Real software, built by tomorrow's engineers. At no cost to you.
Bring us a project. We'll architect it, assemble a mentored team of junior developers, and ship the solution. You keep the software. Our developers get the real, portfolio-worthy experience they need.
The deal
You provide a real project we can scope and build. In return, you keep the software at no cost, and our apprentices walk away with real-world experience. If an apprentice successfully ships their part of the project, we ask one thing back: permission for that apprentice to list your brand as a reference on their portfolio and CV.
You pay
€0 for software
You provide
A real project
They reference
Your brand (on success)
How big can a project be?
Four shapes, three of them free. Pick the closest one and we will confirm the real scope on a call before anyone writes code.
Starter Project
Free4 to 6 weeks
target, set at the scoping call
Internal tool or single-user widget. Real auth, real DB, narrow scope. Shippable in a sprint.
Team: One apprentice, supervised by a mentor
Lead-capture form with an admin view, a booking widget for a service business, a feedback collector with moderation.
Professional Project
Free6 to 10 weeks
target, set at the scoping call
Full internal app, or a feature inside an existing product. Multi-table data, role-based auth, and a third-party integration such as Stripe or Twilio.
Team: One apprentice, supervised by a mentor
A lightweight CRM, an inventory tracker, time tracking with invoicing, volunteer management, a course platform with quizzes.
Enterprise Project
Free10 to 16 weeks
target, set at the scoping call
Production-grade module or a full product. Real architecture, CI/CD and observability, implemented under a senior lead.
Team: A small apprentice team with a senior lead
A SaaS MVP, a marketplace, a logistics dashboard with real-time tracking, a multi-tenant tool, a legacy migration.
Mentor Build
PaidQuoted with the timeline
target, set at the scoping call
Senior engineers execute it. The fastest path and no apprentice learning curve, for work that is too time-sensitive for apprentice pacing.
Team: Senior engineers only
Apprentices can still shadow or pair on focused tasks under mentor direction if you want them involved.
Not sure which one fits? Send the brief anyway. Working out the size is what the scoping call is for.
What you get
A complete software solution and a pipeline of vetted junior talent, without the usual cost or risk.
A working solution, free
You keep the software we build. No licensing fees, no service invoices. The whole project is yours.
Architecture-grade scoping
Our senior engineers turn your idea into a solution architecture before a single line of code is written.
Built by mentored teams
Junior developers do the work under daily code review by experienced mentors. You get reviewed, professional output.
Zero hiring risk
If an apprentice doesn't perform, we replace them. You don't carry the cost or the management overhead.
What we need from you
We do the heavy lifting: architecture, mentoring, code review, delivery. Here's what we need from you so we can build the right thing.
Project brief
Enough scope for us to write an architecture and assemble the right team.
- Goals and success criteria
- Existing systems we need to integrate with
- Target timeline (if any)
A point of contact
Someone on your team who can answer questions during the build.
- Roughly 1–2 hours per week
- Slack, email, or Jira: whichever you prefer
- Domain expertise as questions come up
A brand-reference agreement
When an apprentice successfully ships their part, they can list your brand as a portfolio reference.
- Logo and project name on their CV or portfolio
- Optional short testimonial, only if you want to
- We never publish your IP, only the engagement itself
How it works
From your first project submission to delivery. Five steps, zero invoices.
Submit your project
Send us your brief through the contact form or talk to us directly.
We architect it
Our seniors produce a solution architecture, stack choice, and slot plan.
We assemble the team
Apprentices apply for slots and our admins vet them. You don't manage hiring.
They build, we mentor
Daily code review, regular check-ins. You stay informed without micro-managing.
You receive the software
Source code, deployment instructions, handover. The solution is yours.
Got a project? Let's scope it.
Tell us what you'd like built. We'll come back within a few business days with a feasibility note, a proposed solution architecture, and a target timeline.
Good fits
- Internal tools you've been meaning to build but keep deprioritising
- Self-contained features for an existing product
- Greenfield MVPs with a clear scope
- Modernising a legacy module to a new stack
Further reading
- What the Anvil Stamp is, and how to verify one.
The Anvil Stamp is the credential a Blacksmith.Works apprentice earns by shipping a client project. This post explains exactly what it records, what it deliberately does not, and how an employer verifies one in ten seconds.
- What is in a solution architecture package.
Every Blacksmith.Works project starts with a solution architecture written by a senior engineer. Here is what the package contains, why it exists, and what it means for the company and the apprentice.
- The internal tools your company keeps not building.
Every company has an internal tool it has been about to build for two years. Here are the seven we see most often, why they never get prioritised, and how a mentored apprentice team builds one for you at no cost.