Social Research Tenders and Contracts

A social research tender is a contract commissioned by a public body to study social attitudes, behaviours or the effects of a policy, rather than commercial market research for a private client. Universities and independent research institutes are common suppliers for this work.

Government departments, local authorities, health bodies and universities buy social research services to evaluate policies, understand public attitudes or assess the impact of a programme. These buyers may run the work directly or through a framework agreement.

Social research looks at social attitudes, behaviours and the effects of public policy, and is commissioned mostly by government and academic bodies. Market research studies consumer preferences and commercial markets, and is commissioned mostly by private businesses. The two appear as distinct categories on this platform.

A social research contract can cover survey design, interviews, focus groups, data analysis and the write-up of findings for a public body. Contracts vary from a single evaluation study to a multi-year framework for ongoing research and analysis support.