How AI data programmes work, and what an agent like Orca charges
This guide is for UK company owners and operations leads who have heard that AI labs pay for real company data and want to know how the process actually runs. The short version: a programme assesses your company, you agree terms, and money moves under a licence. The routes differ mainly in who handles the terms and who pays whom.
How do AI data programmes work for a company?
An AI data programme invites companies to license material about how their work is done, such as procedures, ticket histories or project records. The programme checks whether you qualify, scopes what is included, removes sensitive content, and agrees a licence with payment terms. The programme, not the company or an agent, decides eligibility, scope and terms.
What a lab wants is evidence of real work: how decisions are made, what was done and what happened next. Our guide to what data AI labs buy goes through the kinds of material that tend to count. A licence normally grants specific uses rather than handing over ownership, which is why the terms matter more than the headline number.
What stages does a deal usually go through?
Programmes differ, but the stages are broadly similar: an application or eligibility check, a sample review, scoping, redaction of personal and client information, an agreement, delivery, and payment. Timings, effort and order vary by programme, so treat this as a typical sequence, not a promise about any one of them.
- Application and eligibility. The programme sets minimum criteria, often around size, sector or type of records.
- Sample review. You may be asked to show a small, cleaned sample or describe what exists.
- Scoping. Which material, which period and which uses are in or out.
- Redaction. Names, client details and anything personal are removed or excluded. See client consent and data licensing for what to check first.
- Agreement. A licence setting payment, exclusivity, permitted uses and data handling.
- Delivery and payment. The agreed material is handed over and payment follows the licence terms.
Read the agreement closely. Exclusivity, how long the licence lasts and what the lab may do with the material shape the value of a deal more than the first quoted range. This is general information, not legal advice; a solicitor should read any licence before you sign.
Which route should a company take: direct, marketplace, agent or wait?
There are four sensible routes: apply to one programme yourself, use a data marketplace, use an agent acting for you, or do nothing for now. None is right for everyone. Applying directly costs least in fees and suits a company that already knows which programme it wants and is happy to negotiate.
| Apply directly | Data marketplace | Agent acting for you (Orca) | Do nothing for now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who you deal with | The programme itself | The marketplace operator, and buyers through it | Orca, then the programme we introduce you to | Nobody |
| Options you see | One, unless you research others | Whatever is listed there | The programmes we cover that fit your answers, with alternatives where relevant | None |
| Who handles terms | You | Often you, within the marketplace’s rules | Orca handles terms and paperwork for you; you decide | Not applicable |
| Cost to you | No agent fee; your own time and legal costs | Varies; check for listing or commission fees | Free check; a success fee only if a deal closes, agreed in writing first | Nothing, but nothing earned |
| What to watch | Comparing one offer against nothing; accepting terms you have not tested | Who the buyers are, and how rights and redaction are handled | That an agent may be paid by both sides, so ask for the fees in writing | Terms may change; we expect prices to settle as more companies come forward |
If you want a rough scale before choosing, the estimate on our homepage gives an illustrative range: an estimate, not an offer. Our guide on what company data is worth to AI explains what moves it.
Who pays whom in a data licensing deal?
The lab or programme pays the company under the licence. If you use Orca, you pay Orca a success fee only if a deal closes, agreed in writing first. A programme may also pay Orca a referral fee, which we tell you about before you agree anything. Neither fee decides what we recommend.
| Payer | Payee | For what | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lab or programme | The company | The licence to use the agreed material | As the licence says |
| The company | Orca | Success fee for acting for you | Only if a deal closes; agreed in writing before anything starts; level agreed per deal |
| A programme (possibly) | Orca | Referral fee | Only if a company we introduce joins; disclosed to you before you agree anything |
The second and third rows are why an honest agent explains both. Our disclosures page sets this out, and every email we send repeats it.
What does Orca charge, and does that affect what it recommends?
The check and our recommendation are free. If you go ahead, we charge a success fee only if a deal closes, agreed with you in writing before we start; the level is set per deal. Fees do not feed our recommendation: our matching does not read them, and no programme has paid to be recommended.
We act for you, not the buyer. That means picking the programme that suits your company, handling the terms and paperwork, and pushing back where there is room. “Suits your company” is a judgement about fit, not a promise of the highest price, and Orca does not set the price. Programmes make their own decisions on eligibility, scope and terms.
What happens when you use Orca?
You answer a short check, and a person at Orca reviews it. We reply by WhatsApp or email, your choice, within two working days, with a recommendation. If you go ahead, you sign an engagement with the fees agreed in writing. We then introduce you; the programme evaluates and decides, and terms follow.
- Take the 3-minute check. It is free and needs no documents.
- Our team reviews your answers by hand against the programmes we cover.
- We recommend a programme, with any alternatives, or tell you plainly that nothing fits.
- If you go ahead, you sign an engagement with fees agreed in writing.
- We make the introduction; nothing is shared until you tell us to go ahead, and we say exactly what is shared.
- The programme evaluates your company and decides. If it accepts, terms are agreed and, if the deal closes, the success fee applies.
How we handle your details is in our privacy notice. More guides are listed in the guides index.
Common questions
Does it cost anything to find out whether my company could take part?
The Orca check and our recommendation are free. We charge only if you go ahead and a deal closes, through a success fee agreed with you in writing before anything starts. We tell you first if a programme also pays us a referral fee.
Does Orca set the price?
No. Programmes decide eligibility, scope and terms, and Orca does not set the price. Our recommendation is an initial indication, not acceptance, and any figure we show is an estimate, not an offer.
Can I apply to a programme myself and still use Orca?
Applying directly is a real option and you are free to take it. If you want us to act for you, tell us before you apply, so introductions, terms and fees are clear from the start.
What happens if no programme suits my company?
We tell you plainly. A recommendation can be that nothing fits for now, and in that case you owe us nothing. We charge only if a deal closes.