Format Research

What Format Research does

Format Research is an Italian market research institute (Istituto di Ricerca) operating since 1992 and headquartered in Rome, with coverage extending across Italy and Europe. The firm specializes in business-to-business enterprise surveys, producing data, analysis, and decision-support intelligence for Italian enterprises, financial institutions, and trade associations. It serves a primarily horizontal B2B segment, anchored on Italian SMEs and corporates up to approximately €150 million in revenue.

The company's core technology stack rests on established survey methodologies — CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing) and CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing) — paired with statistical analysis and modeling. Its product portfolio combines proprietary multi-client observatories with bespoke research services. Flagship multi-client assets include OFI – Osservatorio Finanza Italia (annual study on Italian enterprise banking relationships since 2012, 8,000 observations), Benchmark Private Banking (annual HNWI observatory since 2016, 600-800 cases), and a Cybersecurity multi-client survey for Italian SMEs (800 interviews, launched September 2025). Custom research projects, customer experience and NPS programs, omnibus surveys, and trade-finance research round out the service offering.

Format Research operates a sales-led, B2B go-to-market model through direct enterprise engagement, recurring annual subscriptions to its multi-client observatories, and institutional partnerships with Italian trade associations and financial institutions. Multi-client subscriptions share research costs across subscribers; custom projects are quoted on a project-fee basis and grant full IP ownership to the client. The firm appears to be independently owned with no disclosed external funding or parent entity.

Name

Format Research

Legal name

Format Research S.r.l.

Website

https://formatresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Format Research is an Italian B2B market research institute founded in 1992, headquartered in Rome, that designs and runs multi-client enterprise surveys, customer experience programs, and bespoke research for Italian enterprises, financial institutions, and trade associations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

Keywords

• Market research services
• B2B enterprise surveys
• Multi-client research
• Customer experience research
• Financial benchmarking

Headquarters

HQ city

Roma

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Multi-client Surveys (Indagini Multiclient): Shared-cost research surveys where multiple companies subscribe to fund the research, with results available to all subscribers. Costs are limited to customization for each subscriber. OFI and Cybersecurity surveys operate under this model.
2. Custom Research Projects (Indagini Personalizzate): Bespoke research solutions built around specific client decision-making needs. Full ownership of results remains with the client. Revenue generated through project-based fees.
3. Customer Experience Services: NPS and customer satisfaction surveys for measuring and improving customer experience, delivered through periodic or instant feedback mechanisms.
4. Wealth Management Research: Benchmark Private Banking observatory on HNWI clients for financial institutions, with accessible subscription cost and potential customizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Format Research is an Italian B2B market research institute that designs and conducts enterprise and institutional surveys, multi-client syndicated studies, and custom ad-hoc research projects. Its portfolio covers financial benchmarking (including OFI – Osservatorio Finanza Italia and private banking benchmarks), customer experience and NPS measurement, cybersecurity and trade finance research, and omnibus B2B surveys for Italian banks, corporates, and trade associations.

Product overview

Format Research is a market research institute operating since 1992, specializing in B2B enterprise surveys across Italy and Europe. The company operates a platform-plus-methods portfolio combining proprietary multiclient observatories (OFI – Osservatorio Finanza Italia, Benchmark Private Banking, Cybersecurity Survey) with customized research solutions (customer experience, competitive intelligence, omnibus surveys, trade finance research). The offering integrates statistical survey methodology with economic analysis to deliver actionable insights for businesses, associations, and institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OFI – Osservatorio Finanza Italia A syndicated multi-client research study tracking the Italian financial advisory and asset management market, designed to provide longitudinal benchmarking of financial advisors, networks, and wealth managers for Italian banks, asset managers, and institutional subscribers.
• Benchmark Private Banking A syndicated benchmarking study of the Italian private banking industry, providing comparable metrics on private banks' client portfolios, services, and competitive positioning for institutional subscribers.
• Cybersecurity Survey A B2B survey-based research study measuring cybersecurity awareness, investment priorities, and risk posture among Italian enterprises, used by corporate buyers and institutional subscribers.
• Customer Experience (NPS) Measurement Customer experience research and Net Promoter Score measurement programs run for Italian corporate clients to benchmark customer satisfaction across B2B customer bases and complement internal CRM initiatives.
• Omnibus B2B Survey A shared-cost omnibus B2B survey service that allows multiple subscribers to field questions on a single nationally representative survey of Italian enterprises, lowering the cost of access to the Format Research panel.
• Trade Finance and Internationalization Research A research offering covering Italian enterprises' trade finance practices, cross-border financing, and internationalization strategies, typically purchased by banks, trade associations, and institutional bodies.
• Custom Ad-hoc B2B Research Bespoke, project-based B2B market research engagements tailored to a single client's research question, using Format Research's panel, methodology, and mixed-mode data collection capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,000 enterprise observations in OFI survey representing businesses up to 150 million euros in revenue
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Banca IfiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2025Format Research collaborates with Banca Ifis on the Market Watch research program, providing data for the Innovation Days regional events series organized by Il Sole 24 Ore and Confindustria. The partnership involves providing research data and analysis on regional economies, innovation trends, and SME performance for events in Tuscany, Veneto, and other Italian regions.
• Confcommercio Regional BodiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Long-standing collaboration with Confcommercio regional associations including Roma, Bergamo, Brescia, Treviso, Fvg, Piacenza, and others. Joint research on economic trends, consumer confidence, business surveys, and sector-specific analysis including tourism, retail, and services.
• UnioncamerecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Unioncamere on Italian enterprise research, employment trends, and economic development indicators. Joint publications on SME performance, innovation capacity, and regional economic analysis.
• Il Sole 24 Ore and Confindustria (Innovation Days)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFormat Research provides data support for the Innovation Days road show organized by Il Sole 24 Ore and Confindustria, featuring regional economic research and market analysis presentations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Istituto Piepoli: Italian market research and polling institute serving enterprises, financial institutions, and public-sector clients. Comparable focus on B2B and consumer research with multi-client methodologies and an Italian institutional clientele.
• Astra Ricerche: Italian market research company conducting B2B and consumer surveys for enterprises, trade associations, and institutions. Comparable as a small-to-mid Italian research firm with multi-client and custom research offerings.
• SWG Group: Italian research company providing syndicated tracking studies, custom research, and customer experience services to enterprises and associations. Closely comparable operating model, scale, and customer base within Italy.
• BVA Doxa: Italian market research institute offering syndicated and custom research across consumer, media, finance, and B2B sectors. Most direct domestic peer given similar mix of multi-client surveys, custom research, and customer experience work for Italian enterprises.

Broad incumbents

• Ipsos: Global market research and survey firm with strong presence in Italy across consumer, B2B, and financial-services research. Direct overlap with Format Research's syndicated survey, custom research, and customer experience offerings, but at much greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Kantar: Global research, data, and insights company with strong Italian presence in brand, consumer, and B2B research. Overlaps with Format Research on multi-client observatories, custom research, and customer experience measurement for enterprise clients.
• NielsenIQ (Nielsen): Global measurement and data analytics firm covering consumer packaged goods, retail, and media research with significant Italian operations. Comparable as a multi-client data provider serving enterprises and financial clients, though at multinational scale.
• GfK (part of NIQ): Consumer and B2B market research firm with established German and European roots, serving Italian clients with syndicated panels and custom studies. Comparable as a European-anchored competitor offering industry/sector research and consumer insights.

Regional players

• Cerved: Italian data and analytics provider offering business information, credit risk, and market intelligence on Italian enterprises. Comparable in serving financial institutions and Italian B2B clients, though more focused on credit data than survey-based research.
• CRIF: Italian-headquartered credit information, business information, and analytics firm operating across Europe. Comparable in serving Italian banks and enterprises with proprietary data assets and research deliverables.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/formatresearch
• Facebookfacebook.com/istitutoformatresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/format-research-srl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Format Research