For Startups & SMEs
Hiring a contractor?
Send your terms. Not theirs.
If your contractor wrote the contract, it protects them — not you. Generate a UK freelance agreement that puts your IP, scope, and termination rights first. 60 seconds.
Generate contractor agreement →Free with watermark. £9 for a clean PDF to send today.
The risks — and how the right contract eliminates them
Problem
Contractor sent you their contract to sign
With Contracto
If they wrote it, it protects them. Generate yours in 60 seconds and send it first.
Problem
IP ownership is unclear — who owns the code/design/content?
With Contracto
Our IP clause: all work product vests in your company on full payment. Not the contractor's.
Problem
No termination clause — you're locked in
With Contracto
14-day termination with notice, on both sides. Works in your favour if the engagement isn't working.
Problem
Scope wasn't defined — now they're billing for extras
With Contracto
Deliverables, acceptance criteria, and a change control clause baked in. Extras require written agreement.
Built for UK law. Not a US template with £ substituted for $.
Covers Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act 1998, UK GDPR, and England & Wales or Scottish governing law. Not a Docusign template from a US legal library.
What you need when hiring a contractor
Freelance contract
For hiring developers, designers, marketers, writers — any project-based contractor.
Generate →
Sign firstNDA
Before you share your product brief, codebase, or customer data with a new contractor.
Generate →
Consulting agreement
For hiring a strategic advisor, interim director, or consultant (not project-based).
Generate →
How it works
Enter the engagement details
Contractor name, your company, scope, rate, and duration. 90 seconds.
AI generates your contract
UK-specific freelance agreement with IP clause, scope, change control, and termination. Under 60 seconds.
Send before day one
PDF ready to email. Contractor signs, you sign. Protected before any work starts.
Questions from startup founders & ops leads
The contractor sent us their standard contract — should we just sign it?
That depends on what's in it. Contractor-drafted contracts typically default IP ownership to the contractor (until the client pays and the IP is assigned), include no scope definition, and favour the contractor on termination. Before signing anyone else's contract, generate yours and review the key differences — particularly IP ownership and scope.
Do we need a separate NDA before the contract?
Yes, if you're sharing sensitive information — product plans, source code, customer data, commercial strategy — before the main agreement is signed. An NDA takes 30 seconds to generate and is standard practice. Most professional contractors will sign without hesitation.
Is a freelance contract the same as an employment contract?
No, and the distinction matters. A freelance contractor is self-employed — no employer NI, no holiday pay, no IR35 implications on your side (if structured correctly). The freelance contract should clearly establish independent contractor status with no employment relationship. Contracto includes the right clauses for this.
What if the contractor is based outside the UK?
Contracto covers 65+ jurisdictions. When generating, select the jurisdiction that governs the contract — typically where the contractor is based or where the work is performed. For UK-based companies hiring internationally, England & Wales governing law is often the right choice regardless of where the contractor is located.
Get your contractor agreement ready today
Generate free (with watermark) or get a clean PDF for £9. No subscription. Send it before your contractor starts — not after.