About ORC

Online Reference Control (ORC) is a secure online reference platform specifically designed to eliminate the time and resources wasted in obtaining references for every applicant throughout the tender process.

Our Mission

We're transforming how contractors store and share professional references, and how clients verify them. By providing a secure, efficient platform, we enable contractors to build verifiable reference portfolios while streamlining the tender evaluation process for clients.

Why We Built This

ORC was built out of direct experience. Our founders have spent over 20 years working in UK procurement and have repeatedly seen contractors lose work not because they were the wrong choice, but because a reference did not arrive in time.

References are a standard requirement across most tendering processes. Yet chasing them down is still a manual process, reliant on referees responding quickly enough to meet submission deadlines. When they do not, contractors lose out on work they were otherwise qualified for. That is the problem ORC is here to fix.

Key Benefits

Time & Cost Savings

Eliminates the need to contact and chase referees for every tender submission. Contractors maintain verified references ready for instant sharing.

Prevents Lost Opportunities

Ensures contractors are not unsuccessful in securing work simply because their reference requests were not responded to in time.

GDPR Compliant

Prevents possible GDPR breaches by ensuring personal data is no longer regularly shared for procurement purposes without proper controls.

Eliminates Repetition

Council members and companies no longer need to provide multiple references for the same contractor across different procurement exercises.

Verified & Reliable

Reassurance for clients that all references are reliable, current, and relevant. References are securely stored for 3 years with tamper-proof verification.

Community Support

Providing the service at discounted rates for new businesses in the local community trying to secure their first contracts.

Security & Technology

External E-Signing Service

All reference completions utilize an external, certified e-signing service to ensure authenticity and legal compliance. This provides an additional layer of verification and trust.

Co-Signature System with Domain Matching

Our platform supports co-signatures with intelligent domain matching to verify the authenticity of reference providers. This ensures that references come from legitimate organisational email addresses.

Base32 Encoded ORC Codes

ORC codes are generated using Base32 encoding, creating cryptographically secure identifiers that prevent enumeration and brute-force discovery. This encoding scheme ensures that codes cannot be guessed or systematically searched, protecting reference data from unauthorized access.

Immutable 3-Year Secure Storage

All references are stored in an immutable format for 3 years, ensuring data integrity and preventing tampering. Contractors maintain access to verified, unalterable references for tender submissions without repeatedly requesting the same information.

The Team

Between us we bring over 20 years in UK procurement and 10 years in software development. ORC is built by people who have lived the problem, not just identified it.

Tegan Marsh

Founder

Tegan has worked in UK procurement throughout her career, managing tendering processes and contractor relationships. Having seen the reference problem cause contractors to lose work time and again, she co-founded ORC to put a reliable solution in place.

Gary Marsh

Founder

Gary's background spans procurement and contractor management across the UK. He knows the cost of a missed reference deadline first-hand and has been central to shaping how ORC addresses the problem at every stage of the tender process.

Callum Cowdery

CTO

Callum brings over 10 years of software development experience to ORC. He has built the platform from the ground up with a focus on security, reliability, and a straightforward experience for contractors and clients alike.

Ready to Get Started?

Join contractors and clients across the UK who are streamlining their reference management and tender processes with ORC.