Market Decisions Research

What Market Decisions Research does

Market Decisions Research is a privately held, full-service survey research and program evaluation firm headquartered in Portland, Maine, founded in 1977 and owned by the Mildner family. The firm serves state and federal government agencies, healthcare systems, and nonprofit organizations across more than 30 U.S. states, conducting 50 to 100+ research studies annually on topics spanning public health surveillance, health insurance access, judicial performance evaluation, vocational rehabilitation, behavioral health, and maternal and child health.

Its core offering is an integrated research services portfolio spanning study design, multi-mode data collection (in-house telephone call center, online surveys, high-speed paper/mail scanning), scientifically rigorous sampling for hard-to-reach populations, advanced statistical analysis (propensity scoring, regression, predictive analytics), and reporting via Tableau-powered interactive dashboards. All work is delivered using entirely in-house resources, which the firm positions as a differentiator for logistically complex government projects requiring strict protocol adherence.

The firm operates recurring specialty programs including PRAMS implementation across seven states for the CDC, judicial performance evaluation surveys in Colorado/Utah/Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Employer Survey since 2001, the Maryland Nursing Home Family Experience Survey since 2005, and Maine behavioral health consumer surveys. Revenue is generated exclusively through professional services contracts, primarily multi-year direct awards from government agencies obtained via competitive RFP processes; the firm holds HHS-approved vendor status for the QHP Enrollee Satisfaction Survey. GTM is sales-led and relationship-driven, supported by conference presentations (AAPOR, APHA, PEQA, QRCA) and peer-reviewed publications rather than paid marketing. Recent strategic emphasis includes an LLM-based proof-of-concept agent in Microsoft Copilot for qualitative survey data processing.

Name

Market Decisions Research

Legal name

Market Decisions Research

Website

https://marketdecisions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Survey Research and Program Evaluation Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Management Consulting Services (54161), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Market Research & Consumer Insights (BPAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Quantitative Research & Survey Analytics (Survey Design, Sampling, Statistical Modeling) (MPAAALAF), Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

Keywords

• Survey research services
• Program evaluation consulting
• Qualitative research focus groups
• Multi-mode data collection
• Health policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Research Contracts: MDR earns revenue primarily through contracts with federal and state government agencies including state health departments, CDC-funded programs, vocational rehabilitation agencies, judicial performance commissions, and healthcare commissions. Contracts range from multi-year million-dollar agreements to smaller per-project engagements.
2. Non-Profit and Healthcare System Research: Research and evaluation services for non-profit organizations, healthcare systems, and hospital networks including community health needs assessments, program evaluations, and member/consumer surveys.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Market Decisions Research is a full-service survey research and program evaluation firm delivering study design, multi-mode data collection (in-house call center, telephone, online, mail/paper with high-speed scanning), qualitative research, scientific sampling, and advanced analytics to government agencies, nonprofits, and healthcare organizations. It operates specialized research programs including CDC's PRAMS (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System) in seven states, vocational rehabilitation consumer experience surveys, judicial performance evaluation surveys, state health insurance access research, and behavioral health consumer surveys, with deliverables of weighted datasets, reports, and interactive Tableau dashboards.

Product overview

Market Decisions Research is a full-service survey research and program evaluation firm conducting both qualitative and quantitative research using entirely in-house resources. The core offering is an integrated portfolio of research services spanning study design, multi-mode data collection (in-house call center, high-speed paper scanning, telephone and online surveys), scientific sampling, advanced analytics, and comprehensive reporting with Tableau-powered data visualization. The firm operates specialized programs including PRAMS (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System) surveys in seven states, vocational rehabilitation consumer experience surveys, judicial performance evaluation surveys (Colorado, Utah, Massachusetts) with interactive dashboards, health insurance access research (Vermont, Massachusetts), nursing home quality surveys (Maryland), behavioral health consumer surveys (Maine), and agricultural water quality studies. These are service offerings rather than software products, delivered as research reports, weighted datasets, and data compendiums to government agencies, nonprofits, and private businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Qualitative Research Services Focus group facilitation, in-depth interviews, intercept interviews, and virtual qualitative research recruitment enabling exploration of experiences, attitudes, and behaviors across sensitive and complex topics. Designed for government agencies, nonprofits, and healthcare clients needing in-depth qualitative insight.
• Multi-Mode Data Collection Services End-to-end data collection via in-house call center (telephone interviewing), online surveys, and mail/paper survey processing with high-speed scanning. Covers diverse populations including hard-to-reach groups, and is sold as a discrete service line to clients needing representative samples.
• Sampling Services Scientifically rigorous sampling design and weighting for complex samples, including stratification by geography, demographics, and population characteristics, tailored to specific research objectives. Sold to clients needing representative population samples for surveys and evaluations.
• Analytics and Reporting Services Advanced data analysis including parametric and non-parametric statistical analysis, statistical modeling, predictive analytics, big data analysis, comprehensive reporting, and data visualization using Tableau for interactive dashboards. Delivered to government and nonprofit clients as reports, datasets, and dashboards.
• PRAMS (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System) Survey Implementation Multi-mode (mail and telephone) PRAMS survey implementation for state health departments and the CDC, tracking maternal attitudes and experiences before, during, and after pregnancy. Active programs in seven states with multi-year engagements.
• Vocational Rehabilitation Consumer Experience Surveys Consumer experience and satisfaction surveys for state vocational rehabilitation agencies across multiple states, using stratified sampling, multi-mode collection, and quality improvement frameworks that go beyond simple satisfaction measurement. Sold to state VR divisions needing federal-reporting-grade consumer experience data.
• Judicial Performance Evaluation Surveys Periodic judicial performance surveys for Colorado, Utah, and Massachusetts, collecting data from attorneys, court staff, jurors, litigants, and others; processes tens of thousands of surveys annually using online and paper modes and produces interactive Tableau dashboards. Sold to state judicial performance commissions.
• Vermont Health Insurance Access Research Multi-wave statewide household health insurance surveys in Vermont since 2001, covering approximately 35,000 respondents, supporting evaluation of insurance reform, exchange development, and tracking of uninsured/underinsured rates. Sold to state health agencies.
• Massachusetts Employer Survey (MES) Biennial employer-sponsored health insurance survey for the Massachusetts Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) since 2001, tracking plan offerings, eligibility, enrollment, and health benefit trends using hybrid sampling and multi-mode collection.
• Maryland Nursing Home Family Experience of Care Survey Statewide mixed-mode survey of family members of long-term nursing home residents for the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC), evaluating care quality across seven domains since 2005. Sold to state healthcare commissions.
• Maine Behavioral Health & Substance Use Consumer Survey Multi-mode statewide consumer experience survey for Maine DHHS covering adult mental health, substance use disorder treatment, and youth behavioral health services, supporting SAMHSA Uniform Reporting System compliance. Sold to state behavioral health authorities.
• St. John Valley Water Quality Study Qualitative in-depth interview study with potato, livestock, and vegetable farmers in Maine's St. John Valley assessing awareness, attitudes, and barriers related to best management practices for agricultural runoff and water quality. Sold to conservation districts and agricultural agencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced uninsured rate in Vermont from 8.4% (2000) to 3.7% (2014) — among the lowest in the US — using survey data to inform health coverage expansion programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Colorado Office of Judicial Performance EvaluationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMDR conducts ongoing performance surveys of all Colorado judges under a two-year contract with the Colorado Commissions on Judicial Performance. The company surveys lawyers, litigants, jurors, and court employees, collecting over 50,000 surveys annually, and prepares customized retention reports for each judge.
• Healthy AndroscoggincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthy Androscoggin, part of Central Maine Health Corporation, was awarded a CDC REACH grant to improve cultural competency among health providers serving New Americans in Maine. MDR joined with Hart Consulting to develop evaluation plans, support data collection, and track performance of the REACH Partnership across eight health and wellness agencies.
• Hart Consulting, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHart Consulting was contracted by Healthy Androscoggin alongside MDR to develop evaluation plans for the CDC REACH grant. MDR and Hart Consulting worked together as the evaluation team for the program.
• Maine CDC (Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaine CDC partnered with four major hospital systems (Central Maine Healthcare, Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, MaineGeneral Health, MaineHealth) in the SHNAPP project — the first public-private partnership of its kind in the nation — to create consistent statewide health data reports. MDR was awarded the opportunity to analyze health data from multiple sources.
• BerryDunnminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMDR worked closely with BerryDunn as they conducted an evaluation of the Colorado Office of Information Technology (OIT). MDR provided the survey and analysis portions of this project evaluating the consolidation of IT services across 16 Executive Branch agencies.
• RP3 (Healthcare Advisory Board)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPatrick Madden, President of MDR, joined RP3's new Healthcare Advisory Board to help address industry challenges and strengthen product offerings in the healthcare sector. RP3 is a healthcare-focused agency.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SSRS: SSRS is a similarly sized full-service survey research firm that designs and executes complex multi-mode surveys for government, health, academic, and nonprofit clients — directly comparable to MDR's PRAMS, QHP, and state health department work.
• JSI Research & Training Institute: JSI is a public-health-focused research and consulting organization delivering population surveys, program evaluation, and multi-state public health initiatives for federal and state agencies, overlapping directly with MDR's state health and program evaluation work.
• IMPAQ International: IMPAQ provides research, evaluation, and analytic services to federal and state agencies, including health policy, workforce, and social program studies — closely comparable to MDR's program evaluation and survey research offerings.
• Child Trends: Child Trends is a nonprofit research organization focused on maternal and child health, youth, and family policy research — directly comparable to MDR's PRAMS and maternal/child health survey portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Westat: Westat is one of the largest employee-owned research firms supporting federal and state survey programs (including PRAMS-like work and large health surveys), competing with MDR for the same government RFPs at greater scale.
• RTI International: RTI International is a large nonprofit research institute providing survey research, program evaluation, and policy analysis across health and social programs, bidding against MDR on federal and state contracts.
• Mathematica: Mathematica is a major policy research and data analytics firm conducting program evaluations and surveys for federal and state agencies — a broader incumbent in the same government research space as MDR.
• Abt Associates: Abt Associates delivers research, evaluation, and consulting across health, social, and environmental programs for governments globally; competes with MDR in survey-based program evaluation and public health research.
• NORC at the University of Chicago: NORC conducts large-scale population surveys and program evaluations for federal agencies, including health and social policy research — a broader incumbent competing for the same government survey work as MDR.
• ICF International: ICF provides research, evaluation, and analytics for federal, state, and commercial clients across health, energy, and public programs — overlapping with MDR's research design and analytics capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/market-decisions-research
• Facebookfacebook.com/marketdecisions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Market Decisions Research