Technical Advice
Booking rate £80 for the first hour, then £20 per 15 minutes. Sessions capped at 2 hours (£160).
I help you explore an idea, understand an existing system or work through a technical problem before committing to further engineering work.
This can include software build planning, connected-device feasibility, hardware scoping and legacy modernisation advice, alongside questions about architecture, connectivity and technical risks.
What I can cover
Depending on your project, the session can include:
Idea Review
Reviewing your product or prototype idea.
Hardware & Software Requirements
Discussing hardware and software requirements.
Technical Approaches
Exploring possible technical approaches.
Risks & Assumptions
Identifying key risks, unknowns and assumptions.
Components & Architecture
Discussing components, connectivity and system architecture.
Prototype Scope
Considering prototype scope and likely development stages.
Existing Material
Reviewing existing technical material or early designs.
Technical Questions
Answering technical questions and helping you understand the available options.
Choosing the Next Step
Agreeing practical next steps and whether hands-on help through Flexible Engineering would be useful.
The aim is to give you practical engineering input and help clarify the direction of the project.
How the session works
Sessions can be carried out remotely or in person. The whole Technical Advice labour brief is capped at two hours (£160), including the session, agreed chargeable preparation, follow-up and any charged travel time.
In-person meetings can be arranged in the Newtownards or Belfast area with no additional travel charge. I do not maintain dedicated client-facing premises, so where a private meeting room or co-working space is required, this will be arranged as needed and the room hire charged at cost with your agreement in advance.
Meetings at other locations can also be arranged. Any charged travel time uses the same two-hour labour allowance. Travel expenses and room hire need a separately approved budget agreed beforehand.
Booking and payment
Technical Advice follows my Terms & Conditions for Hourly Services (v1.7, PDF), with a lower two-hour cap for all labour in the advice Work Brief.
Before you book, I email a short Work Brief setting out the topic, agreed outputs, charges and spending cap. Any chargeable preparation, follow-up, travel time or separately budgeted expenses are agreed beforehand. You accept the brief and terms by email.
- The one-hour minimum and 15-minute rounding apply once across the whole brief. All labour, including agreed chargeable preparation, follow-up and charged travel time, is capped at two hours (£160). Separately approved expenses are additional. Further engineering work needs a separately agreed task.
- I send an invoice when the agreed advice work is finished, the cap is reached, or the work ends early. It shows the time charged, approved extras and any payments already made. Payment is due within 14 calendar days of the invoice date.
- Consumer cancellation rights apply where relevant. To start during your cooling-off period, I obtain a separate express early-start request and the required acknowledgement. Cancellation and early-ending provisions in the terms can reduce the usual minimum and rounding.
Before sharing sensitive information, please review the NDA & Confidentiality Guidelines.
What this service is not
This is a consultation and technical discussion service rather than a full engineering design or formal feasibility study.
If the project requires more detailed investigation, documentation, architecture work, component research or development planning, I can discuss agreeing a defined task through Flexible Engineering.
Technical Advice FAQ
Can the session be remote or in person?
Sessions can be carried out remotely or in person. In-person meetings can be arranged in the Newtownards or Belfast area with no additional travel charge, and other locations can also be arranged.
Is the whole brief capped at two hours?
Yes. The whole Technical Advice labour brief is capped at two hours (£160), including the session, agreed chargeable preparation, follow-up and any charged travel time.
Is this a formal feasibility study or design review?
No. This is a consultation and technical discussion service rather than a full engineering design or formal feasibility study. If the project requires more detailed investigation, documentation, architecture work, component research or development planning, I can discuss agreeing a defined task through Flexible Engineering.
What if I need to share confidential information?
Before sharing sensitive information, please review the NDA & Confidentiality Guidelines. I am happy to sign reasonable confidentiality agreements.
How do I start?
Get in touch with a short outline of the topic and what you want to get out of the session. Before you book, I email a short Work Brief setting out the topic, agreed outputs, charges and spending cap, and you accept the brief and terms by email.
Not sure if this is the right option?
A short initial scoping call is available to establish whether I am a good fit for your project and which service is most appropriate. Read how the free scoping call works if you would like to know what it covers before you get in touch.
Request a free scoping callPricing & Next Steps
Booking rate £80 for the first hour, then £20 per 15 minutes. The one-hour minimum applies once, and all labour in the advice Work Brief is capped at two hours (£160), including agreed preparation, follow-up and charged travel time.
Any meeting-room hire and travel expenses need advance approval and are additional to the labour cap. There is no additional travel charge for Newtownards or Belfast advice meetings.
No VAT is currently charged.
£80 per hour instead of £95 for Work Briefs accepted between 18 October 2026 and 15 December 2026. The rate is confirmed in each Work Brief, and rates already agreed are unaffected.