Grants

Overseas marketing research projects can be funded by up to 50%

There are three main categories of marketing research we support. Our professional advisers can discuss these with you and help you to decide which is appropriate for you.

In-house terms

We can pay up to half the costs of essential travel, interpreter's fees, daily subsistence and a contribution towards administration costs for one researcher, subject to a maximum grant of £5,000 and a minimum of £100.

In-house support applies where your company either selects a member of staff to carry out an export marketing research project or nominates a person outside their organisation to conduct the research on in-house terms. If a person outside the organisation is nominated, BCC staff will liaise with that person as if they are directly employed by your company.

This type of project applies wherever applicants nominate external consultants whose field of expertise is other than marketing research, eg technical experts, industry specialists and other types of business consultants. It may apply where applicants have a preferred consultant and do not wish to formally tender the project amongst three market research agencies.

We can pay up to half of the costs of essential travel and interpreter’s fees, plus a daily allowance for one researcher and a contribution towards administrative costs - see making a claim.

In-house researchers are not required to be members of any professional association or society. The scheme does however require every researcher to abide by the Code of Conduct laid down for marketing research practitioners by the Market Research Society . This code can be viewed on the Society's website.

If you would like any help in planning your research project, please do not hesitate to call our professional advisers. The advice available is free and covers any aspect of your project, ranging from objective setting and itinerary planning, through to final report writing.

Agency terms

Some companies prefer to use an independent and professional market research agency to undertake their project. This route has several potential advantages: less time is required from company staff for the project, the market can be researched anonymously and, perhaps most importantly, the right agency can offer the professional skills to complete the task.

Agency-field project: we can pay up to half the total project cost where face to face interviews are undertaken in the market, subject to a maximum grant of £15,000 and a minimum of £100.

As this method requires the selection of an appropriate agency, it is necessary to issue a written brief to at least three agencies in order to obtain their detailed research proposals. The proposals can then be compared and evaluated to ensure the selected agency meets the research objectives and provides good value for money.

Agency-desk research: we can pay up to a third of the cost where there is no visit to the country, subject to a maximum grant of £5,000 and a minimum of £100.

A publisher may propose to conduct a marketing research project on an overseas country without visiting the country (using desk research and/or telephone interviews).

Please click here for further information on agency projects, such as eligibility for the scheme, where to find market research companies, how to brief them, etc.

Published market reports 

A grant of up to one third of the cost of purchasing a published market report is available, subject to a maximum grant of £5,000 and a minimum grant of £100. For example:

• A market research report which has already been published about the market which you are considering
• A professional market research agency may already hold or have access to secondary data about an overseas market which they are able to consolidate into a relevant report
  

This does not include directories, economic/country overviews or updating of subscriptions.

Hints for your published market report application

1. All applications must be made before ordering or commissioning the report.
2. A prospectus from the publisher must accompany the application.
3. The study should deal with a specific product or service.