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AI for the public sector
Responsible AI for Government Agencies and Schools
Residents expect faster answers, and staff are already experimenting with AI. Cendien helps agencies adopt AI responsibly, with policies, pilots and governance that hold up to public scrutiny.
- AI policies and governance
- Fixed-price assessments
- Texas DIR vendor
- Pilots with public-sector controls
Since 1999Texas DIRNCTRCA MBEMicrosoft partner
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AI for the public sector
How should a government agency start with AI?
Most agencies start with an AI use policy and a fixed-price readiness assessment from $15,000, then one measured pilot such as a resident-facing assistant or a Copilot pilot for staff. Cendien builds in public-records-aware logging, human review and governance from day one.
AI solutions cost calculator
What would this cost your agency?
Agencies usually start with a policy and a fixed-price assessment, then one resident-facing or staff pilot. The estimate below covers an assessment and one assistant with full governance controls.
Example for a typical agency: About 414 hours at a blended $185 per hour, which comes to about $79,976 to $117,612 one-time project. Change the numbers below to match yours.
Your requirements
An AI assistant over two use cases is filled in. Change it to match your idea.
For example: HR policy questions, invoice intake, permit status lookups.
SharePoint sites, databases, ERP modules, ticketing systems, file shares.
Monitoring, tuning and new use cases once it is live.
Watch: about a minute
How AI solutions pricing works
AI project pricing in about a minute: a $15,000 readiness quick scan, Copilot and Azure AI pilots from $18,000, document assistants from $60,000, and a blended $185 an hour for build work.
Read the transcript
Everyone wants AI. Few know where to start, and too many pilots never make it past the demo. Cendien starts small and proves the value. A two-week AI readiness quick scan is fifteen thousand dollars. A Microsoft Copilot or Azure AI pilot starts at eighteen thousand. A generative AI assistant over your own documents runs sixty to one hundred twenty thousand, with a measured go or no-go decision before you spend more. Build work is estimated at a blended one hundred eighty-five dollars an hour. Governance is built in from day one: access controls, audit logs and human review. And we connect AI to Infor, Workday and Microsoft 365. Our AI cost calculator lets you choose what to build, how many use cases and data sources, and shows your estimate instantly. Cendien. Supporting organizations from Carrollton, Texas, since 1999. Price your AI project at cendien dot com.
Public-sector AI challenges
Public records and transparency
AI outputs may be public records, and decisions must be explainable.
Shadow AI
Staff paste sensitive data into public AI tools without rules.
Budget scrutiny
Every dollar on AI needs a clear, defensible outcome.
What agencies get
AI use policy
Acceptable-use policy, risk register and review process.
Readiness assessment
Priorities and roadmap ready for council or board review.
Resident-facing pilots
Assistants for permits, utilities or 311 questions with citations.
Staff productivity
Copilot pilots for HR, finance and clerks.
Records-aware design
Logging and retention that respect public-records rules.
Procurement-ready pricing
Fixed-price packages that fit RFPs and budgets.
AI solutions cost examples for a agency
Estimates from the calculator above for three common scopes. Your quote is set after a short scoping call.
| Scenario | Estimate | Billed | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| One use case, one data source | $57,868 – $85,100 | one-time project | About 368 hours at a blended $185 per hour |
| Typical scope for this need | $79,976 – $117,612 | one-time project | About 414 hours at a blended $185 per hour |
| Department-wide (5 use cases, 6 sources) | $152,311 – $223,987 | one-time project | About 874 hours at a blended $185 per hour |
Planning estimates, not an offer. Rates may change; your price is set in a written proposal.
What drives the cost of AI solutions
What it does
Answering questions is simpler than taking actions in your systems. Agents that update records need more testing.
Data sources
Each system the AI reads from needs a secure connector, permissions and quality checks.
Governance
Public-sector and regulated data need audit logs, human review and documented testing.
Readiness
Organizations with clean data and clear owners move faster and spend less.
AI packages
Start small and prove value. Every package includes a written scope, success measures and a go/no-go decision before you spend more.
RecommendedAI Readiness Quick Scan
2 weeks
$15,000fixed
- Interviews with key departments
- Data and risk screen
- Prioritized use-case list
- Findings brief for leadership
Copilot and Azure AI pilot
4–6 weeks
From $18,000fixed
- Azure OpenAI and Entra ID SSO setup
- Microsoft 365 integration and permissions
- Starter agents for your first use cases
- User training and adoption plan
Generative AI assistant pilot
6–10 weeks
$60,000–$120,000fixed
- Assistant over a defined content set
- Guardrails, citations and human review
- Measured pilot with real users
- Go/no-go report and rollout plan
AI agents and automation
8–12 weeks
From $65,000estimated
- Agents that act in your systems
- ERP connectors for Infor and Workday
- Approval steps where people decide
- Monitoring and audit logs
Need a one-time project or a single add-on? See AI assessments and add-ons on the AI solutions pricing page.
Ways to adopt AI, compared
| Cendien fixed-price pilot | Large consultancy | Do it yourself | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting cost | From $15,000 | Often six figures before a pilot | Staff time and licenses |
| Connects to your ERP and Microsoft 365 | Yes, with secure connectors | Usually, at premium rates | Depends on in-house skills |
| Governance and audit logs | Built in from day one | Varies | Often skipped |
| Decision point | Measured go/no-go | Long roadmap | Unclear |
| Public-sector experience | Texas DIR vendor since 1999 | Varies | None |
How working with Cendien starts
Step 1Discovery call
Thirty minutes on your goals, data and constraints.
Step 2Fixed-price scope
A written scope with success measures and a fixed price.
Step 3Pilot
Built with governance and tested with real users.
Step 4Go/no-go
Measured results and a plan to scale, or stop.
Since 1999
Supporting organizations from Carrollton, Texas
Texas DIR
Vendor for public-sector purchasing
NCTRCA MBE
Certified minority business enterprise
Microsoft partner
Also an Infor and Oracle partner
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Most start with an AI use policy and a fixed-price readiness assessment, then one measured pilot.
More on AI solutions
- AI solutions pricing calculatorHow much does AI consulting and implementation cost?
- AI servicesHow Cendien delivers AI solutions.
- AI Consulting That Starts Small and Proves ValueHow much does AI consulting cost?
- Microsoft Copilot Implementation and RolloutHow much does a Microsoft Copilot rollout cost?
- AI Agents That Do Real Work in Your SystemsWhat does it cost to build an AI agent?
- Infor pricingHow much do Infor managed services cost?
- Workday pricingHow much do Workday managed services cost?
Get your AI solutions quote
Reply within one business day. Or call (214) 245-4580.