Fixed fees / USD
Published terms
Terms of engagement
The standard frame for every engagement: fixed fees payable in full on acceptance, what is charged on top, the search guarantee, and how confidential material is handled. Every proposal links here.
01
Fees and payment
Every engagement carries a fixed professional fee in US dollars, stated in the proposal before you accept. Search fees are fixed too, never a percentage of compensation. Fees are payable in full on acceptance. Work begins when payment clears. The invoice is due within 14 days of its date and is not charged by card. The annual programme is billed annually in advance.
| Engagement | Fee | Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency Continuity Plan2 weeks | $15,000 |
|
| Board & Leadership Risk Review3–4 weeks | $25,000 |
|
| Succession Readiness Diagnostic4–6 weeks | $20,000 |
|
| Board & Succession Programme12 months | $60,000 / year |
|
| Engagement | Fee | Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Retained Executive Search: Director level16–20 weeks | $65,000 |
|
| Executive Director / CEO Search20–26 weeks | $110,000 |
|
| Music Director, Artistic Director or International Search24–36 weeks | From $150,000 |
|
| Executive Onboarding (first 100 days)100 days | $20,000 |
|
| Engagement | Fee | Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Interim Leadership Placement2–4 weeks to placement | $45,000 |
|
| Engagement | Fee | Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Governance Review6–10 weeks | $50,000 |
|
| Strategic Plan4–6 months | $125,000 |
|
| Engagement | Fee | Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Diagnostic6–8 weeks | $40,000 |
|
| Advancement Programme6–9 months | $95,000 |
|
| Engagement | Fee | Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Prospect Research Package (250 records)3–4 weeks | $10,000 |
|
| Custom Research ProgrammeScoped to the programme | From $25,000 |
|
| Engagement | Fee | Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Feasibility & Program Study3–6 months, scoped | From $100,000 |
|
| Engagement | Fee | Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Climate & Inclusion Review8–10 weeks | $40,000 |
|
| Engagement | Fee | Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Transition Programme (per seat)Founding cohort; dates confirmed with each institution | $4,500 / seat | Reservation only; invoiced when the cohort opens
|
| Institution CohortScheduled with your institution | $40,000 | Reservation only; invoiced when the cohort opens
|
02
Expenses
Fees are fixed, in US dollars, with taxes extra. Expenses are charged only when pre-approved in writing, and any administrative markup is disclosed in the contract.
03
Taxes
Fees are quoted without taxes. Any sales, value-added or similar tax that applies is added and shown separately on the invoice.
04
Search guarantee
Search guarantee: if the appointee leaves within 12 months, we run one replacement search for expenses only.
It applies to Retained Executive Search: Director level; Executive Director / CEO Search; Music Director, Artistic Director or International Search. The twelve months run from the appointment, which is the date the search is recorded as delivered. Your engagement page shows the date the guarantee ends.
05
Off-limits
Off-limits: candidates we place are off-limits to Cadenza searches for 24 months, and client staff for 12 months after an engagement.
06
Independence
Independence: no software cross-sell is required, and confidential information is never used for marketplace, advertising or editorial purposes.
07
Confidentiality and data boundaries
Four boundaries apply to every engagement:
- Confidential candidate, committee and engagement records never sit in the public Cadenza application.
- No model ranks, recommends, rejects or contacts a person on Cadenza’s behalf.
- Advisory work is independent of software sales, marketplace ranking, advertising and editorial coverage.
- Public-source signals stay unverified until a named reviewer checks the cited evidence.
Confidential material is handled only in the governed workspace, never through public forms.
08
How engagements start and end
01 · Request
Choose an engagement and describe the institution in the start form. Nothing confidential is asked for.
02 · Proposal
A proposal with the fixed fee, deliverables and terms opens at a private link at once and is emailed to you. It is valid for 30 days.
03 · Acceptance
Someone with authority to commit the institution accepts online, naming the legal entity and billing contact.
04 · Invoice
The full fee is invoiced on acceptance, with payment instructions. The invoice is due within 14 days of its date.
05 · Payment and kick-off
Work begins when payment clears and the engagement letter, insurance and conflicts checks are on file.
06 · Delivery
Your engagement page records every update and shared document as the work is delivered.
07 · Close
When the work is delivered the engagement is closed. The record stays available at your engagement link.
09
Contracting entity
Engagements are contracted with Kalinklo Ltd. Cadenza is operated by Kalinklo Ltd (Hong Kong).
The signed engagement letter governs; these published terms describe the standard frame.