Example projectWeb appAIOpen-source model
Archive search assistant
Hypothetical. Not a client, not a result.
// The problem
A broadcaster holds decades of programmes and stories, and producers spend hours hunting for a clip because the archive only knows titles and dates.
// What we would build
Every programme transcribed and indexed, with an assistant that finds the moment a subject was discussed and links to the timecode. It runs on open-source models on GPUs the broadcaster controls, because unreleased material and rights-restricted footage should not go to an outside provider.
// What is in it
- Transcripts for the back catalogue and every new programme
- Search by subject, person and place, down to the timecode
- Answers that link to the clip and show the rights notes beside it
- Speaker and language detection for English and French
- An evaluation set from real producer searches, run before every change
// Stack
- Whisper (open-source)
- Llama or Qwen (open-source)
- vLLM
- PostgreSQL with pgvector
- DigitalOcean GPU
// estimate
- Build
- ≈ US$109,000 to US$166,000, delivered within 21 weeksCAD 154,900 to 236,700
- Hosting
- ≈ US$4,530 a monthCAD 6,450 a month
- Support
- ≈ US$1,000 a monthCAD 1,425 a month
Prices in your currency are estimates from today's Bank of Canada rate. All invoicing is in CAD or USD.
- AI route
- Open-source model
- Model running cost
- ≈ US$4,190 a monthCAD 5,960 a month
Timeline by milestone
- Discovery
- 2.9 to 3.4 weeks
- Specification and evaluation plan
- 0.4 weeks
- Design approved
- 2.4 to 3.9 weeks
- Core features
- 1.4 to 1.9 weeks
- Full build
- 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
- Working pilot
- 3.4 to 5.4 weeks
- Testing and fixes
- 0.9 to 1.9 weeks
- Launch
- 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
- Production
- 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
How it is paid
- Deposit 20%
- CAD 30,920 to 47,280
- Discovery 2%
- CAD 3,092 to 4,728
- Specification and evaluation plan 10.3%
- CAD 15,923.80 to 24,349.20
- Design approved 2%
- CAD 3,092 to 4,728
- Core features 6%
- CAD 9,276 to 14,184
- Full build 4%
- CAD 6,184 to 9,456
- Working pilot 31.1%
- CAD 48,080.60 to 73,520.40
- Testing and fixes 2%
- CAD 3,092 to 4,728
- Launch 2%
- CAD 3,092 to 4,728
- Production 10.6%
- CAD 16,387.60 to 25,058.40
- Holdback, 30 days after launch (10%)
- CAD 15,460 to 23,640
- GPU time for training and testing, at cost
- CAD 300. Billed up front, at cost, outside the milestones