Upwork Launches Project Catalog™, A New Way for Businesses and Independent Talent to Instantly Work Together

New Upwork product experience connects businesses and talent on fixed-price, pre-scoped projects

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Upwork (NASDAQ: UPWK), the world’s largest work marketplace, today released in beta Project Catalog™, a curated collection of pre-scoped projects easily purchased via an e-commerce click and buy experience. Project Catalog is a new way for businesses and independent talent to work together instantly on the Upwork marketplace and is part of an ongoing expansion and evolution of the Upwork experience.

Project Catalog allows businesses to quickly find what they are looking for—from website development and graphic design to videos and digital marketing—and pay a fixed price to have it done by some of the marketplace’s best independent talent. Essential project information such as scope, cost, timing and deliverables are pre-packaged by Upwork talent so that businesses know exactly what to anticipate. They can also browse Project Catalog to discover and find inspiration in the wide range of work done by the expert independent talent on Upwork.

For talent, Project Catalog is an important new way to earn on Upwork so that they can grow their businesses faster. Independent talent will be able to turn their most in-demand services into powerful new income streams by showcasing the quality of their work and making pre-scoped projects immediately available for purchase.

“We are continually evolving our services to meet our customers’ growing needs, and what they’ve told us is they want additional pathways to buy and sell on Upwork. We are launching Project Catalog to give both clients and talent added control and flexibility to scale their businesses up and down depending on their changing needs,” said Hayden Brown, President and CEO of Upwork. “Whether you engage with our Enterprise suite of services, post a job and bid on a project in our marketplace, or go the one-click route with Project Catalog, Upwork’s work marketplace is designed to help clients and talent grow their businesses by providing access to a comprehensive range of services, regardless of project scope.”

“The world of freelancing is growing, and so are the ways people engage with it,” said Guy Rom, Senior Director of Engineering at Upwork. “Project Catalog is an easy way to discover the power of Upwork. From the one-person startup to the director at a global enterprise, we want everyone to leverage that power immediately. We are pleased with our beta program’s strong feedback and look forward to providing Project Catalog to all our customers.”

Freelancers Embrace New Way to Earn on Upwork

“As a graphic designer, Project Catalog has given me the opportunity to easily build a portfolio for clients to browse and showcase the specific design services I offer,” said Joshua Okpala, an independent graphic designer.

“I think it's wonderful because the client will know exactly what to expect,” shared Marilina Jiménez, a graphic design expert who has been freelancing with Upwork since 2012.

“I like Project Catalog because it saves me time. Clients found me, saw my project, and knew what to expect. It’s like building a portfolio for clients to browse,” said Luke Appelquist, an independent creative video content producer.

Positive Reactions from Clients to New Click and Buy Experience

“I can tell by going through the page looking at the freelancers' different credentials that Upwork has some really incredible people," said Ariel Penn, the president and owner of a small media company. “The information included is critical, and gives me a great picture of what the freelancers are willing to do, and how they are going to go about doing it. I like that it shows what you get for each project. That isn’t always clear with competitors. The service tiers are very clear, the delivery time, revisions and initial concepts are all built in.”

“It’s an entry point [to using Upwork],” said Kevin Downey, a vice president of sales at a corporate catering company. “Project Catalog makes it easier to make a judgement and find graphic designers, writers and WordPress developers, at a flat price. This makes it easier for me to digest when I first look at it if it’s something I want to explore. It’s a no-brainer for me to dig in and take a look at Project Catalog.”

Management consultant Barbara Farfan noted the quality of talent and clarity of offering, saying the freelancer for the project she reviewed “...knows what's involved in the process. He's very clear in what it is he's going to deliver and what each step looks like along the way. This gives me a really good feel for their specificity and how experienced they are.” She added, Project Catalog “makes it easier to find the one” freelancer she needs.

Olivia V., an editor at a digital media company, shared the benefits of using Project Catalog, “I really love being able to see all that information and know upfront exactly what the person is going to do. I think that's great because you don't always know what questions to ask."

Project Catalog beta release is currently available to a limited number of customers, and will launch globally on February 16th, 2021.

For more information on Project Catalog™, visit:
www.upwork.com/resources/introducing-project-catalog-beta

About Upwork

Upwork is the world’s largest work marketplace, connecting millions of businesses with independent talent around the globe. We serve everyone from one-person startups to 30% of the Fortune 100 with a powerful, trust-driven platform that enables companies and freelancers to work together in new ways that unlock their potential. Our talent community earned over $2 billion on Upwork in 2019 across more than 8,000 skills, including website & app development, creative & design, customer support, finance & accounting, consulting, and operations. Learn more at www.upwork.com and join us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.