Membership criteria
Look in Leeds is a directory of the city's creative talent — not a free-for-all. Every application is read and reviewed by hand before it goes live, so the people you find here are the real thing. Here's exactly what we look for.
Based in the Leeds City Region
You need a physical base — or a remote-first team headquartered — within the West Yorkshire / Leeds City Region: Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Wakefield and the surrounding West Yorkshire Combined Authority area.
Agencies & studios need 3+ people
An agency or studio listing means three or more full-time people. Solo operators and duos aren't shut out — they belong on the Freelancers side of the directory instead.
Creative, digital, PR or marketing
Your work has to live in the creative world. The eligible disciplines:
- Brand & Design
- Digital Marketing
- Advertising
- PR & Communications
- Web Design & Development
- Social Media
- Content & Copywriting
- Photography & Film
- Motion & Animation
- SEO & Performance
- Strategy & Consulting
- Events & Experiential
Eligible
- Creative & brand agencies
- Digital marketing agencies
- PR & communications firms
- Design studios (3+ staff)
- Social media agencies
- Video & content studios
- Advertising agencies
- Independent freelancers & makers
Not eligible
- Businesses with no Leeds City Region base
- Pure software/SaaS or tech product companies
- Recruitment agencies
- Law, finance or accountancy firms
- Other non-creative service providers
Questions, answered
Where do I need to be based?
Inside the Leeds City Region. That means a physical base — or a remote-first team headquartered — somewhere across the West Yorkshire Combined Authority area: Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Wakefield and the patch around them. If your work happens here, you belong here. If your nearest office is a long way south, this isn't your directory.
What's the three-staff rule about?
Anything we list as an agency or studio needs three or more full-time people behind it. It keeps the agency side of the directory honest — a roster of teams that can actually take on a brief, not a one-person shop wearing a bigger name.
I'm a solo freelancer — can I still join?
Absolutely. Solo operators and duos are exactly who the Freelancers side of Look in Leeds is for. You don't need a team of three; you just need to be based in the region and working in one of our creative disciplines. Submit your listing and pick the freelancer route.
Which sectors actually qualify?
Creative, digital, PR or marketing work. In practice that's Brand & Design, Digital Marketing, Advertising, PR & Communications, Web Design & Development, Social Media, Content & Copywriting, Photography & Film, Motion & Animation, SEO & Performance, Strategy & Consulting, and Events & Experiential. If your craft sits next to one of those, tell us when you apply.
How and when are applications reviewed?
Every listing is read by a real person on the team before it goes live — nothing is auto-approved. We check the basics: a genuine Leeds City Region base, the right kind of work, and the headcount rule for agencies. Most submissions are turned around within a few working days.
What stops a listing getting approved?
The usual reasons are no real base in the region, work that sits outside the creative, digital, PR and marketing world, or an agency listing that doesn't meet the three-person threshold. If we think you're a better fit elsewhere on the directory, we'll point you that way rather than just saying no.
Tick the boxes? Get listed.
Submit your details and the team will take it from there — usually within a few working days.