# A dedicated team or an agency A plain comparison of a dedicated team and an agency, each described from named public sources, with no company ranked. Canonical URL: https://worldenterprise.org/compare/dedicated-team-vs-agency/ Last updated: 2026-10-10 Publisher: World Enterprise, run by World Enterprise Group Incorporated > **About this page** > > This page compares categories. It does not compare products or companies. This page sets two categories of support side by side on the same questions. Each statement about a category names a public source, and the sources are listed at the end of the page. ## Where WE sits Roles on the team change by notice, and WE manages the team and any subcontractors on the founder's behalf. The team is not a fixed promise of output. WE steers the work, and what ships depends on the scope and on your decisions. ## WE is probably not the right fit if - You want WE to run your product in production or to provide round-the-clock support. ## Side by side Table: The two categories on the same three questions | Question | A dedicated team | An agency | | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | The team is part of the engagement. The team WE steers works on your company and on nothing else. | The GOV.UK Service Manual says a team without the skills it needs may hire third parties or contractors. | | Who it fits | You want a team and a method to carry out the work, and you will keep ownership of the direction. | It says to buy only the skills needed and not to lock a service into a long contract with a fixed cost. | | What it asks of a founder | You decide where the company is going. You review the work and set the direction. | It says to make sure there is a plan to pass knowledge from contractors to the rest of the team. | ## Questions to ask ### A dedicated team - Who manages the people on the team, and who answers for how it is run? - How does the team scale up or down, and on what notice? - What does the founder review and decide at each cycle? ### An agency - Is the price fixed, hourly or set another way, and what can change it? - Who owns the work product when the engagement ends? - How is knowledge passed to the founder's own team? ## Where each fits ### A dedicated team You can make decisions for the company and join a review at each cycle. ### An agency The manual also says to treat contractors and permanent staff as equal team members. ## Definitions - **Firm-fixed-price contract.** The Federal Acquisition Regulation describes a firm-fixed-price contract as one with a price that is not subject to any adjustment based on the contractor's cost experience. Source 3. - **Time-and-materials contract.** The Federal Acquisition Regulation describes a time-and-materials contract as one paid by direct labor hours at specified fixed hourly rates that include wages, overhead and administrative expenses. Source 2. ## Sources 1. Working with contractors or third parties. GOV.UK Service Manual. . Accessed October 10, 2026. 2. FAR 16.601, Time-and-materials contracts. Acquisition.gov, General Services Administration. . Accessed October 10, 2026. 3. FAR 16.202-1, Description. Acquisition.gov, General Services Administration. . Accessed October 10, 2026.