We’re incredibly proud to share that Interim Digital has been named Independent Agency of the Year (Small) at the Prolific North Champions Awards 2026.
Sponsored by Glaisyers ETL, the award recognises independent creative, advertising, and communications agencies with ten or fewer employees that are demonstrating exceptional growth, innovation, and performance.
For us, this recognition means a huge amount.
Interim Digital was founded in 2021 with a simple belief: agencies and brands should be able to scale quickly, access senior expertise, and grow sustainably without lengthy recruitment processes or permanent overheads slowing them down.
Since launch, we’ve built a curated, invitation-only network of vetted senior freelance and fractional digital specialists who support agencies and brands across SEO, PPC, Digital PR, content, social media, strategy, and wider digital performance.
Since 2021, Interim has:
- Generated over £1.3 million in revenue
- Maintained an 83% repeat or retained client rate
- Achieved an average 46% year-on-year growth rate
- Supported more than 40 agencies and brands
- Built a vetted network of over 100 senior freelance specialists
- Grown a further 290-person waiting list
- Paid over £700,000 directly to freelancers
Operationally, speed and efficiency continue to be a huge focus for us. Our average placement time for senior freelance support is currently 48 hours, with an average response time of just four minutes to new project briefs.
As part of the judging process, the panel commented:
“This is a very strong entry. It demonstrates disciplined growth, clear values, measurable outcomes, and a genuinely differentiated operating model. The numbers are compelling, the strategy is coherent, and the execution is impressive, particularly given the scale and headcount.”
Founder Ginny Nicholls said:
“I established Interim Digital to solve a problem I’d witnessed first-hand. Agencies and brands were losing momentum during growth phases due to slow recruitment, rising salary expectations, and poor-fit hires.
Rather than building a traditional recruitment business, I wanted to create a curated infrastructure model that gave agencies access to senior expertise quickly, flexibly, and without unnecessary friction.
Winning this award is a huge moment for us, but Interim would not exist without our freelancer network. The people within our community are the reason agencies trust us to support critical projects, growth periods, and delivery challenges.”
Over the last 12 months, we’ve also continued investing heavily into operational efficiency, automation, and AI-assisted workflows using platforms including Zapier and Monday.com. These systems have significantly reduced onboarding and administrative time, helping us maximise efficiency while maintaining a high-touch, human approach to partnerships.
The award comes as Interim enters its next phase of growth, including the recent appointment of our first Fractional Client Strategy Director. It reflects something we’ve believed from the beginning: sustainable agency growth is driven by curated expertise, operational efficiency, and strong partnerships, not simply increasing headcount.
To everyone who has supported Interim so far — our freelancers, clients, partners, and wider community — thank you. We’re only just getting started.