HOW TO HIRE · BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

How to hire a market research agency in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to market research. Here is how to protect participants' data and what the proposal should say.

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  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a market research agency in five steps

  1. Write the research questionsThe decisions the research should inform.
  2. Agree the method and sampleSurvey, interviews or focus groups, and who takes part.
  3. Check data handlingConsent, storage, processor terms and deletion.
  4. Ask about incentivesWhether participant payments are in the price.
  5. Agree the deliverablesData tables, a report, a debrief.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses market research agencies in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland; industry codes are voluntary. Past projects, references and a precise proposal are what count.

Ask the market research agency for similar projects and a client reference.

Participants' personal data

Data protection rules require participants to be told who is collecting their information and how it will be used, and the data kept secure; most businesses must pay the ICO fee.

Ask to see the participant information and consent wording before fieldwork. gov.uk →

Processor terms (UK GDPR)

An agency running research for you may process personal data on your behalf. The ICO's guidance lists what the written contract must include, from security to deletion.

Put processor terms in the contract. ico.org.uk →

Research, not disguised marketing (PECR)

If research calls are really sales calls, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations apply: no calls to TPS-registered numbers without consent, and callers must identify themselves.

Keep research scripts free of selling, and ask how lists are screened. ico.org.uk →

VAT

Market research is standard-rated, so a registered market research agency adds 20% to its fee, recruitment and fieldwork costs. Registration becomes compulsory once a market research agency has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the market research agency for the VAT number with the proposal and for the fee, fieldwork, incentives and VAT shown as separate figures. gov.uk →

“Which market research method suits my questions?”

A good answer: A reasoned recommendation: survey, interviews, groups, or a mix.

“How will you recruit participants?”

A good answer: Sources, screening and how many.

“Are incentives included in the research price?”

A good answer: A clear yes or no, with amounts.

“How will participants' data be handled?”

A good answer: Consent, storage, access and deletion.

“What will the market research report include?”

A good answer: Findings, charts, recommendations and a debrief.

“Who owns the data and report?”

A good answer: Your business, in the contract.

“How long will the research take?”

A good answer: A timeline for design, fieldwork and reporting.

Getting the quote right

  • Method, sample size and audience
  • Who actually attends to the fieldwork: the market research agency's employed researchers, or subcontracted recruiters and moderators
  • Recruitment and incentives
  • Fieldwork costs: venues, travel, moderators
  • Analysis and reporting deliverables
  • Data handling, ownership and deletion
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% on the agency fee and fieldwork

Walk away if

  • Selling disguised as research
  • No consent wording for participants
  • Vague sample with no screening
  • No processor terms
  • Raw data withheld
  • Findings promised before fieldwork
LOW
£5,000
TYPICAL
£15,000
HIGH
£30,000

What a market research agency costs: £5,000–£30,000 per project

Market research is priced per project from the method, sample and reporting, with participant incentives often extra. Market Research price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Market research agencies near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. DesignObjectives agreed and the method chosen.
  2. RecruitmentParticipants screened and booked.
  3. FieldworkSurveys, interviews or groups run.
  4. AnalysisResults analysed for patterns and drivers.
  5. Report and debriefFindings presented with recommendations.

Sample
The people who take part in the research.
Screener
Questions used to select the right participants.
Focus group
A moderated discussion with a small group.
Depth interview
A one-to-one research interview.
Incentive
A payment or gift to participants for their time.
Data tables
Survey results broken down by group.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the report and data tablesStored securely, with any personal data removed if not needed.
Confirm deletion of identifiable dataWhen the agreed period ends.
Act on the findingsShare the debrief with the people deciding.
Write the reviewYour review helps the next person choose; Locufy only accepts reviews of booked work. If there is a problem with the market research agency, the make-it-right step gives them a chance to fix it first.

STEP 1Complain to the market research agency directlySet out the problem, the date and what would put it right. Trading as a business, the market research agency owes you reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and where that was missing you can require the work done again or a lower price.
STEP 2Bring in LocufyUnder four stars, you are asked whether to send the problem to the market research agency before reviewing. We chase it with them, and your review follows.
STEP 3Where to report itTrading Standards takes complaints through the national helplines: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland, which is its own helpline there.
STEP 4Small claims, as the last stepIf nothing else works, claim from the market research agency in the small claims court: up to £10,000 in England and Wales, up to £5,000 in Scotland by simple procedure, and up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a market research agency: questions people ask

No licence or registration is needed in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and no qualification is set by law.

Yes. They must be told how their information is used, and it must be kept secure.

Genuine research is not marketing, but calls that sell are covered by PECR and its TPS rules.

Usually £5,000–£30,000 per project, with £15,000 typical. Method, sample size, hard-to-reach audiences and incentives set the price. See the market research agency price guide for the detail, or enter your town above for market research agencies near you.

Agree that the data and report belong to your business.

Four to twelve weeks for most projects.

MORE GUIDES

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Market research agencies near you

Market research agencies in LondonMarket research agencies in ManchesterMarket research agencies in BirminghamMarket research agencies in GlasgowMarket research agencies in BelfastAll market research agencies on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — data protection and your business
  2. ICO — contracts between controllers and processors
  3. ICO — telephone marketing (PECR)
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  6. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  7. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  8. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register