Criteria Fieldwork

What Criteria Fieldwork does

Criteria Fieldwork Limited is a UK-based B2B market research fieldwork agency founded in 1996 by Elaine Francis and headquartered in London. The company recruits research participants for qualitative and quantitative studies on behalf of market research agencies, government departments, and FMCG/consumer brand clients, operating a multi-method recruitment network that combines an in-house telephone recruitment centre, a proprietary 'Tell Us What You Think' online community panel, and a network of over 400 freelance recruiters enabling nationwide free-found recruitment. The firm positions itself as a one-stop-shop, bundling recruitment with venue management, incentive handling, transcription, simultaneous translation, and video recording/streaming services.

The business is structured as a privately held, employee-owned company (Criteria Fieldwork Limited, registered in England and Wales) that transitioned to an employee ownership trust following a 2006 management buy-out. Revenue is generated on a project-by-project, quote-based professional services model with costs agreed upfront; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Core competencies center on hard-to-reach audience recruitment — business decision makers, people with lower digital confidence, foreign nationals, and vulnerable populations — and the company maintains ISO 20252, MRS Company Partner, MRS Fair Data, ICO registration, and Fair Payment Code Gold credentials that enable government and enterprise procurement. Geographic scope is UK-only, with no international footprint disclosed. The current leadership team comprises Managing Director James Sainsbury, Founder/Director Elaine Francis, Finance Director Adam White, and several Directors and Associate Directors leading project management, government work, and FMCG verticals.

Name

Criteria Fieldwork

Legal name

Criteria Fieldwork Limited

Website

https://criteria.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Criteria Fieldwork is a UK-based, employee-owned market research fieldwork agency founded in 1996 that recruits participants for qualitative and quantitative studies for research agencies, government departments, and consumer brands via a 400+ recruiter network, in-house telephone centre, and proprietary online community panel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Fieldwork Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

akta.pro primary industry

Fieldwork & Data Collection (Online Panels, CATI/CAPI, Fieldwork) (MPAAALAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ)

Keywords

• Fieldwork recruitment services
• Qualitative research recruitment
• Market research fieldwork
• Participant recruitment agency
• Quantitative research services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Participant Recruitment Services: Core revenue stream from recruiting participants for qualitative and quantitative market research studies. Fees are quoted per project based on recruitment requirements, with costs agreed upfront for transparent invoicing. Services include screening, validation, and delivery of participants.
2. Logistics and Support Services: Additional revenue from venue management, incentives/vouchers, note-taking, transcription, simultaneous translation, video recording/streaming, and tele-appending services.
3. Sub-contracting Referrals: When unable to assist with quantitative studies, they manage fieldwork via sub-contracting or refer clients to approved and accredited fieldwork partners, potentially earning referral fees.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Criteria Fieldwork is a London-based B2B market research fieldwork agency that recruits participants for qualitative and quantitative studies across the UK using a mix of face-to-face, telephone, online, and free-found methods. The company operates an in-house telephone recruitment centre, the proprietary "Tell Us What You Think" online community panel, and a network of over 400 freelance recruiters to source hard-to-reach audiences. Services are quoted on a project basis and include screening, validation, venue management, incentives, transcription, translation, and video recording/streaming as part of a one-stop-shop fieldwork solution.

Product overview

Criteria Fieldwork is a qualitative market research fieldwork company offering a comprehensive suite of participant recruitment and support services. The core offering centers on qualitative and quantitative research participant recruitment, supported by the company's proprietary 'Tell Us What You Think' online community panel. Services span multiple recruitment channels including in-house telephone recruitment, face-to-face/street recruitment, online communities, and free-found recruitment, with over 400 freelance recruiters nationwide. Additional support modules include venue management, incentives/vouchers, note-taking, transcription, simultaneous translation, video recording, and usability testing recruitment. The company operates as a single unified service offering rather than a modular platform, with all components delivered through their London-based project management team.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Participant Recruitment Services
• Qualitative Research Recruitment
• Quantitative Research Fieldwork
• Tell Us What You Think Community Panel
• Fieldwork Logistics and Venue Management

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Market Research Society (MRS)coreOthersMRS Company Partner since inception. Criteria is bound by MRS code of conduct and adheres to their standards for market research practice. The company also supports the MRBA as Corporate Patrons since 2011, with Vanessa Kelly serving as MRBA Ambassador.
• ISO 20252coreOthersISO 20252 accredited company, meeting international standards for quality management systems within market, opinion, and social research.
• Approved Fieldwork PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWhen unable to assist with a quantitative study, Criteria can manage fieldwork via sub-contracting or refer clients to approved and accredited fieldwork partners.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Toluna: Global consumer insights platform with online panels and DIY research tools. Adjacent competitor as the industry shifts toward automated, self-serve participant access models.
• Schlesinger Group: Global data collection and qualitative research services firm. Offers participant recruitment, facilities, and project management across multiple geographies — overlapping with Criteria's qualitative fieldwork offering at larger scale.
• Dynata: Large global online panel and research data provider. Represents the broader incumbent model of scaled, technology-led participant recruitment that competes with Criteria's traditional fieldwork approach.

Direct peers

• Research Opinions: UK participant recruitment agency focused on consumer and B2B audiences for market research studies. Competes directly with Criteria for the same market research agency clients.
• PPL Group: UK market research fieldwork and recruitment provider. Overlaps with Criteria on qualitative and quantitative participant recruitment for research agencies and government clients.
• Acumen Fieldwork: London-based qualitative and quantitative fieldwork agency offering participant recruitment, venue services, and project management — closely overlapping with Criteria's service portfolio and target market research buyers.
• The Pan MR Partnership: UK-based market research fieldwork and recruitment company. Comparable in offering participant recruitment and project management to research buyers in consumer and B2B segments.
• FieldworkHub: UK-based qualitative fieldwork and participant recruitment agency. Direct competitor to Criteria with overlapping services in focus group recruitment and free-found fieldwork across the UK.
• GKA (Global Kite and Associates): UK qualitative fieldwork specialist offering recruitment and project management services. Direct peer in the London qualitative fieldwork market serving research agencies and end clients.

Regional players

• Angus Reid Group: North American market research and panel operator. Comparable business model (panels plus fieldwork services) but primarily serves Canadian and US research buyers rather than competing directly in the UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/criteria-fieldwork

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Criteria Fieldwork