The Trusted Partner badge lets you see at a glance which agencies have a track record that Sortlist has checked. It has to be earned: an agency cannot buy it, request it, or have it assigned.
What the badge means
Behind the badge are five things Sortlist checks, and an agency keeps it only while all five still hold:
An average rating of 4.0 or higher on Sortlist
At least 10 validated client reviews
A verified phone number
A company registration or VAT number on file with Sortlist
An active Sortlist+ membership, which shows the agency isn't a dormant profile
Together, they tell you that the agency is a real registered business, that clients who worked with it rated it well, and that it is active and reachable.
Where Sortlist shows the badge
Once an agency earns the badge, Sortlist displays it everywhere the agency appears to clients:
On its Sortlist profile
Next to it in search results and directories
In project communications you receive
You may also come across the badge on an agency's own website or in their materials. Wherever it appears, it means the same thing: an agency Sortlist has checked, and one you can trust.
What the badge does not tell you
The badge is about verification, not about which agency is the best fit for your project. An agency without it is not necessarily a weaker choice: it may be new to Sortlist, or it may not have collected 10 reviews yet.
Read the badge alongside the agency's reviews, their past work, and how well they match your brief.