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Deal Won — €3,612 saved

BDO · Closed May 18

72/100

BDO

Professional Services - AccountancyNew1 round · Won

Deal closed — €3,612 saved

3 issues identified. Key concerns: €210/hour out-of-scope rate, no cap on out-of-scope hours, 12% annual increase. Estimated savings potential: 15% of total.

Original

€24,150

12 months

Final price

€20,538

Saved

€3,612

achieved

Closed

May 18, 2026

Deal snapshot

VendorBDO
Total€24,150
Term12 months
InvoiceMonthly retainer + out-of-scope hourly
Deal TypeNew
Pricing ModelFixed retainer (€1,400/mo) + €210/hour out-of-scope

Score breakdown

Pricing
40%
Terms
40%
Leverage
70%
Comprehensive scope — management accounts, VAT, tax, payroll all included
Dedicated senior account manager
6-month minimum term — not an excessive lock-in

3 red flags found

Each issue includes what to ask for and a fallback position

Mid-market SME accountancy out-of-scope rates typically run €130-160/hour. At 35 hours/year (midpoint estimate), €210 costs €7,350 vs €5,250 at €150 — that's €2,100/year above market.

What to ask for

Reduce hourly rate from €210 to €150

Fallback position

€175/hour

12% on €16,800 annual retainer = €2,016 more next year. Standard for professional services is 3-5% tied to CPI. Over 3 years at 12% vs 3%, you'd pay over €7,500 more.

What to ask for

Annual increase capped at 3% or CPI, whichever is lower

Fallback position

5% hard cap

25-45 hours is an estimate, not a limit. One complex year-end or tax investigation could spike your bill by thousands with no ceiling.

What to ask for

Hard annual cap of 35 hours, pre-approval required above 10 hours/month

Fallback position

Monthly out-of-scope cap of €600 with approval required above that

  • •Retainer of €1,400/mo is mid-market for an SME advisory package, not out of line.
  • •60-day cancellation notice is standard for professional-services retainers.

Your negotiation playbook

What to push for, your leverage, and what to offer in return

Push For

1
Hourly rate from €210 to €150
2
Hard annual hours cap of 35 with pre-approval above 10 hours/month
3
Annual increase cap from 12% to 3%
+
Extend payroll coverage from 15 to 20 employees
+
Reduce cancellation notice from 60 to 30 days

Your Leverage

Mid-market accountancy is competitive — Grant Thornton, Mazars, and independents all quoting €1,100-1,250/month
No hours cap is a clear red flag — they'll know you've done your homework
12% increase clause is aggressive and straightforward to push back on
You're a growing business — they want the long-term relationship

Can Offer

2-year commitment for rate lock and reduced hourly rate
Refer one business contact in your network
Provide testimonial or case study for their website

Savings Impact

€3,612

Original quote

€24,150

After savings

€20,538

15% potential reduction

Must-have savings

1
Hourly rate from €210 to €150 (est. 35hrs/yr)Market rate is €130-160/hour — €150 saves €60/hour across ~35 hours
€2,100
2
Annual increase cap from 12% to 3%3% tied to CPI is industry standard — 12% is indefensible
€1,512

Nice-to-have

+
Hard hours cap at 35/yr with pre-approvalRisk reduction, not a direct saving — prevents uncapped billing in complex years
€0

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Negotiation rounds

R1

Round 1 — Initial analysis

May 12

3 flags€24,150

Deal closed — Won

May 18 · €3,612 saved

See the full breakdown

Wins secured, timeline, shareable card

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Assumptions

•35 hours/year used as midpoint estimate for out-of-scope work

•Market hourly rates based on comparable mid-market firms (Grant Thornton, Mazars)

This analysis is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice.