Intelligence
Retainer
The Intelligence Retainer is a monthly research service from Theory Intelligence that keeps a market, a set of counterparties or a risk under continuous verified coverage. Each month it provides six to ten verified sources, the records and data that month produced, a signed briefing with a provenance appendix, and a named lead researcher who answers urgent questions in one to five business days. It costs USD 6,000 to 15,000 a month with a six-month minimum.
- Standing brief agreed at the start and reviewed quarterly
- 6 to 10 verified sources a month, plus records and data as they appear
- Defined indicators watched between briefings where the brief concerns a risk
- Signed monthly briefing, 4 to 8 pages, with provenance appendix
- Named lead researcher, reachable directly
- Urgent questions answered in 1 to 5 business days
- Cumulative, searchable evidence base
- 6-month minimum, then monthly
- USD 6,000 to 15,000 a month
What you receive
A monthly signed briefing on the questions that matter to you: what customers and counterparties are saying, what competitors are doing, what is changing in regulation, policy or the political environment, where the evidence contradicts the narrative. Six to ten verified sources each month, chosen against a standing brief we agree with you and revisit each quarter, alongside the filings, records and data that month produced. Where the brief concerns a risk, a set of indicators watched between briefings, with a call when one moves. A named lead researcher who knows your business and answers urgent questions in one to five business days. Over time, a cumulative evidence base that makes every subsequent question cheaper to answer.
When to use it
A portfolio company or business unit where the same market questions recur and internal teams have no time to gather evidence. An investor tracking a sector between deals who wants a verified read rather than a newsletter. A risk, compliance or strategy function that needs a critical supplier, a difficult country or a moving regulation kept under watch. A leadership team entering a market that wants a standing line to the people in it. Anyone who has bought three Signal Briefs in a year and would rather have someone who already knows the context.
Price
USD 6,000 to 15,000 a month, six-month minimum. Fixed before we start, invoiced 50 percent on order and 50 percent on delivery. Prices exclude tax. Where the price lands within the range depends on how hard the evidence is to get.
Compared with the alternatives
An AI research tool or subscription summarises what is already published. The retainer finds out what is not published yet, from verified people, records and data, and signs the result. Read the comparison.
Step by step
Month 0: standing brief
A working session to define the two or three questions the retainer will track, the sources that matter, the indicators to watch and the format of the briefing.
Every month: gather and verify
Six to ten verified sources against the standing brief, plus the documents, filings and data that month produced. Indicators checked.
Every month: briefing
A four-to-eight-page signed briefing with provenance appendix, delivered on a fixed day, followed by a 45-minute call.
Every quarter: review
We review the standing brief with you and adjust it. Anything that has stopped being useful is dropped.
On demand: urgent question
Ad-hoc questions answered in one to five business days, drawing on the existing evidence base and fresh sources where needed.
Questions about the Intelligence Retainer
What is the Intelligence Retainer?
A monthly research service from Theory Intelligence: six to ten verified sources a month plus records and data, a signed monthly briefing with provenance appendix, indicators watched between briefings, a named researcher for urgent questions, USD 6,000 to 15,000 a month with a six-month minimum.
What can a retainer cover?
A market and its customers, a set of competitors, a group of critical suppliers or partners, a country or region, a regulatory agenda, or the assumptions behind a strategy. The standing brief names it precisely and is reviewed each quarter.
Why a six-month minimum?
The value of the retainer comes from the cumulative evidence base and the researcher's growing knowledge of your market. Neither exists in month one.
Can the retainer be paused?
After the minimum term, yes, with 30 days' notice. The evidence base remains yours.
How does this differ from a market intelligence subscription?
Subscriptions send everyone the same document, built largely from public sources. The retainer gathers and verifies evidence against your questions, watches your indicators and signs the result. See the comparison with AI research tools for more.
Start a Intelligence Retainer
Write to info@theoryintel.com with the question and the decision it feeds. You will have a fixed price and a start date within one business day.
Start a brief