Awarded to the team demonstrating the best response to the a Request for Proposal (RfP) for a hypothetical UK-based project
Register your intention to participate by 17:00 on Thursday 29 January.
The Fieldwork Team of the Year is a virtual challenge taking place 2 - 23 February 2026.
Are you passionate about fieldwork? Do you love tackling challenging fieldwork briefs? The Fieldwork Team of the Year Award is designed to showcase the diverse capabilities of our fieldwork professionals. Assemble your best team, bring your expertise to the table and present your ideal approach in response to the fictional RfP.
Your team will choose whether to respond to a qualitative or quantitative RfP for a hypothetical, UK-based fieldwork project. Your task is to respond to this brief with a proposal that demonstrates creativity in how the fieldwork is designed and executed. There’s no need to be restricted by your company’s current capabilities. You’re free to imagine what you could achieve with unlimited resources. The RfP will focus only on the fieldwork component, not the entire market research project.
Why take part?
- Showcase your team’s knowledge and expertise.
- A level playing field: all teams tackle the same qualitative or quantitative brief with a consistent scoring system applied to both versions, ensuring an overall winner can be fairly selected.
- Work with a hypothetical brief judged anonymously, ensuring no concerns around commercial sensitivity.
- Enjoy the opportunity for learning, development and team building.
- Gain industry recognition and be in with a chance of winning this prestigious award.
How does the competition work?
Plan your team
You don’t need to confirm your team members’ names at the point of registration, but it’s a good idea to start planning early. We recommend you get the specified time period noted in people’s calendars so that they are available when needed. Teams should include up to six main entrants, with any additional contributors acknowledged in the small print if required.
Judging process
Entries will be judged by a panel of experienced fieldwork experts from both client and agency backgrounds. Judges will evaluate your ability to combine creative thinking with realistic, practical solutions. The judging panel will consider your approach to legal and ethical compliance and diversity, equity and inclusion and welcomes challenges to any aspects of the brief you find unrealistic or inappropriate.
Enter now
Submission Guidelines
Full submission guidelines and a detailed brief for the task will be sent out (to those who have entered) on Monday 2 February. You will then have 3 weeks to complete the task. We will also provide entrants with an outline of the judging criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it possible to enter Fieldwork Team of the Year more than once?
Yes. If you have entered in previous years, whether or not you were successful, there is nothing to stop you from entering again. The task changes every year, so there is no differential advantage for those who have competed before.
When do we have to decide our final team line up?
We recommend that you line up your team now and get the competition date noted in people’s calendars so that they are available when needed. You will definitely need to have your team in place by then. Of course, once you see the brief, you may want to make some changes to the team, and that’s fine. We just need to know the final lineup when you send us your completed submission.
What happens if I submit an entry form, but when the competition comes around, the team have decided that we no longer want to take part?
That’s okay. Completing an entry form is an expression of your intention to take part but does not commit you to anything. However, we would really appreciate it if you could tell us as soon as possible if you decide not to take part, as this helps us plan our resources.
What will the required format for entries be?
The format will be PowerPoint. Entries must also be totally anonymised so that it's not possible to identify the individuals or companies who are taking part - this helps us ensure the judging is completely impartial. We will provide full details of the required format when we brief you on the task. Initially, you just need to complete an entry form.
Do we have to decide in advance whether to submit a qual or quant entry for Fieldwork Team of the Year?
No. We'll ask you to indicate which one you think it's most likely you'll respond to, as it may help our planning, but we will not hold you to this. We will send you both briefs and you can decide which one to enter when you see them.
Sponsored By:
With a 20+ year history of tradition and innovation, Sermo's global HCP insights power healthcare advancement – and we know that speed is the name of the game! In this spirit, we're proud to sponsor the 2026 BOBI Award for Fieldwork Team of the Year, supporting and recognising the achievements of others in our industry.