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Cost

Last updated: 30 July 2026

The price of a BLACKFILE engagement is determined by the depth of reconnaissance, the number of jurisdictions and the requirements for the final document. Ranges for each area are fixed in advance, the cost is agreed before work begins and does not change during the engagement without written agreement.

BLACKFILE does not operate on a price list in the usual sense and does not sell "analyst hours". Each area is divided into fixed formats - basic, extended and Executive - and the client selects the format before work begins, knowing in advance the scope of verification, the delivery time, the list of jurisdictions and the type of final document. The basic format covers an initial assessment of the situation and provides a structured answer to the question of whether there is a matter for further work. The extended format is a full-scale intelligence operation with multi-level verification, a risk map and recommendations. The Executive level is intended for matters of heightened sensitivity, multi-jurisdictional conflicts and situations where error is not acceptable; such engagements are always priced individually.

Before work begins, the client receives a description of the task, a risk assessment, limitations, timeframes, cost and the format of the result. This rule applies without exception: there are no hidden conditions, no additional charges during the engagement and no changes to the estimate without agreement with BLACKFILE. If, in the course of reconnaissance, it becomes apparent that the task requires going beyond the agreed scope - new jurisdictions, field work, HUMINT contour or suitability of materials for court use - the work is suspended, and the expansion is discussed separately.

All amounts are stated in euros and relate to the cost of the reconnaissance work itself. Official fees, paid registry extracts, notarial and translation costs, and travel expenses for field operations are discussed separately and confirmed by documentation.

1 What the price consists of

The cost of an engagement is formed not from the volume of text produced, but from the depth of penetration into the task and the number of independent contours through which verification of each fact passes. The same question may cost fundamentally different amounts depending on whether the client requires an initial orientation or an evidentiary basis suitable for procedural use in a specific jurisdiction.

  • Depth of reconnaissance - the number of verification parameters and the number of analytical layers: from a superficial digital trace to archival, behavioural and structural data.
  • Geography - the number of jurisdictions in which the work is conducted, and the legal complexity of each of them
  • Type of sources - open registers and public data arrays, international commercial and licensed databases, court archives, corporate registries, web archives.
  • Need for a field component - operator deployment, observation from public places, event documentation, work with witnesses.
  • Need for a HUMINT component - engagement of sources within a specific jurisdiction.
  • Admissibility requirements - chain of custody compliance, verification of procedural suitability of materials in the country where the dispute is heard.
  • Urgency - a compressed timeline always means parallel deployment of several teams.
  • Scope of verification - the number of independent confirmation channels per fact.
  • Result format - analytical report, risk map, evidence package, strategic memorandum, document language.

2 Three engagement formats

The formats do not differ in "quality" - they differ in depth and legal weight of the result. The basic format is never delivered as an extended one, and the extended format does not substitute for an Executive operation. The client always understands which level they are paying for.

  • Basic - a fast, structured verification of key facts. Timeline - from 24 hours. Result: an analytical report with an initial risk assessment.
  • Advanced - a full-scale intelligence operation: archival and international sources, analysis of connections and behavior, risk modeling. Timeline - from several days to several weeks. Result: a detailed report, risk map, recommendations.
  • Executive - matters of heightened sensitivity, multi-jurisdictional conflicts, work in support of litigation or a crisis scenario. Cost and timeline - strictly individual, determined following a briefing.

3 Intelligence and Analysis

This area covers the initial assessment of individuals, companies and reputational background. It is the entry point for most matters: a basic OSINT check often shows whether a deeper level is needed at all.

  • OSINT check: basic - from €2,000, 24-48 hours; extended (Premium) - €3,500-7,500, 3-7 days.
  • Background Check: basic - from €2,500, 48-72 hours; extended Background Intelligence - €4,000-12,000, 5-10 days; Executive Background Check - upon request.
  • Legal Due Diligence: Standard - from €5,000, 3-5 days; Advanced - €8,000-18,000, 5-10 days; Enhanced Due Diligence (Executive / High-Risk) - by agreement.
  • Digital reputation audit: Basic - from €3,500, 24-48 hours; Advanced - €6,000-15,000, 3-7 days; Reputation Intelligence (Executive Level) - by agreement.
  • Vulnerability analysis: Vulnerability Scan - from €8,000, 24-48 hours; Deep Vulnerability Analysis - €12,000-20,000, 5-10 days; Executive Threat Intelligence - by agreement.

4 Finances, Assets and Corporate Structures

The most resource-intensive area. Cost here depends directly on the number of jurisdictions involved and on how actively the opposing party has built a concealment structure: nominee ownership, trusts, offshore chains and successive re-registrations require reconstruction from archival traces rather than a simple registry request.

  • Financial asset analytics: Basic Financial Screening - from €8,000; Advanced Financial Intelligence - €12,000-25,000; Executive Financial Mapping (High-Risk) - by agreement.
  • Corporate file: Basic Corporate File - from €4,000, 48-72 hours; Advanced Corporate Intelligence - €7,000-18,000, 5-10 days; Executive Corporate Intelligence - upon request.
  • Asset Tracing (international): Basic Asset Search - from €12,000, 5-7 days; Advanced Global Asset Tracing - €18,000-35,000, 10-20 days; Executive Asset Intelligence - upon request.
  • Crypto Tracing: Basic Crypto Search - from €6,000, 48-72 hours; Advanced Blockchain Intelligence - €12,000-20,000, 5-10 days; Executive Crypto Intelligence - upon request.
  • Analysis of investment projects and startups: Basic Investment Check - €4,000, 48-72 hours; Advanced Investment Intelligence - €6,000-15,000, 5-10 days; Executive Investment Intelligence - upon request.
  • Debt recovery (Debt Intelligence): Basic Debt Check - €10,000, 48-72 hours; Advanced Debt Intelligence - €20,000-45,000, 7-14 days; Executive Debt Intelligence (Strategic) - by agreement.

5 Litigation Intelligence and Evidence

Here the cost is affected not so much by the volume of data as by the requirement of procedural suitability. Material collected for internal understanding of a situation and material that will withstand scrutiny in the courts of a specific jurisdiction are two different products with different levels of effort: in the latter case, chain of custody compliance, documentation of the origin of each file, and verification of admissibility under local law are mandatory.

  • Pre-Litigation Intelligence: Basic - €5,000, 48 hours; Advanced - €10,000-25,000, 5-10 days; Executive Litigation Strategy (Premium) - by agreement.
  • Evidence collection for court: Basic Evidence Collection - from €5,000, 48-72 hours; Advanced Evidence Intelligence - €8,000-18,000, 5-12 days; Litigation-Ready Evidence (Executive Level) - by agreement.
  • Reconstruction of the timeline of events: Basic - from €4,000, 48-72 hours; Advanced Alibi & Timeline Analysis - €7,000-18,000, 5-10 days; Executive-Level Incident Reconstruction - by agreement.

6 Surveillance, tracing and field work

Field operations are billed based on team deployment time and the number of simultaneous coverage points. Surveillance is conducted exclusively from public places, without entering private premises; the legal grounds are recorded at the briefing before the team is deployed. Matters lacking such grounds are not accepted regardless of the proposed budget.

  • Person search: Basic Search - from €3,000, 48-72 hours; Advanced International Search - €6,000-15,000, 5-10 days; Executive-Level Global Tracking - negotiable.
  • Operational surveillance: Basic Surveillance - from €6,000 per week, deployment in 1-3 days; Advanced Multi-Point Surveillance - €12,000-25,000, 5-14 days; Executive-Level Covert Operations - negotiable.
  • Counter-surveillance: Basic Surveillance Detection - from €4,000, 24-48 hours; Advanced - €7,000-18,000, 3-7 days; Executive-Level Counter-Surveillance - negotiable.
  • Environment check: Basic Environment Check - from €3,500, 24-48 hours; Advanced Environment Intelligence - €6,000-18,000, 3-6 days; Executive Family Protection Audit - negotiable.

7 Crisis management and security

Crisis-related engagements are priced with time as a factor: cost rises in proportion to the speed of deployment. A Social Engineering Test is carried out only on the basis of the organization owner's written consent and strictly within the agreed perimeter - without such consent the work does not begin.

  • Leak Response: Basic Leak Screening - from €4,000, 24-48 hours; Advanced Leak Response - €8,000-25,000, 3-7 days; Executive Leak Intelligence (with HUMINT) - negotiable.
  • Social Engineering Test: Basic - from €3,000, 48 hours; Advanced Social Engineering Operation - €7,000-14,000, 3-7 days; Executive Security Engineering (HUMINT-level) - negotiable.

8 Political analysis and regional risks

A closed-level area of work. Cost is determined by the sensitivity of the region, the availability of sources and the required forecast horizon. Reports in this area are not circulated and are prepared for a specific client.

  • Political intelligence: Basic Political Scan - from €10,000, 48-72 hours; Advanced Political Intelligence - €20,000-45,000, 5-10 days; Executive Political Intelligence (HUMINT-level) - negotiable.
  • Personal political risks: Basic Political Risk Scan - from €5,000, 48-72 hours; Advanced - €10,000-25,000, 5-10 days; Executive Political Threat Assessment - negotiable.
  • Regional risk and scenario assessment: Basic Country Risk Snapshot - from €4,000, 48 hours; Advanced Regional Risk Assessment - €8,000-20,000, 5-10 days; Strategic Scenario Intelligence (Executive Level) - negotiable.

9 Family matters

The most sensitive category. Work is conducted discreetly, with priority given to the safety of minors and without public exposure. Field activities are limited to public places; the client must have a lawful basis for setting the task.

  • Family monitoring and protection of a child's interests: Basic Family Check - from €3,000, 48 hours; Advanced Child Safety Assessment - €6,000-18,000, 5-10 days; Executive Family Intelligence - by agreement.
  • Location of family members and establishing contact: Basic Family Location - from €3,000, 48-72 hours; Advanced Family Search - €6,000-18,000, 5-10 days; Family HUMINT Operation (Executive Level) - by agreement.

10 What increases and what reduces the cost

The client directly affects the estimate. A precisely defined task, a complete initial set of documents, and a realistic timeframe can substantially reduce the cost of an operation. The opposite situation - a vague task, undisclosed circumstances, and a demand for results "yesterday" - inevitably increases the volume of work.

  • Increase cost: the number of jurisdictions, urgency, field and HUMINT scope, a requirement that materials be suitable for court, active concealment by the subject, and the need for translation and legalization of documents.
  • Reduce cost: a clearly defined perimeter of the task, the client's possession of source documents, the absence of a hard deadline, and a phased scheme with a decision on continuation after the basic format.
  • A phased approach is BLACKFILE's standard recommendation: the basic format shows whether there is a matter warranting a deeper operation, and protects the client from spending on a direction with no prospects.

11 Procedure for work and payment

Work is conducted strictly under contract and under NDA. Cost, timeframe, perimeter, and the format of the result are fixed in the document before the operation begins; the payment procedure is determined by the contract. Access to the work is granted only after client verification, and communication is conducted through encrypted channels.

Budget does not affect the admissibility screening. Every enquiry is checked for the legal admissibility of the task, and enquiries requiring unlawful methods - access to closed government systems, work with leaked data sets, hacking, action against third parties, or surveillance without legal grounds - are declined regardless of the sum offered.

Contacts

Questions about this document - legal@blackfile.io. Personal data enquiries - privacy@blackfile.io.