Introducing the Perago Associate Network: good people, connected

When we founded Perago, one of the things that mattered to me was building a community around the work we do. Not just a company, but a network of thinkers, doers, experts, and people who care about improving public services and making change happen in the right way. 

For 25 years as a civil servant, I was lucky, I always had a strong network around me: colleagues to bounce ideas off, peers to learn from, and an active professional community through the Government Communications Service. That sense of connection was energising. It made the work better, and it helped me develop personally. 

When I left government to set up Perago, I was fortunate to keep many of those relationships. But it wasn’t the same. The built-in network I’d relied on for decades disappeared. I was fortunate that I had my fellow founders around me, but I recognised that for independent professionals, the work can be rewarding but also isolating. 

You become a single resource. You bring your skills, your energy, and your perspective, but the support structures that surround you in larger organisations aren’t there. And that can be hard. 

Over the years, we’ve worked with incredible independent contractors, delivery managers, designers, researchers, analysts, communicators, change leaders, people whose work has helped shape Perago and the clients we support. And we know that talented individuals thrive when they feel part of something bigger than themselves. 

And that’s why we’ve launched the Perago Associate Network. 

Why we’ve created the Perago Associate Network 

Perago continues to grow across sectors, and with that comes increasing demand for the full breadth of multidisciplinary skills needed to deliver modern, user-centred services. We want to match every client, public, private and third sector, with the right expertise and that means building strong, trusted relationships with specialists who share our values and approach. 

The Associate Network gives us a way to do that by: 

• bringing together experienced professionals across delivery, design, research, communications, change and more 

• enabling us to collaborate flexibly and effectively 

• giving associates early visibility of opportunities that suit their skills 

No exclusivity. No promises of guaranteed work. Just meaningful collaboration, when the fit is right. 

More than that, I’m hoping that this network will create support for good people. 

It’s about recreating the sense of community I relied on throughout my civil service career, the place where you can share a challenge, sanity-check an idea, learn from others, or simply know you’re not on your own. 

I want independent professionals to feel connected, supported and part of something.
To know that when they work with Perago, they don’t just get a contract, they get a community. 

Because good people deserve to be surrounded by good people. 

What associates get from the network 

Members of the Perago Associate Network can: 

• present themselves as a Perago Associate when working with us 

• be considered first for upcoming opportunities 

• build relationships with a trusted team 

• join events, learning sessions and community meet-ups 

• be featured on our website or in client proposals 

• receive referral fees for work they help bring in 

It’s a flexible, non-exclusive way to collaborate while staying fully independent.
No employment. No obligations beyond professionalism, clarity and mutual respect. 

A community built on trust, values and shared purpose 

We believe in working with people who care about delivering better services, who are open, curious and generous with their expertise. Who value integrity as much as capability. 

That’s what the Perago Associate Network is all about. 

Here’s to building a network that helps great people connect, grow and make a difference – together. 

What’s next?

Alongside building the network, our associates are keen to share their thoughts and experience with a wider audience so look out for Voices from the Perago Network, our new series of thought leadership pieces from across the Perago Associate Network.