Development Retainer
Ongoing senior engineering capacity on tap — for the roadmap items that never quite fit a fixed-scope project.
Senior engineers only, no subcontractors
A fixed-scope project ends. The work running your commerce platform doesn’t — patches, small features, performance tuning, the backlog that accumulates the moment a build goes live. A retainer is senior engineering capacity for exactly that, on tap.
What this covers
Not a support ticket queue — allocated senior engineering time, used how your roadmap actually needs it that month.
Reactive
- Security patches — applied on staging, regression-tested, then rolled to production without waiting for a new SOW.
- Incident response — a checkout bug or broken integration gets a senior engineer immediately, not a ticket in a queue.
Proactive
- Performance tuning — Core Web Vitals and page speed monitored and improved continuously, not audited once a year.
- Small feature delivery — the backlog items too small to justify a new project, too important to leave undone.
Where this fits
Most useful right after a new build or migration — the point where a project officially “ends” but the platform’s real life is just starting, and where a Development Retainer picks up.
Retainer clients get the same senior engineers as every other project, on standby — not a rotating support queue. Ongoing capacity, not a one-off engagement.
Frequently asked questions.
What's the difference between a Development Retainer and Technical Support?
Technical Support keeps your platform running: 24/7 monitoring, security patching and incident response when something breaks. A Development Retainer moves it forward: allocated senior engineering time for small features, performance work and the backlog that builds up after launch. Many clients start with Technical Support and add a retainer once they have a roadmap. Others run both, because support catches problems while the retainer delivers improvements.
What can we use retainer time for?
Anything your platform needs that month: security patches tested on staging before release, fixing a checkout bug or broken integration, Core Web Vitals and page speed improvements, small features, extension upgrades, or changes to how your store talks to your ERP and other systems through System Integration work. The point is flexibility. You set the priorities, and the time goes where it is most valuable rather than being locked into a fixed scope.
How is retainer time allocated and reported?
You agree a monthly allocation of senior engineering time. At the start of each month we agree priorities with you, and urgent issues such as a broken checkout jump the queue. We provide you access to a task manager allowing you to keep track of back log and progress being made throughout the delivery from concept to go live.
What happens to unused hours?
Hours don't roll over, but we plan each month with you so the allocation is always spent on your priorities.
Is there a minimum term?
Retainers start with a 3-month minimum term, which gives us time to learn your platform properly, and then run month to month with notice,
Which platforms do you cover?
Adobe Commerce, Magento Open Source, Shopify, WooCommerce, WordPress and Pimcore. Because we work across platforms, a retainer can also cover the connections between them, such as a Pimcore PIM feeding a Magento store, or a WooCommerce site syncing stock with an ERP, rather than stopping at the edge of one system. You work with the same senior engineers throughout, not a rotating support desk.
Can you take on a site another agency built?
Yes. We regularly take over platforms mid-flight, including after a previous agency relationship has ended. We start by getting to know the codebase, hosting and integrations, and flag anything urgent such as missing security patches or fragile customisations before it becomes a problem. If a larger clean-up is needed, we plan it into the retainer alongside your roadmap rather than stopping everything else.
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A process built around your outcomes, not our convenience.
Discovery
We learn your business, tech stack, and goals before writing a single line of code.
Architecture
We design the right technical approach — platform, integrations, data model.
Build
Iterative delivery with regular client-facing reviews. No black-box sprints.
Launch
Controlled go-live with performance baselining, monitoring, and a clear support plan.
Retain & Optimise
Ongoing retainer support, technical leadership, and iterative improvements.