Yes. Signup and posting are free.

Research and insights projects of all types, especially those that focus on specific consumer targets. Think Millennial moms, avid gamers, foodies, or workout mavens. All projects are executed by subject-matter experts and deliver deep insight about a particular audience. All methods, designs, and deliverables. Qualitative, quantitative, secondary research, hybrids. You name it.

Those that are neither proprietary nor confidential in nature. In other words, research and insights projects that are about timely topics, trends, and targets that would be valuable to many companies or organizations.

Try both. If you have a project in mind -- one that will have shareable results that would be also valuable to others-- post it. And, of course, always look for projects that interest you, as you’ll be able to buy each at a near 90% discount.

Projects can be posted either by research clients, suppliers, or client/supplier teams. If it’s a client, the project is competitively bid on the platform by our network of vetted research partners. In the other two scenarios, there’s no supplier selection, so the price is immediately set. In order for suppliers to post a project, they must join our research partner network. (Please see the next question about how to become a Collaborata research partner!)

Collaborata conducts a vetting process to ensure all projects posted on the site are bid on and executed by subject-matter experts. Please see, Become a Partner for details or email ben@collaborata.com.

A client and supplier can post a project in tandem. So, rather than posting the project to be competitively bid, a client can partner with a trusted supplier from the outset.

This responsibility will usually fall to the supplier, with input from the client.

The seller’s price is multiplied by 1.25. Once this total (125% of the seller’s price) has been raised, the project is a “go.” (For example if the seller’s price is $100,000, the project is launched once it reaches $125,000 in funding.)

This additional margin covers referral bonuses and Collaborata's fee.

The total project price (i.e., the seller's price plus the 25% margin) is divided by the number of shares the seller determines -- as few as two and as many as 10. Therefore, it takes the purchase of anywhere from two to 10 co-sponsoring shares to reach the sponsoring goal for each project.

Anybody can opt to buy more than a single share in order to get a project over the finish line. Many projects offer incentives for purchasing a second share, such as proprietary questions, special analysis, or in-person presentations.

Yes. There will be as many co-funders for each project as the market warrants, although it takes only two to 10 sold shares to launch a project. Projects that exceed their funding goals generate “revenue overages,” which are shared with lead clients (the clients who post the projects) and suppliers. We believe in sharing!

Whoever posts the project. For now, there are three options: 30, 45, or 60 days.

No money changes hands on projects that do not fully fund.

Yes. Whoever posted the project may decide whether to extend the timeline.

First, we believe a sense of urgency helps. Second, there are two key tactics: 1) Get all stakeholders to proactively promote the project through the “Refer-a-Friend” program via email, LinkedIn and Twitter; and 2) Encourage the lead client, the supplier, and any co-funders to consider buying additional shares to get the project over the finish line.

Some projects do offer category exclusivity. Please email us at info@collaborata.com for details.

The lead client (the client who posted the project) makes the final decision. That decision can be made with input from co-sponsors, guided by the research design, pricing, as well as the supplier’s reputation and history on Collaborata.

Clients registered on Collaborata can rate a supplier at anytime, using a five-star measure and by offering comments. Suppliers should ask their clients to register on Collaborata and rate them. Clients are also sent an email request to rate a supplier at the conclusion of each Collaborata project.

In this unlikely case, the lead client would reject all of the bids. The project would remain on the platform as “Requesting Bids.” Once the first bid (of this next round) is received, the “clock begins” again, and other suppliers would have up to seven days to submit their bids. (Also, the lead client could offer specific direction to a supplier to modify a bid.) Collaborata might also step in to find the right expert to bid on the project.

Yes. Collaborata aims to deliver three supplier bids from our network of vetted research partners for each client-posted project. (Again, a client may opt to post a project in partnership with a supplier, in which case that project is not competitively bid.)

Collaborata is an open-marketplace; therefore, in theory, any supplier could bid on any project. Marketplace pressure, however, should encourage suppliers to focus on those projects that are in their “wheelhouse” (i.e., those that they’re more likely to win). And, remember, suppliers are rated on Collaborata based on the clients’ experience in working with them. And, Collaborata may also choose to step in to assure suppliers with the right expertise are bidding on a particular project.

Yes, you certainly can direct message any supplier on the platform and ask them to bid on your project. You also could ask other suppliers you know and trust who are not yet on Collaborata to register on the platform so that they can bid on your project. Finally, you always have the option not to have your project competitively bid; instead, simply partner with a trusted supplier from the outset (and, again, just make sure that supplier registers on Collaborata and goes through the vetting process).

Simply click on a user's name anywhere on the site (you'll be directed to that user's profile page). Click on the green "Send Message" button near the top of the screen. Type your message and click “send.” (Recipients will be alerted via email that there’s a message waiting for them in their inbox on Collaborata.)

Yes, two suppliers may team up on Collaborata. One, however, needs to be the “lead supplier,” and this is the supplier whose company is shown next to the project title and funding bar. However, we suggest within “Supplier’s Qualifications” (which is a text field in the Wizard), you describe both suppliers’ qualifications (and the benefit to the client of your partnership on this project).

Collaborata offers an opportunity for suppliers to be consultative with clients in a new way. A trusted supplier may be aware of projects that his or her clients would love to do, but simply aren’t in the budget. But maybe the client could free up 10% of the cost to get the work done and also be collaborative in terms of sharing the results. If you’re a supplier and are unaware if there are projects on your clients’ wish list that would be good fits for Collaborata, ask them! The very conversation is an opportunity to get closer to your clients and help them solve problems.

Once the first supplier bid is received in the lead client’s inbox on the platform, the “clock starts,” and all competitive bids must be submitted within seven days. Everybody “following” the project will receive an email alert stating the deadline.

No. Suppliers’ bids are directly messaged into the lead client’s inbox on the platform.

On a client-posted project 10% goes to the lead client and 20% to the supplier. On a supplier-created project, 60% goes to the supplier. And on a client/supplier co-created project 10% goes to the lead client and 40% to the supplier.

Yes. If a project exceeds its funding goal, suppliers share financially in the success. So, suppliers should keep this potential upside in mind when it comes to both their original pricing and in helping the project get over the finish line (by actively promoting the project and even potentially swooping in and buying the last co-funding shares themselves).

They’re similar in that each is “owned” by a market-research supplier and each is supported by multiple clients. Collaborata offers a uniquely responsive platform for client input, a wide reach for promoting a supplier’s offering, and the flexibility to decide whether to repeat the project in the future. And, if a supplier’s project doesn’t gain client interest on Collaborata, the supplier will know that it likely doesn’t have a commercial offering (before investing in marketing the study, let alone fielding and producing it). A Collaborata project, however, isn’t designed to be repeated; therefore, it’s timelier and more customized than a syndicated study. As one Collaborata client remarked, “Calling Collaborata ‘syndicated’ is like calling Uber a taxi company.”

Yes. First, your bid should be clear, thoughtful, and compelling. Carefully explain the rationale behind your design and methodology, remember to talk about any unique approaches, tools, and expertise. And, in crafting your “pitch,” convincingly articulate your project’s value proposition. Finally, price your project well!

It’s important that everybody involved in a project (clients and supplier) play an active role in promoting the project to a successful launch. The best strategy is to take an organized approach right from outset, which Collaborata will play a part in. Specifically, we suggest that all team members on both the client and supplier side pull together lists of appropriate individuals within their professional networks to whom to invite to the project. Clicking on the “Refer This Project” button send invites to the project (tracked to your account) through email, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Encourage those you invite to do the same thing, as that’s the surest path to a fully funded project! And, remember: everybody benefits not only by launching important work together, but also by earning a bonus equivalent to 20% of (10% for you and 10% for your friend) what their invitees spend on the project. That’s incremental revenue that’s credited to your account.

No, a supplier may not include a contingency clause in a Collaborata bid, because multiple clients are agreeing to co-fund a project at a set price. So, it’s important that suppliers smartly bid their projects to cover potential cost increases (including lower-than-expected incidence levels), but to still bid the project competitively. Remember: Collaborata projects offer revenue upside to suppliers and the opportunity to cultivate new relationships at several client companies.

Once you click on “Co-fund This Project,” you’re committing to paying for this project, assuming it fully funds within the stated funding timeline. So, be careful. For example, if you’re committing Q2 budget to a Collaborata project whose funding timeline extends into Q3, you should plan for that in advance, as your commitment to Collaborata must be honored within the project timeline. Remember: you’re one of as many as 10 individual funders for each project, and everybody is counting on everybody for a successful outcome. There can be no exceptions.

Yes. When clicking on “Co-Fund This Project,” clients must “agree” with the platform’s terms and conditions, which include this one. So, you are contractually committing to pay the co-funding amount if the project fully funds within the timeline. There is no backing out, as it’s critical that all co-funders honor their commitments!

Yes. Please click to read or download our terms and conditions.

Anybody -- a client, a supplier, a “Collaborata Fan” -- can earn incremental revenue by successfully referring a co-funder to a project that fully funds. You'll earn a "commission" equivalent to 10% of that individual’s spend on that specific project. And, the co-funder will receive a 10% discount on any project they are referred to. Give 10%. Get 10%!

A registered user on the site who’s not directly involved with the project at hand but still refers the project to potential co-funders. For example, someone within your professional network may come across a project on Collaborata that they believe might interest you. If they invite you using the “Refer-a-Friend” button and you become a co-funder of a project that fully funds (using the link they send you), they’ll receive a referral commission equivalent to 10% of your spend on the project. And, you'll receive a 10% discount. Again, you don’t have to be involved in a project to refer it and to earn a commission. That’s part of the collaborative aspect of the platform: discovering and sharing projects that might be of interest to others.

The “Refer-a-Friend” button shares a unique URL (that gets tracked back to you) through either email, LinkedIn, or Twitter. Simply click on the “Refer-a-Friend” button, and it works! (One “watch-out”: if you delete your “cookies” on your browser after referring a project, we will lose the ability to link the referral back to you and, therefore, we wouldn’t know that you invited a potential co-funder and wouldn’t be able to credit your account. So, please, avoid deleting cookies for Collaborata’s sake.)

No, you must invite co-funders using this tool; it’s the only way we’re able to make sure you get paid.

As a registered user on Collaborata, you’ll have your own “Dashboard.” This is where you’ll see your referral commissions accumulate. Once you reach a balance in excess of $250, you can click on the “Cash-Me-Out” button, and Collaborata sends you (or your company) a check. If you prefer bigger checks, refer more friends and wait longer. If you prefer, we can credit your company’s Collaborata account, so you can apply these commissions to your next purchase. But, you must either cash out or use your credits within one year.

It’s up to you (not us) to inquire if your company has a policy that would not allow you to personally receive referral bonuses. If you find your employer has such a policy, you may direct us to either credit their account or send them a check. Once your balance exceeds $250, Collaborata will ask you to make a choice, which could include providing an address to send a check to your employer (which we’ll do along with citing you for your resourcefulness).

Unless a project is of a particularly timely nature or it’s planned to be repeated within in a year in an updated form, it will stay “live” on the site to allow for greater funding for one full year after being fully funded. (Remember, lead clients and suppliers share in this “revenue overage.”)

That’s correct. Once a project has been completed and delivered, a client may purchase it for immediate delivery. Additionally, this scenario generates “revenue overages,” which are shared with lead clients and suppliers.

That’s what we’re calling the client who created (and originally posted) the project.

The lead client selects the supplier. Then, the lead client’s primary role is to help the supplier keep the process moving by having the final say and approving all project-related decisions, after appropriately considering input from co-funders. So, as much as we want to foster collaboration, we also want a smooth, timely process. The lead client becomes the supplier’s go-to decision maker, helping to assure that the project stays on time. The lead client should also help to promote the project so that it fully funds.

No surprise, we’re great believers in collaboration. But, we’re also believers in process. So, the most collaborative of lead clients -- those who are looking not only for budget help from co-funders but also for their thinking in helping to shape projects -- will actively seek and embrace co-funders’ input, while adhering to the project timeline. Each project has its own page on Collaborata. And, each project page allows for comments from collaborators as well as status updates from the supplier.

It’s up to each co-funder to decide the degree to which to get involved with each project -- that is, how collaborative to be during each stage of the project. Of course, your decision may vary from project to project and will likely, in part, depend on your availability. Please do remember, however, that it’s important for each co-funder to help get the project fully funded by inviting others to be co-funders (while earning referral commissions along the way).

As with all projects, the best supplier is a strong consultant. In fact, on Collaborata, the most effective supplier will play a key role in encouraging collaborative thinking and input. Think about it: This (very fortunate) supplier now has the opportunity to develop new relationships with up to 10 client companies per project! So, a supplier with strong client-management skills will figure out who wants to contribute and how (and who’d prefer to take a back seat). That said, be careful: Co-funders have agreed to scope, as described in the supplier’s bid. So, enhancing and/or increasing the scope will likely be met favorably by co-funders; while decreasing it will probably have the opposite effect. And, remember: Collaborata is a marketplace, and clients are asked to rate suppliers after each project.

We’ll invoice you and can reference your PO# on the invoice. If you prefer, you can pay by credit card. (If we've never worked together before, we may ask that you pay by credit card.) Finally, you’ll be able to view your invoicing history on your “Dashboard” page on the site.

As soon as a project has been fully funded, co-funders are invoiced 80% of the total price. The remaining 20% is invoiced upon delivery. However, for projects that are immediately deliverable (i.e., those that are already complete), 100% is invoiced at time of purchase. Payment terms are net 10 days.

When a project fully funds, the first 1/3rd payment is made to the supplier. The second 1/3rd is paid when the supplier has forwarded all deliverables to all current co-funding clients. The final 1/3rd is paid 30 days after delivery. Collaborata will make these payments within 10 days of these milestones.

Suppliers will directly deliver to clients.

Don’t hold back; let the supplier know what you think -- just as if you had engaged this vendor on a custom project. It's the client's responsibility to deliver on time; great clients are typically reasonable clients, too.

The client has authorship over the projects it posts/creates, regardless of who conducted the research. The client also owns the authorship over a project it posts in partnership with a supplier. The supplier retains authorship over its own posted projects.

No, any project posted on Collaborata is to sell exclusively on Collaborata.

Yes, a supplier could “re-package” a recent project or recently collected data in such a way as to make it a “Collaborata-exclusive.” The key is that it’s been changed in a significant way (even if it’s based on the same data) from what the supplier is marketing elsewhere. In such a case, this new version could be posted as a fully funded project, which means clients could purchase it immediately.

If, as the supplier, you have a project that is complete (and you opt to sell on an individual basis on Collaborata), simply set the individual purchase price. You do not need any minimum of co-funders. Collaborata will simply add 25% to your individual purchase price, which will cover referral commissions and any potential margin for the platform.

Collaborata sends out timely emails to all stakeholders each step of the way to keep each project on track. And, each project has its own Collaborata page, where real-time updates are posted. (And, of course, you can always refer to this handy FAQ document!)

First, check the project page for the supplier’s “status updates,” which are designed to keep co-funders (and prospective new co-funders) updated on a project’s progress. If you have any additional questions about the project, direct those to the supplier through the messaging system on the platform or through email. Questions about the platform are likely answered in this document. Billing questions should be directed to info@collaborata.com. Questions about becoming a research partner should be directed to ben@collaborata.com.