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Paid research community
Your opinion shapes things that matter.
The Collective is our community of everyday people who help improve real products and services. No expertise needed. No commitment. Just your honest view and your time, and we pay you for it. See what paid research studies in the UK involve and pay.
Paid by gift voucher, your choice
Delivered within a couple of days. No minimum payout. No points. No messing around, just vouchers, paid quickly.
Surveys from £1
Sessions £27.50/hr minimum
Diary studies up to £125
£27.50/hrminimum for sessions
£125for longer studies
Zerocommitment required
1,100+members across the UK
What we do
You use things every day. Help make them better.
Organisations across healthcare, banking, government, and retail rely on real people to test what they build. The NHS needs to know if their booking system makes sense. Banks need to know if their app actually works. Device makers need people to try their technology before it reaches the market.
As a member of The Collective, you get invited to studies that match your background and interests. You pick the ones you want. We pay you when you are done.
Join for freeMatched to you
We only contact you for studies that fit your profile. No irrelevant emails, no spam.
Your data, protected
GDPR compliant. You can update your preferences or leave at any time.
Your voice, heard
Researchers read every word. Your contribution shapes real things used by real people. Why your voice matters →
How we are different
Not a marketplace. We run every study ourselves.
Most paid research sites are a noticeboard. Hundreds of companies post studies, thousands of people race through screeners, and a few get picked. The Collective works the other way round.
Participation Studio is a research company. NHS teams, health researchers, device makers and product teams hire us to find out what real people think, and we design, run and report every study ourselves. The Collective is where we find those people.
How The Collective worksYou talk to the researcher
The person who invites you is on the team running the session and writing it up. No middleman passing your answers along.
No screener lottery
We only invite people we already think fit, using what you told us when you joined. An invitation is a real offer, not a ticket in a draw.
Fewer emails, worth opening
We would rather send you three invitations that suit you than thirty that do not.
Paid by us, not a points system
No balance to build up and no minimum before you can cash out. The voucher comes from us, by email, a few days after your session.
Your words reach the people deciding
What you say goes into the findings our clients act on. Sometimes word for word.
For professionals & practitioners
Do you bring professional expertise?
Some studies need professional expertise rather than lived experience: a policy lead who can say whether an intervention would survive implementation, a nurse who knows how a pathway actually runs, a product manager who has shipped the thing being tested, a board member who has seen this tried before. That work sits on our Professional Panel, and it is paid at professional rates: from £75 an hour, rising to £350 for GPs, consultants and dentists.
About the Professional PanelHealth, public sector, business and digital
Policy and communications roles, clinicians and health professionals, NHS leadership and governance, the wider public sector, social care and VCSE, and people working in business, product, tech and professional services.
£75 to £350 an hour
By field and level: £75 to £200 for non-clinical roles, and £100 to £350 for clinicians. Paid by bank transfer or voucher, with preparation time inside the fee.
Why join
What you get out of it
There is plenty in it for you beyond making a difference.
Vouchers, straight to your inbox
Every session pays an Amazon or Love2Shop voucher, your choice, by email within a few days. We always confirm the amount before you agree to anything.
Fit it around your life
Accept or decline each invitation as it suits you. Remote options mean you can take part from home, on your schedule.
Help shape healthcare
Improve NHS services, health apps, and medical devices that people depend on every day. Your lived experience matters more than any expert opinion.
Try things before anyone else
Get early access to products and prototypes before they launch. You will often see what is coming next.
Represent real people
Design decisions get made with or without you. Join The Collective and make sure someone like you has a say.
Part of something bigger
You will join a growing community of people across the UK who believe real voices lead to better design.
What you earn
Instant delivery
Amazon or Love2Shop vouchers for your time
Every study pays differently depending on how long it takes and what it involves. We always tell you the payment before you commit. There are no hidden conditions.
Vouchers arrive by email within a few days of completing your session, sent directly to the address on your account.
amazon⤵
Paid as Amazon gift vouchers by email. Spend on anything you like.
Love2Shop
Or choose Love2Shop gift vouchers. Accepted at hundreds of UK shops, restaurants, and online retailers.
Your choice
| Study type | Typical length | Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Online survey | 5 to 15 mins | £1 to £15 |
| Telephone interview | 30 to 60 mins | £14 to £27.50 |
| Remote video session | 60 mins | £27.50 to £50 |
| In-person session | 60 to 120 mins | £27.50 to £60 |
| Focus group | 60 to 120 mins | £27.50 to £50 |
| Device or product testing | 60 to 120 mins | £27.50 to £80 |
| Diary study | Several days to weeks | £60 to £125 |
We pay a minimum of £27.50 per hour for all session-based research. Surveys are priced separately. You will always be told the payment before agreeing to take part. Paid as Amazon or Love2Shop gift vouchers, your choice.
How it works
Simple from start to finish
The whole thing takes about five minutes to set up, and we take it from there. The full version, with timings.
01
Sign up for free
Create your profile and tell us a bit about yourself. Takes five minutes and you can update it any time.
02
Receive invitations
When a study matches your profile, we email you. No match, no email. You will always know the topic and payment upfront.
03
Accept or decline
No pressure either way. If you are in, we sort the details. Remote or in-person, it is always straightforward.
04
Get your voucher
Your Amazon or Love2Shop voucher arrives by email within a few days of completing the session. No chasing, no waiting around.
Ways to take part
Something for everyone
From a 10-minute survey to an in-depth diary study, you choose what suits you.
Remote sessions
Video call from home
In person
Face to face, UK locations
Diary studies
Share experiences over days or weeks
Surveys
Quick, 5 to 15 minutes
Focus groups
Small group discussions
Usability testing
Try apps, websites or prototypes
Interviews
One to one conversations
Device testing
Health tech and medical devices
Real research. Real organisations. Real impact.
The research you take part in covers things that affect everyone's lives.
Healthcare & NHS
Apps, devices, services
Banking & fintech
Apps, journeys, products
Government services
Councils, HMRC, DVLA
Retail & shopping
Websites, apps, stores
Consumer technology
Devices, wearables, apps
Transport & travel
Rail, EV, journey planning
From our community
What members say
I have done three sessions now. A survey, a video call about a banking app, and a focus group on NHS services. Each one was interesting and the vouchers came through quickly.
I liked that they actually wanted to hear from someone like me. I am not particularly technical but they said that was the point. Very relaxed, no pressure at all.
As a full-time carer I appreciated the remote options. I did a diary study from home over two weeks. Easy to fit in and it genuinely felt worthwhile.
Who we want to hear from
Research works better when it reflects real life
Most research panels skew toward younger, digitally active, urban people. That means a lot of decisions get made without input from people whose lives look different.
We actively recruit people who are often left out: older adults, people in rural areas, people with disabilities, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, and anyone whose experience is not well represented elsewhere.
Why your voice mattersPeople over 60
Underrepresented in most panels, but heavy users of services that desperately need your input.
People with disabilities or long-term conditions
Your experience of services is not a niche interest. It is essential information that rarely gets collected.
Unpaid carers
You see how health and care services really work, from the side nobody designs for. Research for carers →
People outside major cities
Most research happens in London. If you live anywhere else, your experience of the same services can be entirely different.
Questions
Anything you are wondering
Is The Collective legitimate?
Yes. The Collective is run by Participation Studio, a UK research company (Dual Perspective Limited, company number 16863492). It is free to join and you will never be asked to pay for anything. Every study is one we run ourselves for our clients, and we pay you directly by Amazon or Love2Shop voucher.
Why have I not been invited to a study yet?
We only invite people who fit a particular study, so there can be quiet spells, especially when you have just joined. The best way to hear from us more is to keep your profile complete and your preferences up to date, because that is what we match on.
Do you run focus groups near me?
We run focus groups remotely via video call, so you can take part from anywhere in the UK. We also run in-person focus groups at venues across the UK. When you join, we use your location to match you to nearby in-person opportunities alongside remote ones you can join from home.
Can I take part if I have a disability or long-term condition?
Absolutely, and we actively want to hear from you. A lot of the research we run is specifically designed to include people with disabilities, long-term health conditions, or access needs. When you sign up, you can tell us about any conditions or needs so we can match you to relevant studies and flag any accessibility requirements to the research team in advance.
Is The Collective open to people from all backgrounds and ethnicities?
Yes. The Collective is open to everyone, and we actively recruit across all ethnicities, ages, occupations, and lived experiences. Good research reflects the real world, and the researchers we work with need participants who represent the full range of people who use their products and services. Whoever you are, your perspective has value here.
Do I have to take part in every study I am invited to?
Absolutely not. Every invitation is just that, an invitation. You can accept, decline, or ignore it. There are no minimums and no consequences either way.
How do payments work?
We pay Amazon or Love2Shop gift vouchers, sent to your registered email within a few days of completing your session. You choose which you prefer. We always confirm the amount before you agree to take part. No hidden conditions, no lengthy waits.
What kinds of things will I be asked about?
It varies a lot. You might test a new NHS booking system one month and a savings app the next. We work across healthcare, fintech, e-commerce, public services, and more. Your profile helps us match you to things that are relevant to you.
I am not technical. Is that a problem?
That is not just fine, it is often what we are looking for. Most research needs real everyday people, not experts. If you have ever been confused by a website or struggled with a form, that is exactly the kind of experience researchers need to hear about.
What happens to my personal information?
Your details are held securely by Participation Studio and used only to match you to relevant research. We never sell your data and we never share identifiable information with clients. You can update or close your account at any time. Full details are in our privacy policy.
Can I leave The Collective?
Yes, whenever you like. Log in to your dashboard and close your account, or drop us an email and we will sort it. No questions asked.
Find studies near you
Paid research in your area
We run remote studies UK-wide and in-person sessions across the country. Find out what is available where you are.
Running a study and need participants? Agencies, universities, NHS and product teams pay us to find, screen and book people from this panel. Six from £1,500. UK participant recruitment