The scope. Read before you enquire.
This is the working reference for how an AYCAS Studios engagement runs in practice — the four engagement shapes, the deliverable specs, the payment mechanics, and the scope language that governs every signed brief.
Four shapes.
One commercial model.
AYCAS Studios runs four engagement shapes. Same operating principles, same commercial model — what differs is scope and depth. We scope your brief into the right shape on the first call.
Venture Build FLAGSHIP
Scope: Whole-operation stand-up. Brand identity, digital presence, AI operating system, enablement, plus the first ninety days of comms — delivered as one engagement.
Timeline: Ten to twelve weeks for standard commercial engagements; twelve to sixteen for stakeholder-heavy institutional. The shorter productised path is Starter Build, not Venture Build.
Fee: USD 5,000–15,000. 50/50 split for engagements at or below USD 10k; 30/30/30/10 across the four phases above. Indicative band — final fee in the Service Agreement.
For: Small operating teams (typically 1–15 people), institutional ventures under new ownership, and greenfield ventures launching from zero.
Team Build
Scope: AI augmentation of one existing function inside a larger business. Targeted AI deployment that lifts a single department's capacity without touching the rest of the operation.
Timeline: Four to six weeks.
Fee: USD 2,500–6,000. 50/50 split — half on signature, half on delivery.
For: Corporates with internal IT, marketing, or ops functions who want AI leverage in one specific area — finance close, customer service, marketing ops, HR intake, or similar.
Component Build
Scope: Single module from the Venture Build stack, delivered standalone — a brand identity, an AI agent, a website, an Operating Playbook. No bundling.
Timeline: Two to four weeks.
Fee: USD 800–2,500. 50/50 split.
For: Established businesses wanting targeted AI insertion or a single creative deliverable without committing to the full operation rebuild.
Starter Build
Scope: Productised light-touch entry product. One orchestrator, two to three specialist agents, basic knowledge base, self-serve Operating Playbook. No bespoke brand work.
Timeline: Two to three weeks.
Fee: USD 1,500–3,000. 50/50 split.
For: Budget-constrained SMEs, solopreneurs, and pilot-wave clients who want the AI operating system without the full Venture Build engagement.
What engagements cost.
Bands rather than fixed prices. Final fee depends on scope; we lock the number in writing in the Service Agreement before you sign. No hourly billing. No surprise extras. The first Discovery call is free.
Build engagements
Care Plan retainer · post-handover
Ongoing support after the build. Twelve-month minimum commitment, thirty days' notice. Activates day thirty-one post-handover, once your team has been running independently. Standard tier is the default sell-in.
CurrencyAll fees in USD. FX locked at invoice issue date for local-currency conversions.
DiscountFive percent off Venture Build for full-upfront payment on signature.
Industry specialistsWhen an engagement needs sector expertise (regulatory, technical, legal), specialists are sourced externally — passed through at cost plus a fifteen percent coordination margin. Flagged at scoping; never a surprise.
Not includedTravel beyond Harare, after-hours support (Care Plan Growth only), third-party software licences. Detail in What we don't do below.
Bands are indicative. Your final fee lands in the Service Agreement once we've scoped your brief. Pricing recalibrates after the first delivery completes — bands lock at v2.0 once we have real unit economics.
What you actually receive.
For each capability — format, revision rounds, and what transfers to you at handover. Read this before you sign so there are no surprises about what lands in your inbox.
Brand identity & strategy
- Format
- 25–40 page PDF brand book, editable source files, one-page summary card.
- Revisions
- Two rounds per major artefact (positioning, voice, visual direction).
- Transferred
- Brand book PDF, editable source, voice guide, master logo files.
Graphic design & print
- Format
- Layered native source files; flat exports (PNG, JPG, PDF); print-ready files (CMYK, with bleed and crop marks).
- Revisions
- Two rounds per artefact.
- Transferred
- Source files, naming conventions doc, print-ready package, master asset library.
Photography & image-making
- Format
- Edited high-res JPG; RAW masters where licensed; lower-res social variants; web-optimised exports.
- Revisions
- One round of selects, one round of retouch refinements.
- Transferred
- Image library, usage rights documentation, retouched and unretouched masters.
Film, video & motion
- Format
- Master files (ProRes / H.264); per-platform cuts (16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:5); SRT captions; motion graphics package.
- Revisions
- Two rounds per major asset.
- Transferred
- Master files, delivery exports, motion graphics source, captions.
Web, digital & integrations
- Format
- Deployed live site; git repository; integration documentation; DNS handover sheet.
- Revisions
- Two rounds per page during build phase.
- Transferred
- Domain ownership, repository access, integration configurations, performance report.
Social media & content
- Format
- Monthly content calendar (spreadsheet or Notion); drafted captions and post copy; reusable asset templates; response playbook.
- Revisions
- Two rounds per monthly cycle during initial build.
- Transferred
- Calendar tool, posting cadence guide, captions library, response playbook.
Advertising & campaign
- Format
- Campaign brief, creative assets, media plan, performance dashboard.
- Revisions
- Two rounds at concept; unlimited tactical tweaks during the campaign run.
- Transferred
- Creative assets, dashboard access, performance report, lessons-learned summary.
PR & media relations
- Format
- Tiered pitch list (A/B/C); tailored pitch templates per target type; press kit (PDF + web); tracked outreach log.
- Revisions
- One round per pitch template.
- Transferred
- Pitch list, press kit, outreach and placement log.
Copy & editorial
- Format
- Markdown source plus PDF or document export; version-controlled per artefact.
- Revisions
- Two rounds per major piece.
- Transferred
- Copy library, voice-guide adherence notes, source files.
AI operating system CORE
- Format
- Deployed AI team mapped to your operation; knowledge base structure; written procedures; Operating Playbook PDF; integration documentation.
- Revisions
- Two rounds at design phase; ongoing iteration during the 30-day monitored operation.
- Transferred
- Full AI operating system access, knowledge base, Operating Playbook, integration configurations, training session recording.
How an engagement runs.
The commercial shape is consistent across every engagement. Fixed scope, fixed fee, milestone-billed.
Payment
Fixed-fee, milestone-billed, USD-denominated. Smaller pilots run on a 50/50 deposit-and-final split; larger engagements on 30/30/30/10 across the four phases. No hourly billing. No surprise extras. Care Plan, when bought, is a separately-documented monthly retainer with its own commitment terms.
Revisions
Two structured rounds per deliverable. A round is one consolidated set of feedback from a nominated approver, delivered in writing. Additional rounds are chargeable at a published hourly rate via signed Change Order.
Change Orders
Any change to scope, deliverables, timeline, or fee is recorded in a signed Change Order before the change takes effect. We don't absorb scope creep silently. We don't bill for surprises.
Termination
Either party may terminate on fourteen days' written notice. The Client pays for work completed up to the termination date plus any non-cancellable third-party costs. The deposit is non-refundable once work has started.
What we don't do.
Saying no early saves everyone time. If your brief is in this list, we're not the right team — and we'll say so on the first call so you can move on.
Managed operations as a default
Our standard model is build-and-handover — we stand up the operation and your team runs it. Operate-mode arrangements (for government departments, regulated institutions, or buyers without internal capacity) are scoped case-by-case and not part of the standard ladder.
Equity-for-services deals
We're a paid services shop, not a co-founder, investor, or equity-taking partner. Client pays AYCAS Studios. No equity, no revenue share, no future upside claim.
Open-ended agency-of-record retainers
We're built for project-based engagements with a clear shape. Open-ended retainers aren't a fit for our operating model.
AI-generated output sold as finished craft.
We use AI in the build to do more per engagement. We don't publish generated assets as finished craft, and we're transparent about the split on every engagement.