The phrase "a small outlay of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a minor financial investment or expenditure required for a particular purpose.
Example: "The project requires a small outlay of funds to get started, but the potential returns are significant."
Alternatives: "a minor investment of" or "a modest expenditure of".
A small outlay on good kitchen storage can pay its way in less spoiled food.
Cablevision structured the deal in a way that requires a relatively small outlay of its own cash and minimizes its exposure to a debt default.
Lower fees for students from poor families would mean a smaller outlay for the exchequer.
The companies can, by using this method get a negative or a positive answer to their question for a small outlay: 'Here, please look into this method».
Minelaying missions carried out by the RAAF over the past year had been credited with successfully disrupting enemy shipping for a much smaller outlay of operating hours than conventional bombing, and were thus considered profitable enough to dedicate a wing with three squadrons to furthering the work.
In recent years prices of capital goods have fallen sharply relative to prices of other goods and services, thanks largely to cheaper computers, so companies are able to achieve the desired level of real investment for a smaller outlay.
Although some of the proposals could have been quite costly, even small outlays of public money were often turned back.
Training for a marathon requires a relatively small outlay for running shoes, maybe a heart-rate monitor and the costs of entrance fees.
However, that is a relatively small outlay from the multimillion budget of a top men's team – it is estimated that a top-flight women's professional team, paying minimum wage, costs about €500,000, while the budget for even the smallest World Tour team is more than €10m.
53 54 For example, Walker and Pandya-Wood 54 evaluated effectiveness of a prefunding bursary scheme and concluded that for a relatively small outlay appropriate involvement was possible, enabling refinement of the research question and design, encouraging team building and providing a useful learning opportunity for researchers and service users.
