Data licensing guide
Data licensing guide

Does my company qualify for a data licensing programme?

By Ade Molajo · Updated · How we check figures

Quick answer

Probably, if you have 30+ staff and several years of records you own. The minimums differ: micro1 wants 30+ full-time staff, mainly English records, US first. Mode takes law firms from 6 staff and accounting, finance and medical from 10, otherwise 30. Mercor sets a size per business type, from 5 staff. UK, Canadian and EU companies can apply to all three, with the US preferred.

5+
smallest published minimum (Mercor, six business types)
30+
staff opens all three programmes to most companies
UK ✓
micro1 names UK demand; Mode and Mercor review it case by case or by type
Years
of records matter as much as headcount

01The five things every programme looks at

Each programme words it differently, but they all look at the same five things.

Five things every programme looks at: size against its minimum, years of records, whether you own them, the language, and where your team is based.Do we qualify?Headcount at or above the programme’s minimum for your sectorSeveral years of records, across more than one systemRecords your company owns and controlsMostly English (micro1 asks for it)A team based in a market the programme takesTrackImpact · trackimpact.io/data-licensing
The five checks all three programmes publish in some form.

02Minimum size, by programme and sector

micro1ModeMercor
Law firms30+ full-time6+5–300 attorneys and staff
Accounting and tax30+ full-time10+5–200
Finance and investment30+ full-time10+5–200 (investment firms)
Medical30+ full-time10+10+ clinicians or 2,500+ patients
Software30+ full-time30+15–500
Consulting30+ full-time30+10–500
Everyone else30+ full-time30+Set per business type

Each programme's own published figures, checked 30–31 October 2026. Mercor publishes a size band for each of its 24 business types; the upper end is the largest it lists, not a cap on applying elsewhere.

The practical reading: with 30 or more staff, most companies can look at all three. Below 30, Mode and Mercor are the routes, and only for certain sectors.

Which programmes to look at: closed companies have micro1’s Defunct Data Partnership; 30+ staff can look at micro1 and Mode; smaller law, accounting, finance and medical firms at Mode and Mercor.YesYesNoYesNoNoStill operating?30+ staff?micro1 and Mode (andMercor by type)Law, accounting,finance or medical?Mode from 6 or 10staff; Mercor from 5by typeBelow most publishedminimumsmicro1 Defunct DataPartnership
From each programme’s published minimums, 30 October 2026. The programme decides.

03Years of records

None of the three publishes a hard minimum. micro1 says several years of records across several systems is generally a stronger fit. Mode calls companies with several years of records they own the strongest fit. Mercor's listings describe the records it wants for each type, such as closed matters for law firms or completed projects for construction.

More years usually matters more than more people: a 40-person firm with ten years of clean ticket history can be a better fit than a 200-person firm with two.

04Location: UK, Canada, EU and elsewhere

micro1ModeMercor
USFirst marketStrongest fitOpen (some types US only)
UKNamed: strong demandCase by caseOpen for most types
CanadaNamed: strong demandCase by caseOpen for most types
EUOther Western marketsCase by caseOpen for most types
ElsewhereNot prioritisedCase by caseOpen for most types
Where Mercor looks: most business types are open anywhere; law firms, medical practices and imaging centres prefer the US; accounting firms must be in the US; call centres list specific markets.MercorANYMost business typesAnywhereUSLaw, medical, imagingUS preferredUSAccounting & taxUS only+Call centresListed markets
From Mercor’s per-type listings, checked 30 October 2026.

Mercor is the one to check type by type. Accounting firms must be in the US, law firms, medical practices and imaging centres are US preferred, and call centres list specific markets. Most other types say anywhere.

05Language and ownership

  • Language: micro1 asks for documentation mainly in English. Mode and Mercor don't publish a rule, and some Mercor listings welcome multilingual content.
  • Ownership: every programme needs records your company owns and controls. Client material held under contract or NDA usually has to be cleared or left out. See is it legal?

06Check in two minutes

Our free fit check asks about your size, sector, location, records and tools, then shows which programmes you're likely to match, with links to apply directly. The programme decides.

07Questions people ask

What's the minimum company size?

It depends on the programme and sector. Mercor's smallest is 5 staff for six business types, Mode's is 6 for law firms, and micro1's is 30 full-time staff for everyone.

Can UK companies apply?

Yes. micro1 says demand is strongest in the US, UK and Canada. Mode reviews non-US companies case by case, and most Mercor business types are open anywhere.

How many years of records do we need?

None of the three publishes a hard minimum. micro1 says several years across several systems is generally a stronger fit, and Mode calls several years of owned records the strongest fit.

Do our records have to be in English?

For micro1, mainly English. Mode and Mercor don't publish a language rule, though some Mercor listings welcome multilingual content.

We've closed. Do we qualify?

Possibly, through micro1's Defunct Data Partnership. See the guide to closing a company.

Sources

Check which programmes you’re likely to matchA few short questions, about a minute. Free, no sign-up. The programme decides who qualifies.trackimpact.io/data →