Merit Engine - Pricing Model
Merit Engine: Pricing Model
Subscription, Non-Subscription, and Agency Size Framework
Prepared by: Fairlawn Strategy Partners Date: June 29, 2026 Version: 1.0
Pricing Philosophy
Merit Engine pricing is based on three variables: agency size (sworn officer headcount determines candidate volume), commitment length (longer commitments earn discounts), and service depth (Bronze through Gold determines what is included).
The goal is a pricing structure that: - Gets small agencies in the door at low friction (Bronze) - Converts departments to annual contracts at Silver (the revenue engine) - Rewards loyalty with meaningful multi-year discounts - Preserves e-learning as a recurring services line independent of tier
Agency Size Bands
All Silver and Gold pricing is anchored to sworn officer headcount, not candidate count. Headcount determines the realistic candidate pool for any promotional cycle and drives the value delivered.
| Band | Sworn Headcount | Typical Candidate Pool per Cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Micro | Under 25 sworn | 2-5 candidates |
| Small | 25-75 sworn | 5-15 candidates |
| Medium | 75-250 sworn | 15-50 candidates |
| Large | 250-600 sworn | 50-150 candidates |
| Enterprise | 600+ sworn | 150+ candidates |
Bronze Tier: Individual Access
Designed for individual officers purchasing on their own, or for micro-agencies with no department-wide budget for promotional prep. No agency contract required.
What is included: - Access to the agency-tuned or public scaffold item bank - Adaptive quizzing with domain heat map - 60-day personalized study schedule - Candidate progress report (personal, not shared) - Source material review (Stage 2) when gaps are detected - E-learning invitation (Stage 3) at standard add-on pricing
What is not included: - HR or Training Officer dashboard (no agency view) - Oral board simulation - Agency-specific SOP ingestion (uses public scaffold item bank only)
| Access Type | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single cycle (non-subscription) | $299 per candidate | One promotional cycle, approximately 60 days of access |
| Annual subscription | $249 per candidate per year | Covers unlimited cycles within the year, 17% savings |
| 2-year subscription | $219 per candidate per year | 27% savings vs. single cycle |
| 3-year subscription | $189 per candidate per year | 37% savings vs. single cycle |
Bronze-to-Silver conversion path: If a Bronze user’s department later contracts at Silver or Gold, their individual subscription credit is applied as a discount toward the department contract for the first year.
Silver Tier: Department Platform
The primary revenue tier. Designed for department-wide deployment with Training Officer and HR visibility.
What is included: - Everything in Bronze, plus: - Agency-specific SOP and policy ingestion (up to one promotional track — LE or Fire) - FSP item bank build and human review (one-time setup, included) - Training Officer dashboard (engagement, domain error clusters, e-learning funnel) - HR Director readiness distribution view - Chief Executive Summary view - Candidate opt-in report sharing - Oral board practice module (unscored, Phase 2) - One FSP item bank review session with agency Training Officer (included) - E-learning invitations triggered by platform (sessions billed separately as add-on)
Silver — Small Agency (25-75 sworn)
| Commitment | Annual Price | Per-Month Equivalent | Savings vs. Non-Subscription |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-subscription (per cycle) | $9,500 per cycle | N/A | Baseline |
| 1-year subscription | $8,000 per year | $667/mo | 16% |
| 2-year subscription | $6,800 per year | $567/mo | 29% |
| 3-year subscription | $5,800 per year | $483/mo | 39% |
Includes up to 15 active candidates per cycle. Additional candidates: $250 per candidate per cycle.
Silver — Medium Agency (75-250 sworn)
| Commitment | Annual Price | Per-Month Equivalent | Savings vs. Non-Subscription |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-subscription (per cycle) | $19,500 per cycle | N/A | Baseline |
| 1-year subscription | $16,500 per year | $1,375/mo | 15% |
| 2-year subscription | $14,000 per year | $1,167/mo | 28% |
| 3-year subscription | $12,000 per year | $1,000/mo | 38% |
Includes up to 40 active candidates per cycle. Additional candidates: $225 per candidate per cycle.
Gold Tier: Leadership Pipeline
Enterprise-level platform with full succession planning intelligence, IRT validation reporting, and dedicated FSP support.
What is included: - Everything in Silver, plus: - Unlimited active candidates per cycle - Both LE and Fire tracks (dual-track ingestion) - Full IRT-validated diagnostic report for the department (delivered at cycle end) - Succession planning analytics (bench strength projections, multi-cycle trend) - Bias and adverse impact audit report (flagged for HR and Civil Service) - One included e-learning module per contract year (live, Tonya or Caraline) - Dedicated FSP account contact for the contract duration - Priority item bank updates when agency policies change
Gold — Large Agency (250-600 sworn)
| Commitment | Annual Price | Per-Month Equivalent | Savings vs. Non-Subscription |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-subscription (per cycle) | $52,000 per cycle | N/A | Baseline |
| 1-year subscription | $44,000 per year | $3,667/mo | 15% |
| 2-year subscription | $37,000 per year | $3,083/mo | 29% |
| 3-year subscription | $31,500 per year | $2,625/mo | 39% |
Gold — Enterprise Agency (600+ sworn)
Priced on a custom engagement basis. Starting at $85,000 per year. Factors include: - Number of promotional tracks (Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, multiple simultaneously) - Number of active candidates per cycle - Number of promotional cycles per year - University or academy partnership integration requirements - Civil Service Commission reporting requirements
Typical enterprise contract range: $85,000-$150,000 per year, multi-year preferred.
E-Learning Add-On (All Tiers)
E-learning is priced separately from platform subscription at all tiers. It is triggered by the platform when a candidate’s gap persists through Stage 2, and is available as a standalone purchase at any time.
| Format | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Live session — individual (Tonya or Caraline) | $375 per candidate per module | 90-minute live session, scheduled through platform |
| Live session — group (up to 8 candidates) | $1,800 per group session | Same 90-minute format, shared cost across group |
| On-demand recorded module | $149 per candidate per module | Self-paced, available 24/7, completion documented in platform |
| Bulk access — 5 modules | $599 per candidate | Any combination of live or recorded, 12-month validity |
Gold tier includes one live session credit per contract year (up to 8 candidates, one module). Additional sessions billed at standard rates.
Setup Fees (One-Time)
These are one-time fees charged at contract initiation. They are included in Silver and Gold subscription tiers. They apply to non-subscription engagements and Bronze.
| Service | Fee | Included In |
|---|---|---|
| Item bank build — public scaffold only (Bronze) | No setup fee | Bronze (all) |
| Item bank build — agency SOP ingestion, up to 500 pages | $2,500 | Silver (subscription) |
| Item bank build — agency SOP ingestion, 500-1,500 pages | $4,500 | Gold (subscription) |
| Item bank build — agency SOP ingestion, 1,500+ pages | $6,500+ | Gold Enterprise (custom) |
| Training Officer review session (item bank calibration) | $1,500 | Silver and Gold (subscription) |
| SME engagement — SJT scenario development (Phase 2) | $3,500 per track | Add-on, any tier |
| Oral board dimension and anchor development (Phase 3) | $5,000-$8,000 per agency | Add-on, Silver and Gold |
Non-subscription clients pay setup fees in addition to per-cycle licensing.
Pricing Summary Matrix
| Tier | Band | Non-Sub (per cycle) | 1-Year | 2-Year | 3-Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | Per candidate | $299 | $249 | $219 | $189 |
| Silver | Small (25-75) | $9,500 | $8,000 | $6,800 | $5,800 |
| Silver | Medium (75-250) | $19,500 | $16,500 | $14,000 | $12,000 |
| Gold | Large (250-600) | $52,000 | $44,000 | $37,000 | $31,500 |
| Gold | Enterprise (600+) | Custom | $85k-$150k+ | Negotiated | Negotiated |
E-learning: $149-$375 per candidate per module (all tiers, billed separately)
Municipality Bundle: Dual-Track Pricing
For municipalities operating both a police department and a fire department, Merit Engine offers a single city-level contract covering both agencies under one billing relationship. Each department receives its own sovereign instance – candidate data, item banks, and dashboards are fully separated by department. The city administrator or HR director receives an optional combined municipality view showing aggregate readiness across both departments.
Bundle Structure: The first track (typically the larger department) is priced at standard Silver rates. The second track is priced at 60% of the first track’s Silver rate. This reflects shared onboarding, one account relationship, and one renewal cycle while recognizing that two independent item banks must be built and maintained.
Municipality Bundle – Small Agencies (both departments 25-75 sworn)
| Commitment | First Track | Second Track (60%) | Bundle Total | vs. Two Separate Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year subscription | $8,000 | $4,800 | $12,800 | Saves $3,200/yr |
| 2-year subscription | $6,800/yr | $4,080/yr | $10,880/yr | Saves $2,720/yr |
| 3-year subscription | $5,800/yr | $3,480/yr | $9,280/yr | Saves $2,320/yr |
Municipality Bundle – Mixed Band (one Small, one Micro or one Medium)
When the two departments fall in different size bands, the larger department sets the first-track rate and the smaller department is priced at 60% of its own standard Silver rate. Quote on a case-by-case basis.
Setup Fees – Dual-Track
| Service | Single Track | Dual-Track Bundle | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Item bank build – two scaffold tracks | $2,500 per track | $3,500 for both | $1,500 |
| Training Officer review session | $1,500 per department | $2,200 for both | $800 |
Pilot Pricing – Municipality Bundle
If a municipality qualifies as one of the first three pilot clients, pilot pricing applies to the bundle total: 50% of the 1-year bundle rate, credited toward conversion.
| Municipality Bundle Pilot | Amount |
|---|---|
| Pilot price (50% of 1-year bundle) | $6,400 |
| Credit applied on conversion to 1-year | Full $6,400 |
How to position this in a pitch:
Do not frame this as two department purchases. Frame it as a municipal readiness platform – the city gains visibility into succession depth across both public safety departments from a single contract. This elevates the conversation from a department-level training line item to a city-level workforce intelligence investment, and positions the city administrator or mayor as the appropriate decision-maker rather than either chief individually.
Pricing for Sheriff’s Offices
Sheriff’s office pricing follows the same Silver and Gold band structure as municipal police, with one important distinction: the item bank build requires additional domain coverage beyond the standard LE scaffold. Sheriff-specific domains (jail and detention operations, civil process and court functions, court security, county government structure) require a supplemental item bank build.
| Service | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard LE scaffold item bank | Included in Silver subscription | Covers patrol, supervision, constitutional law, use of force, and core LE domains |
| Sheriff supplemental domain build | $1,500 add-on | Adds jail/detention, civil process, court security, and county government domains |
For agencies under consent decree or active DOJ monitoring, Merit Engine’s audit trail and standardized scoring methodology provides direct compliance value. Every candidate’s performance is documented with item-level detail, domain scores, and a defensible rationale for where each candidate placed on the readiness distribution. This documentation supports the agency’s obligation to demonstrate non-discriminatory promotional practices and can be produced in response to monitoring requests. Position this explicitly in the sales conversation with consent-decree agencies – the platform is not just a training tool, it is a compliance asset.
Pilot Pricing (First 3 Agency Clients)
To establish the calibration data foundation and generate testimonial evidence, the first three agency clients receive pilot pricing with a defined conversion path.
| Pilot Offer | Detail |
|---|---|
| Duration | One full 60-day promotional cycle |
| Price | 50% of standard 1-year subscription for their band |
| Deliverable | Full platform access plus a written outcome report at cycle end |
| Conversion | If the agency converts to a 1-year subscription within 30 days of cycle completion, the pilot fee is credited toward the first year |
| Condition | Agency agrees to provide feedback sessions and a testimonial quote for FSP use |
Pilot pricing is available to the first three agencies only. It is not a standard offering and should not appear in marketing materials.
Assumptions Being Challenged on Pricing
Challenge 1: Per-cycle vs. annual subscription alignment Many public safety agencies run one major promotional cycle per rank per year. A per-cycle price is intuitive to them. However, some large agencies run two to three cycles annually (different ranks at different times). For those agencies, a per-cycle model becomes more expensive than annual subscription quickly. Make sure sales conversations clarify how many cycles per year the agency runs before quoting.
Challenge 2: The $9,500-$19,500 Silver price against training budgets Many small and medium departments operate on training line items of $5,000-$15,000 for the entire department. Silver pricing may exceed a department’s full annual training budget. Mitigation: frame as a capital investment against litigation risk (one avoided grievance pays for several years of Silver), and identify grant funding sources (COPS Office Hiring Program, BJA training grants) as supplemental funding paths.
Challenge 3: Setup fees may slow sales at Silver A $2,500 setup fee on top of an $8,000 subscription may feel like a hidden cost to a purchasing agent expecting a clean number. Consider rolling setup fees into Year 1 subscription pricing for new Silver clients and presenting a single annual price. Simplicity wins in government procurement.
Challenge 4: E-learning pricing needs validation The $375 per candidate per live session price is an estimate based on comparable professional development markets. Validate with the first pilot agency what their budget ceiling is for per-officer training spend. Public safety agencies may have union agreements that affect what can be charged to individual officers vs. the department.
Fairlawn Strategy Partners, LLC, an affiliate of the Institute for Transformative Change - Confidential and Proprietary Contact: Tonya R. Dawson | tonya@fairlawnstrategy.com Document Version 1.0 - June 29, 2026