Global nonprofit research organization expands scientific impact with Lifted, an Upwork Company™
Lifted, an Upwork Company™ provided global agricultural research teams access to specialized talent in 38 countries, enabling fast, flexible, and decentralized hiring.
At a glance.
Summary
This global agricultural research organization operates in some of the world’s most resource-constrained environments. With rising demands across food security, climate adaptation, and scientific research, they needed a way to engage highly specialized talent (often in remote or underserved regions) without increasing fixed headcount or sacrificing delivery speed. Lifted provided the infrastructure to access top-tier talent across 38 countries, enabling decentralized teams to hire faster, more flexibly, and in closer alignment with both local and programmatic needs.
Challenges we tackled
Cost Efficiency Mandate
Volatile public funding required scalable solutions without expanding headcount
Localized Talent Gaps
Specialized expertise was needed in remote or underserved regions where talent access was limited
Decentralized Operations
Hiring was distributed across teams and countries, with inconsistent workflows
Urgency to Deliver
Slow sourcing timelines delayed scientific and policy projects tied to global development goals
How our solution helped
Lifted implemented a global IC engagement strategy tailored to the client’s decentralized structure and high specialization needs.
What We Delivered
Onboarded 248 independent contractors through Lifted, supporting work across 38 countries
Achieved 1.4-day average time to hire during peak periods
Supported targeted hires in countries across Africa, Europe, and North America
Facilitated flexible, short-term contracts optimized for project-based scientific and policy work
Key success factors
Lifted’s dual role as technology platform and strategic workforce partner ensured fast adoption and scalable success.
Localized Reach
Talent sourcing across geographies ensured alignment with local policy, language, and project needs
Scalable Oversight
Global talent inventory reporting gave hiring managers the data to act faster and more effectively
Strategic Program Support
Lifted’s team provided hands-on training, badging enablement, and intake best practices to accelerate impact
Transparent Pricing
Flat-rate structure enabled budget forecasting across decentralized teams
The outcome
From Ad-Hoc Hiring to a Global Talent Engine: This partnership transformed the organization’s ability to match global challenges with the right expertise, without expanding internal infrastructure. What began as a need for faster hiring evolved into a full-scale workforce strategy, with Lifted now powering a scalable IC model that supports scientific innovation in agriculture, sustainability, and climate resilience.
While this work was performed when these Enterprise solutions were embedded in Upwork, the same offerings and more are now available through Lifted, an Upwork Company.
