Pricing guide
Aperture prices engagements according to the decision being supported and the work required to determine what may responsibly be relied upon. Fees reflect evidence burden, source difficulty, contradiction testing, human review, complexity, specialist dependencies, urgency, intended use and the level of reliance required.
Research is the process. Responsible reliance is the product.
Aperture is not priced as low-cost freelance research, generic AI output or document production. Technology can reduce avoidable processing time, but it does not reduce the evidentiary standard, human accountability or review responsibility. Where a lower budget is required, scope is narrowed before evidentiary care is reduced.
Smaller defined reviews begin from US$750. Larger, complex or high-reliance matters commonly exceed the US$5,000 to US$15,000 range, while major engagements are quoted according to scope and responsibility.
Public starting points
Published figures are indicative starting points, not automatic quotations. Every material engagement is scoped around the actual decision, evidence universe, intended reliance, complexity and professional review required.
From $750
A deliberately narrow first engagement for one material question, claim, document, representation or immediate uncertainty.
Typical range: $750–$1,000.
Designed as a low-friction first experience of Aperture. It is not full due diligence or a comprehensive investigation.
From $1,500
A focused evidence-assurance review where the question can remain narrow but requires more than a simple fact check.
Typical range: $1,500–$3,500.
From $2,500
Claim-by-claim testing of a report, presentation, article, proposal, AI-generated product, investment thesis or decision memorandum.
Typical range: $2,500–$7,500.
From $4,500
A structured investigation of a consequential question, disputed matter, chronology, transaction, counterparty or complex evidence body.
Focused: $4,500–$8,500 · Comprehensive: $8,500–$15,000 · Complex: $15,000–$30,000+.
From $5,000
Lawful deeper review of an organisation, person, transaction, investment, supplier, counterparty or commercial concern.
Enhanced: $5,000–$12,500 · Investigative / transaction: $15,000–$30,000+ · Complex multi-country matters are quoted according to scope.
From $12,500
Independent examination of public financial reporting, cash generation, controls, assumptions, calculations, contradictions and reliance limits.
Typical range: $12,500–$25,000. Complex finance or governance matters may exceed this range.
From $4,000
Defined strategic, geopolitical, regulatory, scientific or technical evidence work, with specialist boundaries identified where required.
Focused work commonly $4,000–$8,000; deeper or multi-jurisdictional work is scoped separately.
From $4,000
Give Aperture the current conclusion, thesis, report or evidence pack and ask what would have to be true for it to be wrong.
Focused: $4,000–$7,500 · Full: $7,500–$15,000 · High-stakes: $15,000–$30,000+.
From $1,500/month
Defined ongoing monitoring of an entity, proceeding, policy development, market signal or risk stream.
Intelligence monitoring from $3,500/month · Strategic $6,000–$10,000/month · Enterprise from $12,500/month.
From $30,000
For substantial financial, regulatory, legal, reputational or strategic exposure where the evidence burden and decision consequences justify a larger engagement.
No artificial maximum is imposed on genuinely exceptional or programme work.
How the final fee is designed
Before a material proposal is issued, Aperture examines the buyer, the decision, the evidence burden and the purchasing environment so the scope and commercial structure fit the real assignment.
What happens if the client relies on the wrong answer, and how much review responsibility does the intended use create?
How many sources, records, entities, periods, languages and jurisdictions must be controlled, and how difficult are they to verify?
Who will use the work, what decision will it support, what reassurance is required and how formal must the deliverable be?
Vendor onboarding, procurement, security review, contract negotiation, reporting requirements and stakeholder meetings can materially affect engagement design.
The buying window and delivery deadline affect capacity, sequencing and whether accepted work must be reprioritised.
Legal, accounting, engineering, medical, scientific, forensic or local-jurisdiction expertise is identified and separately approved where required.
Aperture does not charge a hidden premium simply because a client is larger or wealthier. A proposal must remain explainable through scope, responsibility, review burden, urgency, purchasing requirements and the value of the defined work. Where budget is constrained, Aperture normally reduces scope before reducing evidentiary care.
Commercial structure
Preferred where the Central Question, evidence universe, deliverables and boundaries can be defined with reasonable confidence.
Complex matters can be divided into evidence mapping, core research, analysis, specialist review and final delivery, with each phase separately approved where appropriate.
For organisations with recurring requirements. Research Access from $3,500/month, Professional Research from $6,500/month, Priority Research from $12,000/month and dedicated programmes from $20,000/month.
Reserved capacity buys continuity, priority and analytical availability. It is not merely a discounted bundle of hours.
Expedited work
+25%
Approximately 3–5 working days where feasible.
+40%
Approximately 48–72 hours where feasible.
+60% to +100%
Less than 48 hours, accepted only where the standard can still be met.
Urgency never reduces evidentiary standards.
Payment structure
Normally 100% in advance.
Normally 50% on acceptance and 50% before final release.
Normally 40% on acceptance, 30% at an agreed milestone and 30% before final release.
Milestone-based, normally beginning with 30%–40%. Monitoring and reserved-capacity arrangements are paid monthly in advance.
Separate and controlled costs
Paid court, company, property, archival or regulatory records, subscription databases, specialist software, professional or certified translation, local researchers, external specialists, travel, physical production and unusually large secure-data requirements are quoted separately where needed. No material third-party cost is incurred outside the agreed authorisation process.
Scope protection
New entities, jurisdictions, reporting periods, evidence volumes, principal questions, specialist requirements or materially different deliverables may require written change control. No additional professional fee is incurred without agreement.
A lower fee requires a narrower scope, not a lower standard of honesty, source discipline or evidentiary care.
Professional boundaries
Aperture provides independent research, evidence verification, analytical review and decision support. It does not convert the engagement into a statutory audit, legal opinion, regulated financial advice, accounting certification, engineering certification, medical opinion or other regulated professional opinion. Where specialist reliance is required, that dependency is made explicit.
Fees remain payable where the evidence contradicts the client’s assumption, remains inconclusive, exposes uncertainty or shows that further specialist work is required.
Formal proposal
We will define the Central Question, evidence universe, exclusions, intended use, review level, delivery structure and professional fee before substantive work begins.
Payment process
After an accepted quotation, Aperture sends a secure PayFast payment link by email. The client pays using the payment methods PayFast makes available for that client and transaction. Required commencement or milestone amounts must be received and settled before the relevant work or phase begins.
Delayed settlement can change a proposed start or delivery date, including urgent matters, because capacity cannot be treated as reserved indefinitely without the agreed payment.
Choose the route that matches your situation. WhatsApp is suitable for a first contact or urgent communication. Formal instructions, evidence and sensitive documents remain by email for traceability and appropriate handling.
First contactIntroduce yourself and briefly explain what decision, claim, transaction, dispute or uncertainty must be examined. Include the country, intended use and any real deadline.Urgent communicationUse this for an existing matter requiring time-sensitive attention. Include the matter reference, what changed, the response needed, and the exact deadline with time zone.Email: info@apertureforensic.comDo not send confidential evidence, identity documents or large files in the first WhatsApp message. We will confirm the appropriate email or document-transfer route.
