Agencies were invited to pitch for two lots, A and B, broadly split in the scale of the projects they might be called on to carry out.

GfK NOP, ICM Research, Ipsos Mori, Kantar Media, Simpson Carpenter and SPA Future Thinking qualified under Lot A, which covers a wide range of work up to an including large-scale continuing fieldwork.

The remaining 31 agencies appointed under Lot B, the specialist offering, are:

James Holden, head of audiences for the public broadcaster, said: “The BBC conducts a variety of research projects each year to understand what our audiences want and value, and the insights gained are an essential part of how we create quality content. These projects vary in scale, audience focus and methodology and we knew we would need a wide range of skills and expertise to fulfil our requirements.

“The sheer number of high-quality proposals from agencies wanting to work with the BBC is a testament to the health of the industry in the UK. As a result, we are very happy indeed with the calibre of agencies who we have appointed to our final roster.”

Re-tendering of the roster began in November. The new roster will be in place for two years, with an option to extend by a further two years.