Skip to content
Department of
Creative Affairs
LoginGet RecommendationsAgency Membership

Put your agency on the map

Get noticed by the clients you want

DCA puts independent agencies in front of marketers looking for their expertise, helping them build visibility, credibility and new business opportunities.

Become a Member
  • Ben & Jerry's Churrifically Churros-y campaign
  • A desert rock arch under a pale sky
  • A garden installation built around a green box
  • A couple on a city street beside a taxi
  • A green billboard on a New York building
  • Post-it notes spelling NS.
  • Red desert dunes

Two ways DCA helps you grow

Membership is designed around the two things independent agencies need most: meaningful visibility and access to the right opportunities.

  • Build visibility

    Put your agency in front of marketers searching for the expertise you offer.

  • Win better clients

    Help marketers understand what makes your agency right for their challenges and get considered for relevant work.

  • Netflix
  • Coca-Cola
  • Google
  • Spotify
  • Adidas
  • eBay

  • “DCA has helped transform our marketing approach, connecting us with agencies who understand how to engage new, diverse audiences while delivering exceptional value.”

    Sukh Sadhra - Head of Marketing, Premiership Rugby

  • “We value agencies that share Liberty’s unique sensibilities, and DCA has consistently helped us find partners who deliver creative excellence while complementing our in-house team.”

    Harpreet Chohan-Basra - Head of Marketing, Liberty

  • “As a small independent creative business I’m over the moon that DCA has finally arrived. It’s been a long time coming.”

    Alicia Iveson - Co-founder & CEO, hijinks

  • “The toughest challenge for boutique agencies isn’t winning clients — it’s getting noticed. DCA is brilliant because it levels the playing field, letting creative work shine over big agency budgets or contacts.”

    Will Poskett - Founder, Defiant

From Listed to Verified

Build a richer profile, demonstrate your expertise and give DCA the evidence it needs to recommend your agency with greater confidence.

  • Find

    Search for your agency and see the profile DCA already holds.

  • Claim

    Take control of the profile, correct factual information and choose your membership.

  • Enrich

    Add the expertise, work, sectors, commercial information and other signals that help DCA understand where you fit.

  • Become DCA Verified

    Provide client references and complete DCA's verification process, adding a stronger evidence layer to your profile.

  • Real Client Evidence

    DCA collects structured feedback from multiple client organisations and verifies contributor identity.

  • Intelligent Matching

    Fit signals enhance DCA's ability to connect agencies with clients, all while safeguarding your private information.

  • One Standard

    Member, Featured and Managed agencies share the same DCA Verified status and meet the same criteria.

  • Kept Current

    Verification is refreshed annually so the evidence base stays connected to the agency as it exists now.

• Already used by 96 agencies

Join the agencies already on the map

One DCA Verified standard. Different levels of profile richness, intelligence and service.

Member

£1,200 / year

Be properly represented on DCA.

Everything you need to establish your presence, become DCA Verified and be considered for relevant opportunities.

Become a member
  • Included: Full agency profile
  • Included: DCA verification assessment
  • Included: DCA Verified status if approved
  • Included: Richer information used in matching
  • Included: Inclusion in relevant search and matching
  • Included: Member intelligence, events and opportunities
  • Included: Annual profile and verification review

If DCA directly introduces a new client, your membership will renew at the Featured rate the following year.

Most popular

Featured

£2,000 / year

Increase your visibility across DCA.

Everything in Member, plus greater prominence in the places marketers discover and compare agencies.

Choose Featured
  • Included: Featured status
  • Included: Greater prominence in relevant search and discovery
  • Included: Priority among similarly relevant agencies
  • Included: Additional Featured placements across DCA
  • Included: Deeper marketplace insight

Managed

From £4,800 / year

Let DCA manage your presence for you.

Everything in Featured, with hands-on support to make sure your agency is consistently well represented.

Talk to us
  • Included: Profile written and maintained by DCA
  • Included: Positioning and proposition refinement
  • Included: Case studies written for you
  • Included: Work, capabilities and key people kept up to date
  • Included: Ongoing profile optimisation
  • Included: Regular reviews and recommendations
  • Included: Dedicated DCA support

Just want to claim your profile?

Claim and keep your agency’s basic information up to date for free. Free profiles can still be discovered where relevant, but they are not DCA Verified and do not include the additional visibility, intelligence and support that come with membership.

Claim your profile

Most agency platforms reward scale, spend or familiarity. DCA is built to help strong independent agencies be understood on their merits.

Learn About DCA

  1. 01 Editorial that gets you noticed

    DCA reaches marketers through intelligence, research, events and practitioner-led editorial.

  2. 02 Discovery based on capability

    Be surfaced because you fit the need, not because you bought the top slot.

  3. 03 Verification that counts

    Client evidence gives marketers greater confidence in the experience behind your profile.

  4. 04 More than a listing

    Use your profile, editorial opportunities, events and insight to build a stronger presence across DCA.

Your profile is the starting point

Find your agency on DCA. If the profile is already live, claim it and choose how you want to participate. If it is missing, tell us and we will review it.

Find Your Agency

Got Questions?

Check out our FAQ page for answers to a variety of topics.

What is DCA?
Department of Creative Affairs (DCA) helps marketers find and work with the right independent agencies. We combine research and editorial insight with agency discovery, matching and hands-on advice to help you understand your options and choose the right partners.
Who is DCA for?
DCA is for marketers looking for agency support and independent agencies looking to reach prospective clients. Whether you have a specific brief, need help understanding your options or want to make your agency’s expertise more visible, DCA can help.
What does DCA Verified mean?
A DCA Verified agency has completed our detailed profile and verification requirements, including three client references collected directly by DCA. This gives us more evidence about its experience, capabilities and how it works. Verification supports your assessment of an agency, but does not guarantee the outcome of an engagement.
How does DCA keep agency recommendations focused on the client’s needs?
Our agency recommendations are always based on fit for the client’s requirements, whether you use DCA online or work with our consultancy team. Agencies pay for richer profiles, verification and greater visibility. Paid status can influence the order in which equally suitable agencies appear online, but it does not make an unsuitable agency eligible for recommendation or override a stronger fit. We do not take commission on agency appointments or a percentage of the work awarded. Consultancy fees are agreed with the client, and our advice is guided by their brief, budget and objectives.
Who can join DCA?
DCA is for independent agencies across marketing disciplines, from specialist teams to larger integrated businesses. If you’re unsure whether your ownership structure or services qualify, contact us before applying.
What’s the difference between Listed, Verified and Featured?
Listed is a free basic profile with limited visibility and matching information. Verified is paid membership, giving you a richer profile, DCA Verified status once verification is complete, and greater visibility among relevant agencies. Featured adds further prominence across relevant search results and discovery placements on DCA.
Why is my agency already listed, and how do I claim its profile?
DCA creates some basic profiles using publicly available information to help marketers explore the independent agency landscape. If your agency is already listed, you can claim the profile through the site. We’ll ask you to confirm that you’re authorised to manage it.
How do I become DCA Verified?
Join as a paid member, complete your detailed agency profile and nominate clients to provide references. DCA contacts those clients directly and reviews the information against our verification requirements. Paying for membership does not automatically confer Verified status.
What do you ask my client references?
We ask about the work you delivered, the capabilities you demonstrated and what it was like to work with your team. Their responses help us understand which assignments and working relationships suit your agency. Reference responses are used privately for verification and matching unless separately approved for public use.
How does membership affect my visibility and matching?
Your fuller profile and client evidence give DCA more information to assess your agency’s fit. Verified agencies also receive priority over free listings where fit is comparable, with Featured agencies receiving additional prominence. Relevance to the client’s requirements remains essential.
Does membership guarantee leads or introductions?
No. Membership improves your profile, visibility and the information available for matching. Opportunities depend on client demand and how well your agency fits each requirement. We do not promise a minimum number of leads, introductions or appointments.
Does DCA take commission on work we win?
No. Agencies pay for membership, and DCA does not take a percentage of the work they win through us. Any paid consultancy or pitch management services for clients are agreed separately.
How do renewal and cancellation work?
Unless otherwise agreed, membership renews annually. You can stop your next renewal by emailing hi@thedca.co before the renewal date, and your paid benefits will continue until your current term ends.

Your shortlist 00

Save a few favourites.

Tap the heart on any agency. You can come back and start a conversation here.

Explore the agencies