Upwork Enterprise provides a customized solution for larger companies to find, contract, and pay independent freelance talent like yourself. Upwork Enterprise clients range from fast-growing startups to global Fortune 500 companies and tend to have large teams of experienced hiring managers and hundreds of active projects.
Working with these clients can provide you with access to more high-quality opportunities and a steadier stream of work. This means less time spent searching and more time spent working.
Finding an Enterprise Project
Most Enterprise projects aren't advertised publicly. Hiring managers first look in a private pool of client-approved freelancers and agencies called a Talent Cloud. The Talent Cloud serves as a virtual bench of talent for the Enterprise client.
When this Talent Cloud network lacks available freelancers with the skills they're seeking, either the client or an Upwork team member helping that client will search the marketplace and reach out to additional freelancers and agencies. These interview invites and offer emails will clearly state that they are from Upwork Enterprise clients.
If an existing client joins Upwork Enterprise
If you have an active contract with a client and they upgrade to Upwork Enterprise membership, your contract will be ended and a new Enterprise contract will be set up — all automatically. We’ll send you an email with details of the change and instructions on what to do next, and you’ll be able to continue working on your current contract until the new one has started.
Upwork Enterprise contracts generally have a fixed 10% freelancer service fee that does not change throughout the duration of a contract. If you are already paying the reduced 5% fee, you’ll still receive this rate on the existing contract for the remainder of 2023. After December 2023, you’ll pay a fixed 10% freelancer service fee on the existing contract. Any future contracts with this client will have a fixed 10% freelancer service fee.
Want to learn more about best practices that can make you stand out to Enterprise clients?
Check out our interactive, informational course on Upwork Academy.
What is a Talent Cloud network and why do I want to join it?
A Talent Cloud network is an Upwork Enterprise client's private group of professional freelancers and agencies. Hiring managers sometimes prefer to engage freelancers and agencies who have experience working with their company, and typically search their network first.
Working with an Upwork Enterprise client adds you to their Talent Cloud network, which means you'll be at the top of the list when that client's hiring managers search for freelancers and agencies with your skills. This means pre-vetted and trusted freelancers for them, more high-quality opportunities for you.
As an added benefit, you can submit proposals for jobs in a Talent Cloud network without spending any Connects. And you can filter and prioritize notifications by Talent Cloud network in your notification settings.
How can I join an Upwork Enterprise client's Talent Cloud network?
In most cases, you join automatically when you receive a contract with an Enterprise client. Freelancers offered Enterprise projects must complete onboarding tasks, which may include custom agreements or background checks, before accepting the offer and starting the project.
There are two ways to join an Enterprise client's Talent Cloud network
- Submit a proposal to a publicly-posted Enterprise project.
- Accept an invitation to be a member of a Talent Cloud network. This can happen when the Enterprise client wants to assemble a reserve of potential freelancers and agencies in anticipation of specific project needs arising.
Joining a Talent Cloud network increases your chances of working with that specific client when they have a new project. You can become part of multiple Talent Cloud networks, but you must complete the process separately for each. Each Enterprise client builds their own private pool of preferred freelancers and agencies and sets their own criteria for approval.
Are there requirements to join a Talent Cloud network?
You have to be invited or hired by the Enterprise Client who has the Talent Cloud to join. This can happen after you submit a proposal to the Enterprise client and they accept your proposal with a contract offer or an invitation to the Talent Cloud. Enterprise clients may also initiate an invitation to join the Talent Cloud or a contract offer.
How can I leave a Talent Cloud?
To leave a Talent Cloud permanently, contact us via the Get Support button below and request complete removal.
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