How it works

From brief to engineer on your sprint in 2 weeks.

Q: Who owns the intellectual property?

You do. All work produced under the engagement is yours under EU work-for-hire rules. IP assignment is written into the engagement contract and enforceable under EU law.

A time & material model for AI, data, and Python engineers. We act as employer of record. You direct the work. No fixed scope, no lock-in.

Scope your engagement

The process

Four steps from brief to building

Brief us

Tell us what you're building, the disciplines you need, and your preferred team size. Use the Estimator to get a structured engagement proposal in 3 minutes.

Profile match

We send matched engineer profiles within 48 hours. Each profile includes technical background, project history, and availability. You interview the candidates you want.

On your sprint

Engineers start within 2 weeks of confirmation. They join your daily standups, work in your repos, and integrate with your existing team rhythm. We handle all employment setup.

Scale weekly

Add engineers when workload grows, reduce when the sprint completes. Changes take effect with one week's notice. No penalties, no minimum commitment period.

Billing

Time & material. No surprises.

T&M billing. You pay for hours worked, reported weekly. The hourly rate is fixed at engagement start; hours flex with the work.

Weekly invoicing in EUR. Engineers log hours, we invoice weekly. No seat fees, no retainer, no minimum monthly spend. Payment terms NET 14.

No agency markup. The rate covers the engineer's employment cost plus our employer-of-record fee. No markup layer between you and the engineer.

Rate structure

Fixed daily or hourly rate, agreed at start

Invoicing

Weekly, in EUR, NET 14 payment terms

Scaling

Add or remove engineers with one week notice

Minimums

None — scale to zero if project ends early

Employer of record

What KERNSTEIN handles on your behalf

KERNSTEIN.eu is the legal employer of every engineer in the staffai.eu network. You hold the service contract; KERNSTEIN holds the employment relationship. You need no local entity in Eastern Europe.

Payroll & tax

Income tax, social contributions, and health insurance filed in the engineer's home country.

Employment contracts

Compliant with local labour codes — notice periods, statutory leave, and termination rules.

IP assignment

Work-for-hire clauses ensure everything produced under the engagement belongs to you.

Benefits administration

Statutory health insurance, pension contributions, and mandated benefits.

GDPR compliance

EU-to-EU data flows, DPA documentation, and data processing agreements.

Compliance reporting

Proof of employment status for audits or client compliance checks.

Intellectual property

You own everything built under the engagement

All code, documentation, models, and deliverables belong to you. IP assignment follows EU work-for-hire principles, governed by the EU Software Directive and enforceable in EU courts.

For US clients with EU data obligations: Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) apply when personal data flows to US-based systems. We can walk you through the documentation requirements.

GDPR

GDPR-native engineers by default

Engineers based in EU member states build GDPR compliance into their work. They understand data minimisation, purpose limitation, and retention rules from their professional environment.

EU-to-EU data flows require no transfer mechanism under GDPR. If you're a US client with EU data, we provide the required SCC documentation.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How quickly can engineers start?

Typically 2 weeks from engagement confirmation. This covers profile matching, your technical interviews, notice period coordination, and system access setup.

What if the engineer isn't a fit?

If it's not working out in the first 30 days, we'll find a replacement at no additional cost. After 30 days you can end the engagement with one week's notice.

Who owns the intellectual property?

You do. All work produced is yours under EU work-for-hire rules. IP assignment is written into the engagement contract.

Can I reduce the team size?

Yes. Give one week's notice to scale down. No penalties, no minimum commitment period.

What does staffai.eu handle vs. what do I handle?

We handle employment obligations: payroll, tax filings, benefits, and compliance. You handle the work: standups, task assignment, code reviews, sprint planning.

Ready to scope?

Get a team composition in 3 minutes

Use the AI Engagement Estimator — team, milestones, and cost band. No sales call required.

Open the Estimator