HOW TO HIRE · BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

How to hire a management consultant in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to management consultants. Here is how to set the scope, the IR35 position and confidentiality.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a management consultant in five steps

  1. Define the outcomeThe problem and how success will be measured.
  2. Check referencesClients of a similar size and sector.
  3. Agree days, rate and expensesIn a written proposal, with VAT shown.
  4. Settle IR35 for interim rolesWho makes the status determination, and the reasons.
  5. Protect confidential informationAnd agree who owns the work produced.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses management consultants in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. References and a precise proposal are the protection.

Ask the management consultant for clients you can contact.

Off-payroll working (IR35)

HMRC's off-payroll rules apply where a management consultant provides services through their own company; the client usually decides employment status and gives a status determination statement, unless it is a small client outside the public sector.

For an interim management consultant, record the status decision and the reasons. gov.uk →

Staff and customer data (ICO)

Restructures and reviews involve staff and customer personal data. Data protection rules, enforced by the ICO, require the management consultant to keep it secure and use it fairly.

Share personal data only as needed and set confidentiality terms. gov.uk →

VAT

Management consultancy is standard-rated, so a registered management consultant adds 20% to the day rate and to expenses rebilled to you. Registration becomes compulsory once a management consultant has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the management consultant for the VAT number with the proposal and for days, expenses and VAT shown apart on each invoice. gov.uk →

“What similar management consulting work have you led?”

A good answer: Named engagements of similar size, with results and a reference.

“What will you deliver, and how will we measure success?”

A good answer: Deliverables and measures in the proposal.

“What is the day rate, and how are expenses and VAT charged?”

A good answer: All three in writing.

“Are you working through your own company?”

A good answer: A clear answer so IR35 can be decided.

“Who in your team will do the work?”

A good answer: Named consultants, not a bait-and-switch.

“Who owns the reports and models?”

A good answer: Your business, in the contract.

“How will the consultant bring staff along with the change?”

A good answer: A plan for communication and involvement.

Getting the quote right

  • Scope, deliverables and success measures
  • Who actually attends: the management consultants named in the proposal, and whether they are employed or subcontracted associates
  • Day rate, days and named consultants
  • Expenses policy
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on the day rate and expenses
  • IR35 status for interim roles
  • Confidentiality and ownership of the work
  • Notice and payment terms

Walk away if

  • Senior people sell, junior people deliver, unannounced
  • Open-ended days
  • No measures of success
  • Avoids the IR35 question
  • Recommends redundancies without a fair process
  • Keeps the models and data
LOW
£455
TYPICAL
£620
HIGH
£1,400

What a management consultant costs: £455–£1,400 per day

Management consultants charge a day rate or fixed project fee, plus expenses and VAT. Management Consultant price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Management consultants near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. ScopingProblem, outcomes and measures agreed.
  2. AnalysisData, processes and structures reviewed.
  3. RecommendationsOptions and a preferred route presented.
  4. Change supportProjects led and staff brought along.
  5. HandoverResults reviewed and work handed over.

Operating model
How a business is organised to deliver its work.
Interim manager
A consultant filling a management role for a set period.
Status determination statement
The client's written IR35 decision.
Programme management
Coordinating several related projects.
Change management
Helping people adopt new ways of working.
Day rate
The fee per working day.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the deliverablesReports, models and data in your own systems.
Measure the changeAgainst the measures agreed at the start.
Close accessRemove system access when the engagement ends.
Leave an honest reviewRate the management consultant on the things that mattered to you: the result, the communication, the price. Anything wrong goes through make-it-right before the review is published.

STEP 1Start with the management consultantExplain to the management consultant, in writing, which part of the job fell short and what you want done. If the work lacked reasonable care and skill, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 lets you ask for it to be put right at no extra cost, or for money back.
STEP 2Make-it-right on LocufyBelow four stars, Locufy asks if the management consultant should be told first and given a chance. We follow it up; your review goes live once it has run its course.
STEP 3The consumer helplinesWith no regulator for management consultants, the management consultant can be referred to Trading Standards by the Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133) in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) or Consumerline (0300 123 6262) in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Take it to small claimsIf the management consultant still will not refund or fix it, the small claims routes need no solicitor: up to £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 under simple procedure in Scotland, and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a management consultant: questions people ask

No licence or registration is needed in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and no qualification is set by law.

They can, if the consultant works through their own company; most clients decide status and issue a status determination statement.

Agree in the contract that reports and models belong to your business.

The range is £455–£1,400 per day, and £620 is a typical figure. Seniority, firm size, sector and length of engagement set the day rate. The management consultant price guide covers what changes it; enter your town above to compare local management consultants.

Usually, at 20%, if the consultant is VAT-registered.

From a few weeks to several months.

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Management consultants near you

Management consultants in LondonManagement consultants in ManchesterManagement consultants in BirminghamManagement consultants in GlasgowManagement consultants in BelfastAll management consultants on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — understanding off-payroll working (IR35)
  2. gov.uk — data protection and your business
  3. gov.uk — dismissing staff
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  6. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  7. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  8. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register