A retained AI partner for the ongoing work AI governance requires.
A retained AI partner for the ongoing work of keeping your AI use safe, current, and improving
Ongoing AI management and support without a full-time hire. A retained AI partner for the month-to-month work of keeping your AI use safe, current, and improving.
Who this is for
This service is for you if...
- You have completed an initial governance engagement and want to keep it current
- No one in your business has the time or specialist knowledge to monitor regulatory changes and update governance documentation
- Your approved tool list changes regularly and needs structured assessment
- You want a named person to call when an AI incident or question arises
The Problem
Governance built once and not maintained becomes outdated within twelve months.
AI governance is not a one-time project. Regulations evolve. AI tools add features, change data handling policies, and are replaced. Staff change. New use cases emerge. Governance built once and not maintained becomes outdated within twelve months.
Most organisations that complete an initial governance engagement have no plan for what happens next. The policy sits in a folder. The tool inventory goes stale. The named AI owner changes role. Within a year, the governance layer no longer reflects how the organisation actually operates.
The Fractional AI Lead retainer is the process for keeping governance current: ongoing AI management and support without a full-time hire. It covers regulatory monitoring, policy updates, new tool assessment, incident support, and a quarterly review of the AI roadmap.
What Is Included
A monthly retained engagement covering:
- Monthly check-in and progress review
- Regulatory monitoring: new AI Act guidance, competent authority decisions, and sector-specific developments assessed for impact on your organisation
- Policy updates: acceptable use policy and tool inventory updated as tools and obligations change
- Staff query handling: a designated point of contact for AI governance questions as they arise
- Incident review and recommendations: technical governance input if an AI-related incident or near-miss occurs
- Quarterly AI roadmap review: progress against the roadmap, updated priorities, and planning for the next quarter
This retainer is built to feel like having a trusted AI lead already inside the business: questions go straight to a person who already knows your tools, your policies, and your people.
Deliverables
What we do together
What the retainer produces, month by month:
- Monthly briefing note: regulatory developments and any recommended actions
- Policy update log: record of all changes made to governance documentation
- Quarterly roadmap review report
Timeline and Investment
Timeline
Ongoing monthly retainer.
Investment
From €2,500 per month
60-day notice. No lock-in.
Every quarter, we check together whether the retainer is still earning its place. Beyond the 60-day notice, there is nothing else to unwind.
Free Online Assessment
Irish SME AI Readiness Scorecard
A structured self-check across the areas that determine AI readiness. Takes about 6 minutes, with instant results, and tells you which area of your business carries the most immediate risk before any formal assessment begins.
Get started
The right first step is a conversation.
Not sure whether an AI Readiness Assessment is right for your business? Start with a free 30-minute AI conversation. One clear priority finding to take away.
Scope and boundaries
What we are
Clear Gate Systems helps Irish SMEs build AI capability, train their teams, and govern how AI runs safely and sustainably. Every engagement includes structured governance and, where relevant, EU AI Act and related obligations. Eileen Weadick holds specialist EU AI Act compliance training (AIActTPro certified) and applies that knowledge as a practical component of every engagement.
What we are not
Clear Gate Systems does not provide legal advice, legal interpretation of specific obligations, or regulatory representation. Where your organisation requires a formal legal opinion, on the classification of a specific system, on contractual obligations with an AI vendor, or on regulatory exposure, a qualified solicitor or barrister must be engaged. Our role is to build the technical governance infrastructure that qualified legal counsel can stand behind.
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Ready to get started?
Book a free 30-minute AI conversation. One clear priority finding to take away.
Eileen Weadick, PhD. AI adoption and governance implementation specialist. Cork, Ireland.
If you have not yet built the governance foundation, the AI Capability Build Programme is where to start.