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Probative Co / Services / AI governance & ISO/IEC 42001 readiness
ahead of scrutiny · we prepare, we never certify

AI governance and ISO/IEC 42001 readiness

The artefact your enterprise clients ask for first is not a certificate — it is an AI system register and a governance story. We build both, score you honestly against ISO/IEC 42001 Annex A, and hand you a roadmap with effort and cost attached to each step.

the thinking

Certification and consultancy have to be separate businesses

ISO/IEC 17021-1 requires the body that certifies you to be independent of the consultancy that advised you. Any consultant offering to certify their own work is selling you a problem. We prepare the management system and the evidence pack; an accredited body certifies it.

  • A written conflict check before every engagement
  • An independence statement in every report
  • Introductions to accredited bodies, and we stay out of the room
what you receive

Stated in advance, delivered as described.

Scored gap analysis

ISO/IEC 42001 Annex A controls assessed one by one, with the specific evidence gap named for each and a priority attached.

AI system register

Complete inventory: purpose, owner, data flows, model, subprocessors, DPIAs, review cadence. The document enterprise procurement asks for before anything else.

AI risk assessment

Likelihood, impact and treatment per system, aligned to your existing risk framework rather than bolted alongside it.

Remediation roadmap

Each step with effort, cost, owner and sequence — so the board can approve a programme rather than a principle.

Full readiness pack

Complete policy set, management-system documentation, governance structure and RACI, and a certification-ready evidence pack.

Governance retainer

From a month: register upkeep, new-tool assessments before rollout, annual policy refresh and quarterly board notes.

how it runs

Four steps, no surprises.

STEP 1

Scope and boundaries

Which systems and business units are in scope, and what the standard would require of your size of firm. Some firms need the register and the policy, not a certification programme.

STEP 2

Assessment

Six to eighteen days depending on scope: documentation review, interviews, control testing against Annex A.

STEP 3

Roadmap and pack

Prioritised findings and, where you take the full pack, the policy set and evidence pack your certification body will ask for.

STEP 4

Handover to certification

We brief your internal owner, help you choose a certification body, and step back. We never sit in the audit.

options and fees

Fixed numbers. The invoice matches the proposal.

EngagementCostTurnaroundWhat it covers
AI governance gap analysis $4,500 – $6,000from · ISO/IEC 42001 6–18 days A scored gap analysis against ISO/IEC 42001 Annex A and the artefact enterprise buyers ask for first: a complete AI system register.
  • Scored assessment against ISO/IEC 42001 Annex A controls
  • Complete AI system inventory and register
  • AI risk assessment — likelihood, impact, treatment
  • Prioritised roadmap with effort and cost estimates
Contact us
Estimated range $4,500 – $6,000 · how quotes work
AI governance full readiness $10,000 – $14,000full pack 3–6 weeks The complete management-system build: policy set, governance structure and a certification-ready evidence pack for your accredited body.
  • Everything in the gap analysis, built into policy
  • Complete AI policy set and management-system documentation
  • Governance structure and RACI your board can staff
  • Certification-ready evidence pack
  • Optional retainer to keep the register current
Contact us
Estimated range $10,000 – $14,000 · how quotes work
AI governance retainer $1,250 – $2,500 / monthper month Continuous For firms whose AI use changes every quarter: register upkeep, new-tool assessments before rollout, and an annual policy refresh.
  • New AI tool assessed in-week before rollout
  • Register kept current; tender answers kept ready
  • Annual policy and DPIA refresh
  • Quarterly governance note for the board
Contact us
Estimated range $1,250 – $2,500 / month · how quotes work

Payment. 50% on booking, 50% on delivery unless the option says otherwise. Card payment through Stripe, or invoice with bank transfer. Card details never touch our servers. Larger deployments are billed to milestones agreed in writing before work starts.

who this is for
  • Firms deploying AI with corporate or public-sector clients
  • AI companies selling into regulated buyers
  • Firms whose clients now ask for 42001 posture in tenders
  • Firms that want AI governance to look like their AML governance
questions we get asked
QCan you certify us?+
No, and nobody advising you should. Certification is issued by a UKAS-accredited body independent of your consultant. We prepare; they certify.
QHow long does certification take?+
Typically three to nine months after readiness, depending on your management system and the certification body's queue. We will not sell you a fast track that does not exist.
QIs 42001 right for a small firm?+
Sometimes the register, DPIAs and policy are enough, and certification is a marketing decision rather than a governance one. We will tell you plainly if that is your case.
QWhat does certification cost in total?+
Our work is to. Certification body fees are separate and typically quoted per audit day. We help you model both before you commit to either.
QWhat if we only want the register?+
The register and risk assessment come with the gap analysis. If you want just those, we will quote that scope separately rather than padding it.
MLR 2017 reg 21 · independent audit ISO/IEC 42001 readiness · not certification
// start here

Send three files.
We'll tell you what a reviewer would flag.

  • No charge and no obligation — you keep the findings either way
  • Turned around in ~48 hours, encrypted transfer only
  • Most firms find at least one issue they did not know they had
Book the free 3-file check → Talk to us about cost Or write to — replies usually the same day.