a fractional CIO, as a monthly retainer set by the days you need and the maturity of your security programme. Regulated or higher risk environments often need more days, which raises the fee. Daniel covers both CIO and CISO roles, so one engagement can span both.
An interim CIO in the UK is engaged on a day rate for a defined full-time or near full-time assignment, billed per day worked rather than as a monthly retainer. The rate reflects assignment length, scope, sector and urgency. London commands a premium over the regions. Contact Starkhorn for a current rate for your brief.
Interim CIO day rates in London sit above regional rates, because London assignments carry larger scale, scrutiny and cost of delivery. A day rate is not a salary: it is gross, covers no benefits, and applies only to days worked. Ask for a current London rate scoped to your assignment length and remit.
An interim CIO is a senior technology leader who steps into a full-time leadership gap for a fixed period, often during transformation, a vacancy, a turnaround or an integration. They lead from day one on a day rate, then hand over cleanly. It differs from fractional, where one leader serves you part-time on an ongoing retainer.
Hire a fractional CIO when you need senior judgement but not a full-time salary, pension, bonus, equity and recruitment cost. You get an experienced operator immediately, scale days up or down as needs change, and avoid a long permanent hire. The Embed to Independence method builds your team's capability so reliance reduces over time.
There are three ways to engage. A day rate suits interim, full-time assignments billed per day. A monthly fractional retainer suits ongoing part-time leadership, priced by days per month. A fixed-scope project fee suits a defined outcome with a clear deliverable. Starkhorn keeps one canonical rate structure so you compare options on a single page.
It depends on intensity. Fractional usually costs less in total because you buy a few days a month on a retainer, ideal for steady oversight. Interim costs more per month because it is full-time on a day rate for a fixed period, suited to urgent transformation or a leadership gap. Match the model to your stage, not the headline rate.