For contractors
Contracting through Hurren & Hope, step by step
In short: we place IT and technology contractors with UK clients, through your own limited company or an umbrella company. You fill in one short online form, complete a certified digital right to work check, sign your contract online, then invoice us monthly in arrears. We pay within 14 days of a valid invoice.
The onboarding form opens for contractors we have invited. Your link is in your invitation email.
- Engagement
- Your limited company, or an umbrella company
- Onboarding
- One online form, about five minutes
- Right to work
- Certified digital check on your phone
- Invoicing
- Monthly in arrears
- Payment
- Within 14 days of a valid invoice
- Where
- UK assignments, on site, hybrid or remote
How it worksFrom offer to first invoice, in six steps
Nothing here is unusual for UK contracting. What is different is that we tell you exactly what happens, and when, before you commit.
- 1
We agree the role and your rate
Before we put you forward, we agree the role, the day rate and the dates with you, and check you are happy to be introduced to the client.
- 2
Your key information, before anything else
We send you a Key Information Document setting out who pays you, how, and what is deducted. The law requires it before you agree terms. If you work through your own limited company we also send the Conduct Regulations opt-out notice, which you can choose to sign.
- 3
One short onboarding form
Your invitation link opens a secure form. We look your company up on Companies House, so you only confirm it. You upload your insurance certificates and add a home address and an emergency contact.
- 4
A certified right to work check
You get a link to a certified digital identity check. It takes a few minutes on your phone and your passport never leaves your hands. If you do not hold a British or Irish passport, you use a share code from gov.uk instead.
- 5
Sign your contract online, twice
Your contract arrives by email for electronic signature. If you work through your own company you sign twice: once as yourself, and once for your company. Please complete both, or the contract cannot start. Why twice?
- 6
Start, then invoice monthly
You invoice us monthly in arrears for the days you worked. Some clients ask for a signed-off timesheet each month; if yours does, we tell you before you start. We pay within 14 days of receiving a valid invoice.
The step people missWhy you sign twice
When you contract through your own limited company, there are two parties on your side of the paperwork: you, the person doing the work, and your company, which holds the contract with us. The documents need a signature from each, even though both are you.
You will be asked to sign as the Worker and again for the Contractor company. The most common hold-up we see is someone signing the first and stopping there. If the email says the documents are still waiting for you after you have signed once, that is the second signature.
- 1 of 2As yourselfWorker
- 2 of 2For your companyContractor company, as its director
Working through an umbrella company? Your umbrella signs for the company side, and you only sign as yourself.
Before you startWhat to have ready
Your company details
Your company name or number. We fetch your registered office from Companies House. If you are VAT registered, your VAT number.
Insurance certificates
Professional Indemnity of at least £1,000,000, Public Liability of at least £2,000,000, and Employers' Liability of at least £5,000,000 where your company has employees. A PDF or clear photo of each, with the expiry date.
Proof of your right to work
Your passport for the digital check, or a share code from gov.uk if you do not hold a British or Irish passport. Never email us a photo or scan of your passport.
A few personal details
Your home address and an emergency contact. We never ask for bank details by email or through a web form; those are only ever confirmed by phone with someone you already know here.
IR35Who decides inside or outside
For most private sector clients, the client decides whether an assignment is inside or outside IR35 and gives you and us a written Status Determination Statement before you start. Your contract records which applies. If you disagree with the decision, you can ask the client to reconsider it, and our terms require the client to respond to your query.
We will tell you the client's decision before you commit to the role, so there are no surprises on day one.
QuestionsContractor questions
How do I become a contractor with Hurren & Hope?
Apply for one of our live contract roles, or join our talent network. When a role fits, we agree the rate and dates with you, send your key information and an invitation to our secure onboarding form, run a certified right to work check, and send your contract for electronic signature.
Can I work through my own limited company?
Yes. Most of our contractors work through their own limited company. You can also work through an umbrella company, in which case the umbrella employs you and holds the contract with us.
Why do I need to sign the contract twice?
When you work through your own limited company, you sign once as yourself (the Worker) and once for your company (as its director). Both signatures are needed before the contract can start.
Do I need to submit timesheets?
It depends on the client. Many of our contracts need only your monthly invoice for the days you worked. Some clients require a timesheet signed off by your manager before the invoice is paid. We confirm which applies to your assignment before you start, so there are no surprises.
When will I be paid?
Within 14 days of us receiving a valid invoice. Your invoice should show your company name and registration number, your name, the days worked and the daily rate, and any VAT due.
What insurance do I need?
Professional Indemnity of at least £1,000,000, Public Liability of at least £2,000,000, and Employers' Liability of at least £5,000,000 where your company has employees. A company whose only employee is a director who owns at least half of it is usually exempt from Employers' Liability.
How does the right to work check work?
You receive a link to a certified digital identity check, which takes a few minutes on your phone. If you do not hold a British or Irish passport, you use a share code from gov.uk. The check must be completed before your first day.
Do you place contractors outside the UK?
No. Our contract desk places contractors on UK assignments only. In New York and San Francisco we recruit permanent staff.
Looking for your next contract? Talk to our contract desk.
Hiring contractors instead?If you are a business looking to hire contractors, see contract recruitment for clients and the UK contractor day rate index (market data).
