Work for work.
Settled in Swaps.
People trade skills. Startups get scoped projects done. Every job has a Swap price agreed upfront, and the Swaps go to whoever did the work once both sides confirm.
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Illustrative trade: Kemi makes a 30-second product explainer for Loopa for 12 Swaps. Scope and price are agreed, Swaps are held, the work is delivered and confirmed, then 12 Swaps go to Kemi with a verified portfolio entry.
- 01 · AgreedScope, 7 days, 12 SwapsScope, 7-day deadline and 12 Swaps on the trade
- 02 · HeldSet aside for the job12 Swaps held while the work happens
- 03 · DeliveredBoth sides confirmVideo handed over; both sides confirm
- 04 · Released12 Swaps to Kemi12 Swaps to Kemi; the work joins her portfolio
Tobi tidies Ada’s CV layout for 3 Swaps, then spends them on a logo from someone else.
One trade, start to finish.
Swaps are Bartrd’s unit of exchange. The price is agreed before work starts, and it only moves when the work does.
- 01
Agree the job
Scope, deadline and Swap price are written on the trade before anyone starts.
- 02
Swaps are held
The requester’s Swaps are set aside for the job while the work happens.
- 03
Deliver & confirm
The work is handed over and both sides confirm it matches what was agreed.
- 04
Released
Swaps go to whoever did the work, and the trade becomes a verified portfolio entry.
Disagree on “done”? Disputes are reviewed before anything is released.
If you have a skill
Earn Swaps. Spend them on help.
- List what you can do — design, code, writing, research, tutoring.
- Earn Swaps for work delivered and confirmed.
- Spend them on help you need from other traders.
- Every completed trade is proof on your profile.
If you run a startup or organisation
Get scoped projects done by people who want the work.
- Register your organisation; our team reviews it.
- Once approved, buy Swaps securely via Paystack.
- Post a scoped brief with a fair Swap price.
- Choose who does it and confirm delivery.
For startups
Your backlog, meet people who want the work.
Post real, bounded projects — the onboarding emails, the explainer video, the interview synthesis. Contributors earn Swaps and a verified credit when you confirm delivery.
- Register — your organisation is submitted for review.
- Get approved by the Bartrd team. It isn’t instant; we check each one.
- Buy Swaps via Paystack and post your first project.
Five-email onboarding sequence
- Outcome
- New users reach a first transaction in week one
- Skills
- Copywriting · lifecycle marketing
- Timeline
- 2 weeks · ~10 hours
- Price
- Set by the startup, in Swaps
- Also gets
- Verified portfolio credit · founder reference
Project intake
Have a funded project ready to brief?
Bartrd is collecting project briefs from SVCG-funded startups and registrations from independent skill providers. Submitting registers interest only; every project is subject to review and separately agreed scope, timing, and terms.
This is an independent Bartrd intake and does not imply endorsement by SVCG or any government body.
Straight answers.
- Isn’t this just free labour?
- No. Every job has a Swap price agreed upfront, and whoever does it earns those Swaps plus a verified portfolio entry.
- How do startups get Swaps?
- Approved organisations buy Swaps through Paystack. People earn Swaps by doing confirmed work.
- How long does approval take?
- Our team reviews every organisation before it can trade, so it isn’t instant. We’ll email you when there’s a decision.
- What if the work isn’t delivered?
- Swaps are held for the job and only released once both sides confirm. Disputes are reviewed.
- Can I turn Swaps into cash?
- Swaps are for trading. Payouts is a separate programme with its own eligibility rules; not every account or Swap qualifies.
- Will I definitely get a match?
- Nobody can promise that. Clear listings, complete profiles and fair prices help.
- Do I have to be a student?
- No. Students, freelancers, professionals between projects — anyone with a skill can trade.