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Fractional CTO services
Senior technology leadership for founder-led businesses — scaled to the days you need, and yours for exactly as long as you need it.
All prices exclude VAT. Final scope and fees are agreed before work begins.
What is a fractional CTO?
A fractional CTO is an experienced technology leader who works with you part-time — doing the same job as a full-time CTO, scaled to a few days a month, without the full-time salary, equity or recruitment cost.
You get senior judgement from day one: someone who has built and scaled technology before, in the room when the decisions are made, and accountable for the outcome — not a report from the outside.
What a fractional CTO does
- Sets technology strategy and translates it into a practical roadmap the board can follow.
- Makes the architecture and build-vs-buy decisions, and owns technical risk and governance.
- Leads, mentors and hires the technology team — so capability stays after the engagement ends.
- Manages suppliers and vendors, and keeps spend and contracts under control.
- Reports to the board in plain English, and represents technology to investors and customers.
Read our guide to what a fractional CTO actually does, including responsibilities and typical time commitments, or compare a fractional CTO with a full-time CTO if you are weighing a permanent hire.
When to bring one in
Usually when technology has outgrown ad-hoc decisions but a full-time CTO isn't justified yet: you're scaling, approaching or just past a raise, losing time to systems that don't join up, or carrying technical and cyber risk no one senior owns. If a full-time hire is genuinely the right answer, we'll tell you.
Ways we're engaged
One role — Fractional CTO, CIO or IT Director — shaped around what you actually need, also available as:
- Interim — full-time cover for a fixed period: a leadership gap, a turnaround or an integration.
- Virtual CTO / CTO as a service — ongoing part-time leadership and a trusted technical partner.
- Fractional CIO / IT Director — where the need is systems, operations and internal IT rather than product.
Time and cost
£1,100 per day, ex VAT. Choose the amount of support you need.
Ongoing support: commitment and discounts
| Engagement | Discount | Day rate |
|---|---|---|
| Standard rate | 0% | £1,100 |
| 6 months | 5% | £1,045 |
| More than 6 months | 10% | £990 |
No standard minimum commitment. We agree the scope, number of days and engagement period with you before work begins. Any notice period forms part of that agreement. Longer commitments can attract the discounts shown above, agreed individually. Your fee is based on the agreed days and day rate.
Ad hoc advice or interim leadership
£1,100 per day, ex VAT. The total depends on the number of days agreed.
No recruitment fee or employer NI. Indicative — confirmed by scope. Full pricing →
Unsure whether you need senior technology leadership? Read our seven signs your business needs a CTO.
Planning the time commitment? See how many days a month a fractional CTO needs, with monthly cost examples and a practical way to size the work.
Appointing or managing a development partner? Compare fractional CTO and development agency responsibilities, costs and how the two work together.
Choosing your technology leader? Use our guide to choosing a fractional CTO, including interview questions, reference checks and engagement terms.
Leading a business without a technical background? See how a fractional CTO supports non-technical founders, with clear responsibilities for spending, suppliers and delivery.
Managing a leadership departure? Read what to do when your CTO leaves, with a first-week handover plan and guidance on leadership cover.
Compare fractional, interim and virtual CTO support to agree the time, responsibilities and cost your business needs.
Already working with a CTO? See how to get the most value from a fractional CTO, from setting priorities to reviewing delivery.
Appointing your first technology leader? Read when to hire your first CTO to identify the decisions that need an owner and choose fractional or full-time cover.
Common questions
How much does a fractional CTO cost?
Fractional leadership is £1,100 per day ex VAT, with no standard minimum commitment. Longer commitments can attract discounts agreed individually: 5% for six months (£1,045 per day) and 10% for more than six months (£990 per day). We agree the scope, number of days, engagement period and final fee before work begins. Any notice period forms part of that agreement.
What's the difference between fractional, interim and virtual?
Fractional is ongoing and part-time (a few days a month, with an engagement period agreed with you). Interim is full-time cover for a fixed period — a gap, a turnaround, an integration — on a day rate. "Virtual CTO" and "CTO as a service" are other names for the fractional model.
When should a company hire a CTO?
When technology decisions start outrunning the people making them — scaling, a raise, systems that don't integrate, or cyber and technical risk no one senior owns. Often a fractional CTO is the right first step before a full-time hire is justified.
How quickly can you start?
Usually within days. Most engagements begin with a short, no-cost call to work out what you actually need.
Talk to us
Bring senior technology leadership into the room.
A no-pressure conversation about where you are and what you need. No cost for the first call.