What does it cost to have your annual report written?

If you’re considering outsourcing the writing of your annual report, the price tag is often the deciding factor. After all, writing isn’t the only expense: design, digital reporting tools, and the audit also need to be factored into the budget. 

We’re happy to prepare a cost estimate for you. The more we know about your project, the more accurate that estimate will be. That does require a bit of effort upfront: an email or phone call, a follow-up conversation, and perhaps sharing some documents with us. If you’re not ready for that just yet, read on. Below, we outline the main factors that influence the price.

What determines the price?

Your wishes and your budget come first. We don’t work with fixed service packages: every project, and therefore every quote, is tailored to you. Several factors play a part: the scope of the work (a management report only, or a sustainability statement in line with the CSRD as well), our role (writing the text from scratch, final editing, or just a language check), and the number of feedback rounds. 

To give you an idea, we think in T-shirt sizes: small, medium, large, and extra large. 

• Small: You’re nearly there, but you want that final polish. Our writers handle the last edit of your management report or sustainability statement: a critical look at consistency, readability, and tone, refining where needed without taking over the story. Expect 40 hours or more.

• Medium: The structure of the report is in place and partly filled in, with draft text written in-house and references to existing documents. We rewrite and harmonize the text so that it reads as one cohesive report. Expect 80 hours or more.

• Large: We write the text based on interviews, existing documents, and other sources. Governance, risk, and finance sections aren’t written from scratch, but they are thoroughly edited and aligned with the rest of the report. For the sustainability statement, all the input is already available, from process documentation on the DMA to policy documents, but it still needs to be turned into continuous prose that meets ESRS requirements. Expect 160 hours or more.

• Extra large: We start with a blank page. We translate your wishes and requirements into an effective structure for your annual report and sustainability statement. Where necessary, we bring in a partner for specialist knowledge on the data side of the CSRD. As with the large scope, we write nearly all of the text, based on interviews and extensive source material. At the end of the project, before going live or going to print, we carry out a thorough language check. Project management is always part of our approach, but projects of this size demand considerably more of it, including constant coordination with your internal departments and external suppliers. An annual report starts with content, and that means it starts with us. Expect 240 hours or more. 

These hours are indicative, not a quote. Wondering where your annual report falls within this range? Feel free to get in touch, with no obligation. We’ll think it through with you and give you a realistic estimate.