Scale MSP delivery capacity without scaling fixed cost
Access Contractors. Local or Borderless.
Scale is Cloud Decisions' Borderless Contractor model for Microsoft Partners that need flexible access to specialist delivery capability.
Rather than beginning with a location, we begin with the work: the customer demand, technical requirement, delivery model and commercial objective.
We establish
What needs to be delivered?
Define the customer demand, required capability and expected timeline.
What should remain close to the customer?
Identify where leadership, architecture, governance or customer-facing capability should remain onshore.
What can be delivered Borderlessly?
Determine where wider talent markets can extend the existing delivery team effectively.
What blend creates the right outcome?
Balance quality, availability, working alignment and cost-to-deliver.
The role types your growth and delivery plan depends on.
Cloud Decisions works across leadership, commercial and technical appointments. The rate card in this guide focuses on the requested contract technical roles, while the wider capability supports permanent and critical appointments as needs develop.
Leadership
Appoint leaders who can set direction, build organisational capability and turn strategy into commercial execution.
- Executive and functional leadership
- Technology and architecture leadership
- Practice and portfolio leadership
- Delivery and operations leadership
- Managed services leadership
Commercial
Build Microsoft-aligned teams that create demand, strengthen ecosystem relationships and convert opportunity into customer revenue.
- Revenue and sales leadership
- Account management and customer growth
- Business development and market expansion
- Microsoft alliance and co-sell
- Go-to-market and commercial programmes
Technical
Secure customer-ready specialists who combine technical expertise with consulting, communication and delivery discipline.
- Architecture and technical strategy
- Consulting and solution design
- Engineering and implementation
- Managed services and technical support
- Technical delivery and practice enablement
Expertise across Microsoft's three core solution pillars.
Cloud & AI Platforms
- Azure Infrastructure & Modernisation
- Microsoft Fabric & Data Platforms
- Microsoft Foundry, AI Apps & Agents
- Azure Application Innovation
- GitHub, Azure DevOps & Platform Engineering
Security
- Entra: Identity & Access
- Defender XDR: Endpoint & Threat Protection
- Sentinel & Security Copilot: Security Operations
- Purview: Data Security & Compliance
- Defender for Cloud: Cloud, App & AI Security
AI Business Solutions
- Microsoft 365 & Cloud Endpoints
- Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Microsoft Copilot Studio & Agents
- Microsoft Power Platform & Automation
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 & Business Applications
Full coverage across the MSP delivery stack.
Networking & connectivity
LAN/WAN, routing, switching, Wi-Fi, SD-WAN, firewalls, load balancing and network security.
Field & on-site engineering
Device lifecycle, site deployment, smart hands, break/fix, server and endpoint replacement.
Infrastructure, virtualisation & multi-cloud
Windows Server, Linux, Active Directory, VMware, Citrix, AWS, GCP and hybrid migration.
Backup, storage & resilience
Veeam, NetApp, SAN/NAS, replication, disaster recovery and business continuity.
Data centre
Rack and stack, cabling, migration, operations, capacity, hardware refresh and remote hands.
Managed support, ITSM & observability
Service desk, 1st-3rd line, monitoring, RMM, ServiceNow, incident, problem and change.
End-user computing
Intune/SCCM, endpoint management, Windows deployment, VDI, Citrix and application packaging.
Cyber security
Network, endpoint, identity, vulnerability, SOC, SIEM, GRC and security architecture.
Transparent contractor pay + a fixed daily fee.
The ranges below are designed for initial budgeting. They are not a quotation: the final pay rate will reflect the confirmed scope, location, delivery risk, working pattern, IR35 position, clearance and urgency.
BL = Borderless — a non-UK contractor delivering services to a UK MSP. UK figures assume a UK-based contractor.
Cloud Decisions fixed-fee structure
The fee is fixed per contractor day and tiered against the contractor pay rate. It is added to the pay rate to produce the estimated total daily cost.
Support & field services
Borderless is not shown for field roles where physical site attendance is integral to delivery.
| Role | Est. total UK | Est. total BL | Fixed CD fee / day | Mobilisation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st / 2nd Line Support Engineer | £240-£365 | £175-£240 | UK £50-£75 · BL £50 | 1-2 weeks |
| 3rd Line Engineer | £325-£425 | £215-£305 | UK £75 · BL £50-£75 | 1-2 weeks |
| Field Engineer | £190-£315 | N/A — onsite | UK £50-£75 | 1-2 weeks |
Microsoft project services
Generic roles blend Microsoft 365 and Azure delivery. Specialist roles assume deeper platform ownership. All UK pay bands span £100; Borderless pay is calculated at 35% below the UK band and rounded to the nearest £5.
Microsoft engineering, consulting & architecture
| Role | Est. total UK | Est. total BL | Fixed CD fee / day | Mobilisation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Cloud Engineer (M365 + Azure) | £525-£625 | £350-£415 | UK £100 · BL £75 | 1-2 weeks |
| Microsoft Azure Engineer (Specialist) | £550-£650 | £370-£435 | UK £100 · BL £75 | 1-2 weeks |
| Microsoft 365 Engineer (Specialist) | £550-£650 | £370-£435 | UK £100 · BL £75 | 1-2 weeks |
| Microsoft Cloud Consultant (M365 + Azure) | £600-£725 | £400-£465 | UK £100-£125 · BL £75 | c. 2 weeks |
| Microsoft Azure Consultant (Specialist) | £625-£750 | £415-£505 | UK £100-£125 · BL £75-£100 | c. 2 weeks |
| Microsoft 365 Consultant (Specialist) | £600-£725 | £400-£465 | UK £100-£125 · BL £75 | c. 2 weeks |
| Microsoft Cloud Architect (M365 + Azure) | £675-£800 | £450-£540 | UK £100-£125 · BL £75-£100 | 2-3 weeks |
| Microsoft Azure Architect (Specialist) | £675-£800 | £450-£540 | UK £100-£125 · BL £75-£100 | 2-3 weeks |
| Microsoft 365 Architect (Specialist) | £650-£775 | £435-£525 | UK £100-£125 · BL £75-£100 | 2-3 weeks |
IT project services
Networking and infrastructure Borderless figures assume remote delivery is viable. Data-centre roles are shown as UK/local only because site access is normally fundamental to the assignment.
Networking, infrastructure & data centre
| Role | Est. total UK | Est. total BL | Fixed CD fee / day | Mobilisation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Networking Engineer | £550-£650 | £370-£435 | UK £100 · BL £75 | 1-2 weeks |
| Networking Consultant | £600-£725 | £400-£465 | UK £100-£125 · BL £75 | c. 2 weeks |
| Networking Architect | £675-£800 | £450-£540 | UK £100-£125 · BL £75-£100 | 2-3 weeks |
| Infrastructure Engineer | £575-£675 | £385-£450 | UK £100 · BL £75 | 1-2 weeks |
| Infrastructure Consultant | £625-£750 | £415-£505 | UK £100-£125 · BL £75-£100 | c. 2 weeks |
| Infrastructure Architect | £700-£825 | £465-£555 | UK £100-£125 · BL £75-£100 | 2-3 weeks |
Discuss your scale requirement
Tell us about the Microsoft skills, capacity or delivery model you need to add.
