Software development in Leeds

This guide lists 14 software developers working in Leeds. Entries are added as Leeds Today confirms them, so the list grows over time.

Included: software developers with an office in Leeds, evidenced work in the Leeds market, or a firm credibly serving Leeds from elsewhere (labelled with its home city). Listed A to Z; firms headquartered in Leeds are marked. Independently compiled. No company can pay to be added.

The cost depends mainly on the size of the team and how long it works. Development partners charge day rates for each person, such as developers, designers, testers and a delivery lead, so a small app built over a few weeks costs far less than a platform built by a full team over a year. Integration with existing systems, security and regulatory requirements and the number of devices supported all add time. Most firms give a range at first and a firmer estimate after a discovery phase. Ask for the day rates, the team and the assumptions behind any quote in writing.

A fixed price contract sets the scope, cost and timetable at the start. It gives budget certainty but works best when the requirements are clear and unlikely to change, and changes are usually charged as extras. Under time and materials, the client pays for the days the team spends on the work and can reorder or change priorities as the project goes on, which suits products that will evolve. The risk of overrunning sits more with the client, so agree a budget cap, regular reporting and the right to stop at the end of any sprint. Some firms combine the two.

In the UK, copyright in software written by an outside contractor stays with the contractor unless the contract assigns it to the client, while code written by employees belongs to their employer. If you want to own the code, the contract should say that ownership of the code and other intellectual property passes to you, usually on payment. Check whether the firm reuses its own frameworks or tools, which it may license to you rather than transfer, and which open source components are included. Make sure you will have access to the code repository, hosting accounts and documentation.

Discovery is a short piece of work, often two to six weeks, done before a build starts. The development partner talks to users and stakeholders, reviews existing systems and data, tests the main assumptions and agrees what the first version should include. It usually ends with a plan, early designs or a prototype, a technical approach and an estimate of cost and time. Discovery is normally paid for separately, sometimes at a fixed price, and the client can take the findings to another firm if it chooses.

Software needs looking after once it is live. Development partners usually offer a support and maintenance agreement covering bug fixes, security updates, updates for new operating system and browser versions, hosting and monitoring, often with agreed response times. Some charge a monthly fee for a set number of hours, others charge for time used. Ask what is included, how urgent problems are handled out of hours and how further development is priced. If you plan to bring the work in house later, agree how the code and knowledge will be handed over.

Independent means the firm is headquartered in Leeds or the wider region and is not part of a national or international group. National means a UK firm with offices in several cities, including Leeds, and its head office elsewhere. International means the Leeds office belongs to a firm with offices in other countries. The label describes how the firm is organised, not its size or quality. Each entry also states the Leeds address the firm gives on its own website or at Companies House.