Comparison
Last updated: October 2026
Faculty alternatives for a UK small business's first AI project
Faculty, Softwire, Kainos and Made Tech all list government work among their main markets, and none of the five firms compared here, Netguru included, publishes a fixed price for a first project. For a UK small business, agree a fixed scope and price before work starts: ours begins with a £595 teardown, then a two-week PoC at £9,500 to £13,500.
AI Workflow Teardown: £595 · 3 business days
Why these five firms
We run GEO, a tool that asks ChatGPT the questions buyers ask and records which companies it names. Its ranking of AI consultancies in the UK, measured on 16 October 2026, asked ten questions, including which AI consultancy a UK small business should hire for its first AI project. A free check of urbanodx.com on 9 October 2026 asked three more questions about UK AI delivery.
- Faculty was named in 6 of the 10 answers on 16 October.
- Softwire was named in 3, Kainos in 2 and Made Tech in 1.
- The 9 October check named Made Tech, Faculty, Netguru and Kainos.
- Urbano DX was not named in any of these answers.
Where each firm is the stronger choice
Each of these firms is strong at the work it is built for. This is what their own pages said on 17 October 2026.
- Faculty: founded in 2014, part of Accenture since 16 March 2026, and the builder of the NHS early warning system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strongest for AI strategy, AI safety and large programmes in government, health and defence.
- Softwire: an independent consultancy for more than 25 years, working in energy, financial services, government and insurance. Strongest for regulated, high-stakes systems; its AI case studies include the start-up AutogenAI.
- Kainos: a FTSE 250 company with 3,132 people and a Workday partner since 2011. Strongest for public sector digital services and Workday.
- Made Tech: established in 2008, and it states that it works exclusively with public sector organisations. Strongest for councils, departments and other public bodies.
- Netguru: based in Poznań since 2008, with more than 400 people, focused on commerce and digital products. Strongest when you want a larger product team; its AI services page cites PoCs delivered in five to six weeks.
Where Urbano DX fits, and where it does not
Urbano DX is a senior engineer in Poland, one hour ahead of the UK, who scopes the work and builds it without subcontracting. Prices are fixed and published, and you own the project code. That suits one narrow workflow at a small business. It does not suit every project.
- Fits: one workflow, a fixed budget and a decision owner who can review a demo every week.
- Fits: you want the code, the setup notes and the accounts in your name at the end.
- Does not fit: a programme that needs a large team, staff on site in the UK or round-the-clock support.
- Does not fit: buying through G-Cloud, because Urbano DX is not on the framework.
Verdict: who to call first
Choose by the decision you need to make, not by the name ChatGPT mentions first.
- A public body: Made Tech or Kainos, both on G-Cloud 15.
- A board-level AI programme with a large budget: Faculty or Softwire.
- A bigger product team for commerce or apps: Netguru.
- A small business with one workflow and a fixed budget: a firm that publishes a fixed price for a first step, such as our £595 teardown.
Sources and method
Published by Urbano DX on 17 October 2026. Facts about other firms come from their own websites and their own listings on the UK government's G-Cloud 15 framework, read on that date. G-Cloud rates are day rates offered to public sector buyers, so quotes to private companies can differ. Made Tech's facts come from its own G-Cloud 15 documents.
- Faculty: faculty.ai/ai-services, its G-Cloud 15 listing 131817891829821 (AI, LLM and ML Discovery Services) and Accenture's news release of 16 March 2026 on newsroom.accenture.com.
- Softwire: softwire.com/about-us and softwire.com/services/ai-transformation.
- Kainos: kainos.com and kainos.com/about-us.
- Made Tech: its G-Cloud 15 service definition document dated 28 January 2026.
- Netguru: netguru.com and netguru.com/services/ai-development-services.
- G-Cloud 15 rate cards on applytosupply.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk: services 131817891829821 (Faculty), 894366445055161 (Softwire), 919256656931846 (Kainos) and 272941848211990 (Made Tech).
- ChatGPT answers: geo.urbanodx.com/ai-rankings/ai-consultancies-uk, measured 16 October 2026.
Five UK AI firms and Urbano DX compared
| Read 17 October 2026 | Faculty | Softwire | Kainos | Made Tech | Netguru | Urbano DX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Named by ChatGPT (16 October ranking) | 6 of 10 answers | 3 of 10 | 2 of 10 | 1 of 10 | Not in the ranking; named in our 9 October check | 0 of 10 |
| Who it sells to | Public services, defence, health, finance and other industries | Energy, financial services, government, insurance | Government, healthcare, defence, private sector, Workday customers | Public sector organisations only | Commerce, marketplaces and retail, plus finance, health and education | UK companies starting with one workflow |
| Company | London; part of Accenture since 16 March 2026 | Independent, more than 25 years | FTSE 250; 3,132 people | Established 2008; public sector specialist | Poznań, Poland; since 2008; 400+ people | Poland, one hour ahead of the UK; one senior engineer |
| Published price | No project price found; G-Cloud day rates £918 to £3,150 | No project price found; G-Cloud day rates £350 to £2,750 | No project price found; G-Cloud day rates £730 to £2,258 | G-Cloud day rates £237 to £1,632 | No price found; estimate form | Fixed: £595 teardown; two-week PoC £9,500 to £13,500 |
| Data scientist day rate (G-Cloud 15) | £1,576.80 | £1,250 | £1,197 | £519 | Not on G-Cloud | Not sold by the day |
| Published first AI step | AI, LLM and ML discovery service | Organisational readiness for AI; AI concept proof-of-value | AI Strategy Launchpad, a flexible four-week process for public sector leaders | Discovery, alpha and beta phases | Proof of concept; its page cites PoCs in five to six weeks | Teardown in 3 business days, then a two-week PoC |
| Choose it if | AI is a large, high-stakes programme | You need a scalable team for a regulated system | You are a public body or run Workday | You are a public sector organisation | You want a larger product team for commerce or apps | You have one workflow and a fixed budget |
G-Cloud 15 rates are the day rates each firm lists for public sector buyers; quotes to private companies can differ. Urbano DX prices come from its published UK price list.
Buyer FAQs
How much does Faculty cost?
Faculty does not publish project prices on its website. Its rate card on the UK government's G-Cloud 15 framework lists day rates from £918 to £3,150, including £1,576.80 for a data scientist (read 17 October 2026). Private quotes can differ, so ask for a fixed scope and price before comparing it with smaller firms.
Is Faculty still independent?
No. Accenture announced its acquisition of Faculty on 6 January 2026 and completed it on 16 March 2026. Faculty's chief executive, Marc Warner, became Accenture's chief technology officer, and more than 400 Faculty staff joined Accenture. Faculty's own website still presents its AI services under the Faculty name.
Which AI consultancies work with UK small businesses?
Look for firms that publish a fixed price for a first step. On 17 October 2026, Softomate listed AI assessments from £1,500, SpotDev a first AI agent in production at £8,000, and Urbano DX a £595 teardown followed by a two-week PoC at £9,500 to £13,500. Compare what each delivers, not just the price.
Can a private small business hire Made Tech or Kainos?
Made Tech states that it works exclusively with public sector organisations, so a private small business is outside its market. Kainos has a private sector practice and Workday services, but its published first AI step, the AI Strategy Launchpad, is written for public sector leaders. Both list their rates on G-Cloud 15.
What should a UK small business ask any AI consultancy?
Ask who will build it, what is out of scope, which fixed price and end date apply, which checks decide success, and who owns the code at the end. If those answers are not in writing before work starts, the budget risk sits with you, whichever firm you choose.
Start with one workflow, not a programme
Tell us the manual task that costs your team the most time. We confirm the scope and start date in writing before you pay, and the teardown fee is credited if you go on to a sprint.
Request the £595 teardown