EU AI Act readiness kit vs consultant vs Big-4: what a small business actually needs first
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Short answer: Most small businesses are deployers of limited-risk AI. What binds them today is Article 4 AI literacy (since 2 February 2025) and Article 50 transparency (from 2 August 2026); Annex III high-risk duties start 2 December 2027. Public price points for help: SetAIComply's pricing page says “a full-time compliance hire costs €60k–120k per year, and a Big-4 engagement €75k–150k”; Crux Digits' public comparison puts specialist advice at €80–€300 per hour and fixed-price checks at roughly €950–€5,000. Our $29 kit is the step before any of that: list your AI systems, screen them, write the literacy policy and plan 90 days — so if you do hire help, you pay for judgement, not for list-making.
Why this matters now (official dates)
- Article 4 AI literacy has applied since 2 February 2025 to providers and deployers, whatever the risk level. As replaced by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, it asks organisations to take measures to support the AI literacy of their staff; it does not require them to guarantee a specific level for any individual. The European Commission's Q&A says there is no need for a certificate: an internal record of trainings or guidance is enough, and national authorities supervise and enforce from August 2026 (Commission AI literacy Q&A).
- Article 50 transparency duties (for example, telling people they are talking to a chatbot) apply from 2 August 2026 (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689).
- High-risk rules were moved by the Digital Omnibus on AI, Regulation (EU) 2026/1744: Annex III uses (such as recruitment and credit scoring) from 2 December 2027, and AI in regulated products (Annex I) from 2 August 2028.
Four routes, published prices only
| Route | Published price (as stated by the source) | What you get | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY with a kit | Unadhi EU AI Act Readiness Kit: $29 once, 14-day refund | Excel inventory and screening, obligations map, risk register, 90-day roadmap, literacy log, Word policy template, 5-page guide | Deployers getting organised before spending |
| Fixed-price check | “roughly €950–€5,000”; Crux Digits AI Act Check €950 (Crux Digits' page) | A consultant reviews what you run and writes it down | SMEs of 10–100 staff wanting a defensible answer fast (their words) |
| Specialist consultancy | “€80–€300 per hour” (Crux Digits' page) | Sector-specific advice | Genuine Annex III exposure |
| Big-4 / law firm | “a Big-4 engagement €75k–150k” (SetAIComply's pricing page); “enterprise rates” (Crux Digits) | Full programme, privilege, disputes | Contested high-risk classification, large groups |
These ranges are the cited sources' own figures, not our estimates. They are one firm's and one vendor's statements, not market surveys.
When you should hire a professional instead of (or after) the kit
- A system may be high-risk: hiring, credit scoring, education, biometrics, medical, critical infrastructure.
- You build AI and place it on the EU market as a provider.
- A classification is contested, or you need legal privilege.
What the kit does not do
It does not classify your systems for you, is not a conformity assessment, and gives no seal. It is the inventory and AI-literacy first step. Crux Digits' own page warns against buying a retainer before a compliance check; an inventory is what any check starts from.
Get the kit
$29 once · 14-day money-back · or free inventory first
The EU AI Act Readiness Kit works in Excel and LibreOffice (opens in Google Sheets), with a worked example using a fictional company. Rules checked against EUR-Lex and the Commission's AI Act pages on 11 October 2026. New product, no reviews yet. Not sure yet? Start with the free EURO AI Register (10 AI systems free, no account). Disclosure: Unadhi products.
Frequently asked questions
How much does EU AI Act compliance cost a small business?
It depends on your role and risk. Public figures read on 14 Oct 2026: Crux Digits puts specialist advice at €80 to €300 an hour and fixed-price checks at roughly €950 to €5,000, and SetAIComply's pricing page cites €75k to €150k for a Big-4 engagement. Many deployers can start with a free inventory or a $29 kit.
What is in the Unadhi EU AI Act Readiness Kit?
It is a $29 one-time Excel workbook with a 14-day refund: AI inventory and screening, an obligations map, risk register, 90-day roadmap, AI literacy log, a Word policy template and a 5-page guide. It works in Excel and LibreOffice and opens in Google Sheets. Rules were checked on 11 October 2026.
Can a $29 kit replace an EU AI Act lawyer or consultant?
No. Use the kit for groundwork: listing your AI systems, screening them, writing the literacy policy and planning 90 days. Hire a qualified lawyer when a system may be banned or high-risk, when you build AI as a provider, or when a classification is contested or you need legal privilege.
Do the EU AI Act high-risk rules apply from August 2026?
No. Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 set Annex III high-risk obligations for 2 December 2027 and Annex I regulated products for 2 August 2028. Article 4 AI literacy has applied since 2 February 2025, and Article 50 transparency duties apply from 2 August 2026.
Should I buy a consultant retainer before doing an AI inventory?
Crux Digits' own page warns against buying a retainer before a compliance check, and any check starts from an inventory. Listing your AI systems first, with the free EURO AI Register for up to 10 systems or the $29 kit, means paid help can focus on judgement rather than list-making.
Do the high-risk rules apply from August 2026?
No. Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 set Annex III high-risk obligations for 2 December 2027 and Annex I for 2 August 2028. Article 4 literacy (since 2 February 2025) and Article 50 transparency (from 2 August 2026) already apply.
Can a kit replace a lawyer?
No. Use the kit for the groundwork. Use a qualified lawyer when a system may be banned or high-risk, or a classification is contested.
Not legal advice. EURO AI Register and the Readiness Kit are record-keeping aids, not proof of compliance, not an audit and not a conformity assessment; the AI Act has no organisation-wide seal a tool can give you. If a system may be banned or high-risk, have a qualified lawyer review it. Unadhi is not affiliated with the EU or any EU authority. Competitor prices and plans change; re-check their pricing pages before you decide. Spotted an error about any product on this page, including ours? Write to mininglife7@gmail.com and we correct it.
Sources
- SetAIComply pricing page (“Replace the cost of compliance”: compliance hire €60k–120k, Big-4 €75k–150k) — https://www.setaicomply.com/pricing (read 14 Oct 2026)
- Crux Digits: EU AI Act consultants for SMEs (routes and indicative costs) — https://cruxdigits.nl/eu-ai-act-consultants-sme/ (read 14 Oct 2026)
- EU AI Act Readiness Kit on Gumroad (price, contents, refund) — https://mininglife1.gumroad.com/l/eu-ai-act-readiness-kit (read 14 Oct 2026)
- Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI), EUR-Lex — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2026/1744/oj (read 14 Oct 2026)
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act), EUR-Lex — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1689/oj (read 14 Oct 2026)
- European Commission, AI literacy Q&A — https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/faqs/ai-literacy-questions-answers (read 14 Oct 2026)
- EURO AI Register (free edition, plans) — https://unadhi.com/register/ (read 14 Oct 2026)
- EURO AI Register membership on Gumroad (price, refund, limits) — https://mininglife1.gumroad.com/l/euro-ai-register (read 14 Oct 2026)
- Related Unadhi guides: EU AI Act compliance tools for small businesses (roundup) · AI inventory template · Article 4 AI literacy for small businesses
Unadhi Guides are free, independent explainers. We correct errors as soon as we find them: write to mininglife7@gmail.com.