# Outsourced DPO services: what does the monthly fee buy?

Our review of 25 providers shows how to compare the work, the cover and the contract before you compare the fee.

The Assurance Desk, news. Published 19 October 2026.

An outsourced data protection officer (DPO) gives your organisation outside help with data protection advice and oversight. UK organisations can appoint one through a service contract, with the same role and duties as an internal DPO. The service offers we reviewed put different boundaries around the support you buy ([ICO, Data protection officers](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/accountability-and-governance/guide-to-accountability-and-governance/data-protection-officers/), [Athlex, saved service page read 17 October 2026](https://athlex.co.uk/outsourced-dpo/) and [GRC Solutions (formerly GRCI Law / IT Governance), saved service page read 17 October 2026](https://uk.grcsolutions.io/product/data-protection-officer-dpo-as-a-service), checked 19 October 2026).

## DPO prices: start with the work you need

Before asking for quotes, write down what you need help with. Do you want someone to review your work, or to carry out agreed tasks? Use that same list with each provider.

We checked the published offers of 25 providers from the Desk directory. Just two showed a DPO-specific numerical price in the pages we read. Three set out an ongoing support allowance. We read the provider pages on 17 October 2026 ([The Assurance Desk, What do outsourced DPO services actually include? (study data and method)](https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.json), checked 19 October 2026).

That gives you a useful starting point: ask for the scope alongside the fee. Ametros, for example, publishes a price band covering several outsourced roles. We recorded it separately from DPO-specific prices, rather than treating it as an equivalent quote ([The Assurance Desk, What do outsourced DPO services actually include? (study data and method)](https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.json) and [Ametros Group, saved service page read 17 October 2026](https://ametrosgroup.com/prices/), checked 19 October 2026).

The chart counts information in our checked pages. A detail missing there may still appear in a proposal or contract. It does not tell you whether the provider offers the service ([The Assurance Desk, What do outsourced DPO services actually include? (study data and method)](https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.json), checked 19 October 2026).

**Which commercial details could a buyer find?**

Unit: providers

- Commitment or cancellation period: 5 of 25
- Defined support allowance: 3 of 25
- Support hours or response deadline: 3 of 25
- DPO-specific numerical price: 2 of 25
- Setup charge or explicit no charge: 1 of 25

Published details in the checked pages of 25 providers, read 17 October 2026. Different packages are not equivalent quotes. The mixed-role price band is excluded from the DPO-specific price count.

Source: The Assurance Desk, What do outsourced DPO services actually include? (study data and method), https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.json (checked 19 October 2026)

## Included support: advice and completed work are different offers

Athlex makes the link between price and capacity visible. Its Essentials, Pro and Premium plans pair monthly fees of £350, £650 and £950 with 2, 5 and 7 hours. All prices are plus VAT. Extra hours cost more, and unused hours do not usually carry over ([Athlex, saved service page read 17 October 2026](https://athlex.co.uk/outsourced-dpo/), checked 19 October 2026).

GRC Solutions describes unlimited advice, but excludes specific implementation work. Asking how to handle a request for personal data is different from paying someone to carry out that request. Check which of those jobs your proposed service includes ([GRC Solutions (formerly GRCI Law / IT Governance), saved service page read 17 October 2026](https://uk.grcsolutions.io/product/data-protection-officer-dpo-as-a-service), checked 19 October 2026).

Mishcon de Reya gives a starting price of £500 per month plus VAT. A starting fee is a prompt to get a proposal for your needs. It is not a complete price for every organisation or workload ([Mishcon de Reya LLP, saved service page read 17 October 2026](https://www.mishcon.com/products/mishcon-dpo), checked 19 October 2026).

Bring a real task to the call. Ask who gathers the information, who reviews it and who sends the response. Then ask which parts use your allowance or cost extra. You can compare the answers against the same job.

**What the wording lets you compare**

| Provider wording | What it establishes | What to ask next |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Athlex monthly hours | A defined amount of support time. | Which tasks use the hours, and what costs extra? |
| GRC Solutions unlimited advice | Access to advice, with implementation work excluded. | Who completes the work after the advice? |
| Mishcon starting fee | The entry price for its service. | What would the fee cover for our organisation? |

Source: Athlex, saved service page read 17 October 2026, https://athlex.co.uk/outsourced-dpo/ (checked 19 October 2026); GRC Solutions (formerly GRCI Law / IT Governance), saved service page read 17 October 2026, https://uk.grcsolutions.io/product/data-protection-officer-dpo-as-a-service (checked 19 October 2026); Mishcon de Reya LLP, saved service page read 17 October 2026, https://www.mishcon.com/products/mishcon-dpo (checked 19 October 2026)

**Athlex shows the monthly hours beside each package price.**

![Athlex pairs 2, 5 and 7 monthly hours with fees of £350, £650 and £950, plus VAT.](https://theassurancedesk.com/images/editorial/dpo-study-athlex-monthly-hours.jpg)

Essentials includes 2 hours for £350 per month, Pro 5 hours for £650 and Premium 7 hours for £950. All fees are plus VAT. Additional hours cost extra; unused hours do not usually carry over. This is one provider’s offer, not a market price benchmark.

Athlex website, cropped source extract for commentary. Captured 17 October 2026.
Source: Athlex, saved service page read 17 October 2026, https://athlex.co.uk/outsourced-dpo/ (checked 19 October 2026)

## DPO cover: meet the backup as well as the lead

Knowing your usual contact is only part of the picture. In our review, 19 of 25 providers described an assigned DPO or client team. Five explicitly explained continuity or absence cover. The contact count includes dedicated teams, not only named individuals ([The Assurance Desk, What do outsourced DPO services actually include? (study data and method)](https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.json), checked 19 October 2026).

The DPO Centre describes secondary cover at no extra cost within the agreed resource level. That final condition matters: ask how your cover works within the support you have bought ([The DPO Centre, saved service page read 17 October 2026](https://www.dpocentre.com/services/outsourced-dpo-services/), checked 19 October 2026).

Ask to understand the backup arrangement before you need it. Who steps in during leave? How will that person know your business? Which records and recent decisions will they have?

In a team, the ICO says roles and responsibilities should be clear, including how the team relates to the DPO. Tim Turner’s comment below raises a separate capacity question: how much time can the service give each client? It is his opinion, not a finding about the staffing of the providers in our study ([ICO, Data protection officers](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/accountability-and-governance/guide-to-accountability-and-governance/data-protection-officers/) and [Tim Turner, LinkedIn comment](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/daniel-barber_outsourcing-your-data-protection-officer-activity-7292546947263930368-DB25), checked 19 October 2026).

**Contact details tell only part of the support story**

Unit: providers

- Assigned DPO or client team: 19 of 25
- Explicit continuity or absence cover: 5 of 25

Counts concern published information, not actual staffing levels or service quality. All 25 providers are in both measures.

Source: The Assurance Desk, What do outsourced DPO services actually include? (study data and method), https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.json (checked 19 October 2026)

> "Outsourced DPOs can be effective, but I think they need to limit the number of clients they serve."
> Tim Turner, LinkedIn comment, https://www.linkedin.com/posts/daniel-barber_outsourcing-your-data-protection-officer-activity-7292546947263930368-DB25 (checked 19 October 2026)
> [Read LinkedIn comment](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/daniel-barber_outsourcing-your-data-protection-officer-activity-7292546947263930368-DB25)

## DPO contracts: agree urgent help and exit terms

Ask what happens outside routine support hours. Three of the 25 providers published support hours or a response deadline that met our study definition. GRC Solutions states Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm GMT, excluding public holidays. Those are contact hours, not a promise to reply within a set time ([The Assurance Desk, What do outsourced DPO services actually include? (study data and method)](https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.json) and [GRC Solutions (formerly GRCI Law / IT Governance), saved service page read 17 October 2026](https://uk.grcsolutions.io/product/data-protection-officer-dpo-as-a-service), checked 19 October 2026).

DPO-Service publishes a response within 4 business hours. These are different commitments. Ask the provider to explain the contact route and promised response for an urgent incident, including outside its normal hours ([DPO-Service, saved service page read 17 October 2026](https://dpo-service.co.uk/), checked 19 October 2026).

Check the exit terms too. Five providers published a commitment or cancellation period. GRC Solutions has a one-year minimum contract paid monthly; cancellation within that year leaves the balance payable. DPO-Service describes rolling monthly plans with 30 days’ notice. Monthly payment alone does not tell you when you can leave ([The Assurance Desk, What do outsourced DPO services actually include? (study data and method)](https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.json), [GRC Solutions (formerly GRCI Law / IT Governance), saved service page read 17 October 2026](https://uk.grcsolutions.io/product/data-protection-officer-dpo-as-a-service) and [DPO-Service, saved service page read 17 October 2026](https://dpo-service.co.uk/), checked 19 October 2026).

Use the questions below to turn a sales conversation into a clear scope of work. Hiring a DPO does not transfer your organisation’s responsibility for UK GDPR compliance ([ICO, Data protection officers](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/accountability-and-governance/guide-to-accountability-and-governance/data-protection-officers/), checked 19 October 2026).

**Questions to take into your next provider call**

| Establish | Ask |
| --- | --- |
| Work | Who advises, who completes each task, and what stays with our team? |
| Capacity | What hours or work are included, and what costs extra? |
| Cover | Who steps in during leave, and how do they learn our business? |
| Urgent help | How do we reach someone, and what response does the contract promise? |
| Training and tools | What is included, who can use it, and what access ends when we leave? |
| Exit | What notice and fees apply, and which records will be handed back? |

Source: ICO, Data protection officers, https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/accountability-and-governance/guide-to-accountability-and-governance/data-protection-officers/ (checked 19 October 2026); The Assurance Desk, What do outsourced DPO services actually include? (study data and method), https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.json (checked 19 October 2026); GRC Solutions (formerly GRCI Law / IT Governance), saved service page read 17 October 2026, https://uk.grcsolutions.io/product/data-protection-officer-dpo-as-a-service (checked 19 October 2026); The DPO Centre, saved service page read 17 October 2026, https://www.dpocentre.com/services/outsourced-dpo-services/ (checked 19 October 2026); DPO-Service, saved service page read 17 October 2026, https://dpo-service.co.uk/ (checked 19 October 2026)

> "As the controller or processor it remains your responsibility to comply with the UK GDPR."
> ICO, DPO guidance
> ICO, Data protection officers, https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/accountability-and-governance/guide-to-accountability-and-governance/data-protection-officers/ (checked 19 October 2026)

**GRC Solutions gives contact hours in its service conditions.**

![GRC Solutions states support hours of Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm GMT, excluding public holidays.](https://theassurancedesk.com/images/editorial/dpo-study-grc-support-hours.jpg)

The source states Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm GMT, excluding public holidays. This describes when the service is available, not a response deadline. GMT is reproduced as the provider states it.

GRC Solutions website, cropped source extract for commentary. Captured 17 October 2026.
Source: GRC Solutions (formerly GRCI Law / IT Governance), saved service page read 17 October 2026, https://uk.grcsolutions.io/product/data-protection-officer-dpo-as-a-service (checked 19 October 2026)

## How we ran the study

We started with 140 records in the Desk directory. Screening produced 36 candidates. Reading their original pages confirmed 25 distinct providers offering ongoing DPO appointments with UK presence or explicit UK GDPR coverage ([The Assurance Desk, What do outsourced DPO services actually include? (study data and method)](https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.json), checked 19 October 2026).

The other candidates comprised one duplicate brand, three incidental matches and six whose eligibility we could not establish. One further site could not be read. That inaccessible site was left unresolved, not counted as a provider with no DPO service ([The Assurance Desk, What do outsourced DPO services actually include? (study data and method)](https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.json), checked 19 October 2026).

For each included provider, we read up to four substantive service, pricing or terms pages, plus pages needed to check eligibility and failed reads. We coded twelve fields and retained the source passages and qualifications. The same editor reviewed the material twice. This was not independent double coding ([The Assurance Desk, What do outsourced DPO services actually include? (study data and method)](https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.json), checked 19 October 2026).

This is a dated review of published information from a directory sample. It is not a survey of the whole UK market, a quality ranking or a check of actual service delivery. We did not obtain private proposals or interview providers. A service mentioned on a page is not necessarily included in every package, and missing wording is not proof of a missing service ([The Assurance Desk, What do outsourced DPO services actually include? (study data and method)](https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.json), checked 19 October 2026).

We also checked the effect of excluding BD Emerson, an international provider included because its offer explicitly covers UK GDPR. That leaves 24 providers, 18 assigned contacts and two DPO-specific prices. It does not establish that every other provider is based in the UK ([The Assurance Desk, What do outsourced DPO services actually include? (study data and method)](https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.json), checked 19 October 2026).

Tim Turner’s words are from his LinkedIn comment, not an interview. These quotations were checked against saved readings of public posts, which may not show later edits. The provider dataset below keeps the observations, source links and study limits together ([Tim Turner, LinkedIn comment](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/daniel-barber_outsourcing-your-data-protection-officer-activity-7292546947263930368-DB25) and [The Assurance Desk, What do outsourced DPO services actually include? (study data and method)](https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.json), checked 19 October 2026).

To decide whether to outsource and which firms to approach, start with our [outsourced DPO guide](/guides/how-to-find-an-outsourced-dpo).

## Explore the data

Download the dataset or open the cited links in a spreadsheet.

- [Dataset (JSON)](https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.json)
- [Provider observations (CSV)](https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.csv)

## Read next

- [Data protection: the section](https://theassurancedesk.com/data-protection)
- [How much does an outsourced DPO cost, and what does it cover?](https://theassurancedesk.com/guides/how-dpo-and-data-protection-services-are-priced)
- [Outsourced DPO: how do you choose one in the UK?](https://theassurancedesk.com/guides/how-to-find-an-outsourced-dpo)
- [Do you need a data protection officer? UK GDPR sets three tests](https://theassurancedesk.com/guides/do-you-need-a-dpo)
- [Can your IT manager be your DPO?](https://theassurancedesk.com/guides/can-your-it-manager-be-your-dpo)
- [First DPO or AI policy](https://theassurancedesk.com/best/first-appointment)
- [Switching provider](https://theassurancedesk.com/best/switching-provider)

## Sources

- ICO, Data protection officers: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/accountability-and-governance/guide-to-accountability-and-governance/data-protection-officers/ (checked 19 October 2026)
- Athlex, saved service page read 17 October 2026: https://athlex.co.uk/outsourced-dpo/ (checked 19 October 2026)
- GRC Solutions (formerly GRCI Law / IT Governance), saved service page read 17 October 2026: https://uk.grcsolutions.io/product/data-protection-officer-dpo-as-a-service (checked 19 October 2026)
- The Assurance Desk, What do outsourced DPO services actually include? (study data and method): https://theassurancedesk.com/data/outsourced-dpo-study-2026-10.json (checked 19 October 2026)
- Ametros Group, saved service page read 17 October 2026: https://ametrosgroup.com/prices/ (checked 19 October 2026)
- Mishcon de Reya LLP, saved service page read 17 October 2026: https://www.mishcon.com/products/mishcon-dpo (checked 19 October 2026)
- The DPO Centre, saved service page read 17 October 2026: https://www.dpocentre.com/services/outsourced-dpo-services/ (checked 19 October 2026)
- Tim Turner, LinkedIn comment: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/daniel-barber_outsourcing-your-data-protection-officer-activity-7292546947263930368-DB25 (checked 19 October 2026)
- DPO-Service, saved service page read 17 October 2026: https://dpo-service.co.uk/ (checked 19 October 2026)

This is an independent editorial guide, not legal advice.

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**Who publishes this.** The Assurance Desk is published by Add-Venture Advisory Ltd, company number 11854524, registered in England and Wales. The same owner runs Avouch, a marketing agency that sells AI visibility services to firms of the kind this site covers. That is a conflict of interest, and it is disclosed here.