How We Price
We win when you win.
Cada's pricing is built so our incentives align with yours. Where regulations allow, we put more of our fee at risk. Where they don't, we structure it so you still only pay for ongoing support if you actually win.
Three models, one principle.
The structure changes. The alignment doesn't. Every model is designed so Cada has skin in the game.
Pitch First
Our most performance-weighted offering. Built to prove that the first grant shouldn't be the most expensive. $250 refundable deposit gets you a finished pitch. If NSF invites you to full proposal, we write that for $2,500 flat. A 5% success fee on funded awards keeps our incentives locked to yours.
White Glove
Full proposal preparation with a blended fee. Upfront covers our work. The performance fee keeps us invested in your outcome. The percentage decreases as award sizes increase -- we scale our risk-sharing with the stakes.
DOD Strategic
Federal acquisition regulations require a different structure for large defense contracts. Instead of a performance fee, we provide 6 months of strategic advisory support if you win -- milestone planning, program officer management, compliance, and follow-on funding strategy.
Why we put our fee at risk.
Most grant consultants charge by the hour or by the project. They get paid the same whether you win or not. We think that's misaligned.
When our fee is tied to your outcome, we're incentivized to write the strongest possible proposal, not just a complete one. We choose which programs to recommend more carefully. We push back when a fit isn't there, because recommending a weak fit costs us, too.
This isn't charity. It's a business model. We do the work upfront because we've spent years learning which companies win and why. When we take on a client, we believe they can win. The performance fee reflects that conviction.
The result is a firm that's unusually selective about which programs it recommends and unusually invested in the quality of every proposal it writes.
“We don't get paid to write proposals. We get paid to win them.”
Why defense contracts require a different structure.
When the federal government awards a grant through NSF or NIH, it's exactly that -- a grant. The regulations governing how the awardee pays its consultants are straightforward, and performance-based pricing is clean.
When the DOD awards a contract through DARPA, SOCOM, or other defense agencies, it's a procurement contract governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation. For contracts above $350,000, the awardee signs a covenant -- FAR 52.203-5 -- warranting they didn't pay contingent fees to obtain the contract.
This doesn't mean we can't structure our pricing to stay aligned with your success. It means we structure it differently. Instead of a performance fee, we provide ongoing strategic advisory support after award -- real services during the performance period that help you execute the contract and position for follow-on funding.
The result: you still only pay the advisory component if you win. We still have skin in the game. The structure just fits the regulatory framework. This is the kind of detail that matters when DCAA audits your books 18 months from now, and it's the kind of detail most grant consultants don't think about.
How each model stays compliant.
Every engagement is structured for the specific regulatory environment of your program.
| Tier | Award type | Regulatory framework | How our fee works | What protects you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitch First | Grant | No FAR covenant required | Performance fee from your private funds | Grant rules allow it |
| White Glove | Grant or Small contract | FAR covenant not required below $350K | Performance fee from your private funds | Below regulatory threshold |
| DOD Strategic | Large DOD contract | FAR 52.203-5 applies | Advisory retainer for separate services | No contingent fee -- separate engagement |
What this means for you.
Lower risk at every tier
If things don't work out, you've paid for the proposal work and nothing more. No performance fee on a loss, no advisory retainer if there's no contract to advise on.
Aligned incentives
Whether it's a performance fee or an advisory retainer, Cada's backend compensation only materializes when you win. We're picking programs we believe you can win, not padding a pipeline.
No compliance surprises
Every engagement letter is structured for the specific regulatory environment of your program. You won't discover a FAR issue after you've already won.
Transparent structure
You know the full cost picture before you sign. No hidden fees, no scope creep, no hourly billing that inflates when the deadline gets tight.
Ready to get started?
Start with Pitch First
NSF SBIR Phase I. $250 refundable deposit, fully async, pitch delivered in 5 business days. The lowest-risk way to find out if your technology is fundable.
Submit Your PitchBook a Strategy Call
We'll walk through your technology, identify the right programs, and build a pricing structure that fits your regulatory environment.
Book Strategy Call