# How market research firms can sell data to AI companies

URL: https://sellmydatatoai.net/sell-your-data/market-research-firms

Market research firms can license questionnaires, coding frames, de-identified survey open-ends and interview transcripts to AI companies, provided respondents and clients allow it. No buyer publishes a market research price range. The Insights Association code says personal data may be used only for the purposes it was collected for, and the ICC/ESOMAR code requires separate consent for non-research purposes.

## Key takeaways

- AI buyers most want these records from market research firms: (1) questionnaires, discussion guides and screeners your researchers wrote, (2) coding frames with coded open-ended survey responses, de-identified and (3) in-depth interview and focus group transcripts, de-identified.
- No AI buyer publishes a price range for market research firms yet, so value depends on volume, years of history, structure and how cleanly the rights can be shown.
- The first rights issue to clear: Insights Association code, Section 6: use or share personal data only for the purposes for which it was collected. This page covers 5 more.
- Sellers pay nothing to be assessed. We charge a success fee only when a deal completes, and the fee is agreed in writing before we introduce you to any buyer.

## At a glance

- Records buyers ask for: Questionnaires, discussion guides and screeners your researchers wrote; Coding frames with coded open-ended survey responses, de-identified; In-depth interview and focus group transcripts, de-identified; Analysis memos and report drafts showing how findings were reached; Methodology documents, sampling plans and quality control procedures; Project management and panel support tickets
- Why buyers want them: Buyers value records of expert judgment applied to real cases. A coding frame applied to thousands of open-ended answers, or an analyst's memo explaining a finding, shows how a researcher turns raw responses into conclusions.
- Rights issues: Insights Association code, Section 6: use or share personal data only for the purposes for which it was collected; ICC/ESOMAR International Code, Article 1(e): separate consent for non-research purposes; Respondent privacy notices in force at collection, and the CCPA definition of a sale of personal information; Client contracts that keep study data, briefs and findings for that client alone; Recorded interviews: all-party consent laws such as California Penal Code section 632, and BIPA for voiceprints and face geometry; UK and EU: UK GDPR Article 8A limits reusing consent-based respondent data for a new purpose

A market research firm's archive holds two kinds of material. One is the firm's own craft: questionnaires, discussion guides, coding frames and analysis memos. The other is respondents' answers, collected under promises about how they would be used.

AI buyers want both. The second comes with some of the strictest consent rules of any industry, and the industry wrote many of them itself.

## What market research data do AI companies buy?

AI companies buy market research data that shows expert method and judgment. Coded open-ended responses are already a labeled dataset: the coding frame is the label set, and each response carries a researcher's decision.

| Record | What it shows a model | Main issue to clear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Questionnaires, guides and screeners | How to ask neutral, well-ordered questions | Client-specific content |
| Coded open-ends with coding frames | How responses are classified | Respondent consent and identifiers in text |
| Interview and focus group transcripts | How moderators probe and follow up | Recording consent, voices and faces |
| Analysis memos and report drafts | How findings are reached | Client confidentiality |
| Methodology and quality procedures | How studies are designed and checked | Usually low if written in-house |

Your own methods documents are the simplest to clear. Transcripts and open-ends are worth more and carry the consent questions. Our guide to [what data AI companies buy](https://sellmydatatoai.net/guides/what-data-do-ai-companies-buy) sets out what buyers' published briefs ask for.

## How much is market research data worth to AI buyers?

Market research data has no published price. None of the buyers whose terms are public gives a market research range, so any figure quoted for a study archive is a negotiation, not a market rate.

General tiers give a frame. [micro1](https://sellmydatatoai.net/data-buyers/micro1) publishes $100,000 to $500,000 for a qualified partnership and asks for 30 or more full-time staff. [Handshake AI](https://sellmydatatoai.net/data-buyers/handshake-ai), which lists professional services among its industries, headlines $100,000 to more than $4 million. Volume, years covered and how much text survives de-identification decide where an archive lands, and a [free data valuation](https://sellmydatatoai.net/data-valuation) applies those factors to yours.

## What do the research codes say about reusing respondent data?

The research codes say respondent data may be used only for the purposes participants agreed to. The Insights Association Code of Standards and Ethics, last updated September 2026, tells researchers in Section 6 to only use or share personal data for the purpose for which it was collected, and to obtain research subjects' consent before transferring personal data to a client, subcontractor or other third party.

Section 2 adds that researchers must obtain consent before using a subject's data in a manner materially different from what the subject agreed to, and Section 1 tells researchers to always distinguish between research and non-research activities.

The ICC/ESOMAR International Code, updated July 2025, sets the same line internationally. Article 1(e) says separate consent must be obtained for non-research purposes, and Article 2(c) says personal data must only be disclosed to third parties after obtaining consent.

Licensing respondents' answers to an AI developer is unlikely to be the purpose respondents agreed to. Unless your consent language covered it, plan to license only material that no longer contains personal data, and take advice on whether your [de-identification](https://sellmydatatoai.net/guides/de-identification-for-ai-training-data) meets that bar.

## Which state privacy laws apply to survey and panel data?

State privacy laws apply to survey and panel data wherever respondents are identifiable. The CCPA, at California Civil Code section 1798.140(ad), defines a sale as making a consumer's personal information available to a third party for monetary or other valuable consideration, and a license fee is valuable consideration.

Panel databases are the highest-risk asset. Profile data, past answers and incentive records link a named person to opinions, purchases and sometimes health conditions, and section 1798.140(ae) lists personal information collected and analyzed concerning a consumer's health as sensitive. Keep panel databases out of any package.

The FTC has warned that quietly changing terms to adopt more permissive data practices, such as AI training, could be unfair or deceptive. Updating your respondent notice now may not cover answers already collected.

## Can you license focus group and interview recordings?

Focus group and interview recordings can be licensed only if they were lawfully made and participants' consent covers the new use. Federal law at 18 U.S.C. section 2511(2)(d) allows a recording where one party consents, but California Penal Code section 632 makes it an offense to record a confidential communication without the consent of all parties.

Video adds faces and voices. Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act lists a voiceprint and a scan of face geometry as biometric identifiers, and section 15(c) bars a private entity holding them from selling or otherwise profiting from them, with liquidated damages of $1,000 per negligent violation and $5,000 per intentional or reckless one. We recommend licensing redacted transcripts rather than recordings.

## Do client contracts stop you licensing study data?

Client contracts often decide who controls study data and findings. The Insights Association code, in Section 8, says data collected solely for a specific client should be used only for its intended purpose and for that client.

Syndicated and omnibus studies you ran on your own account are different, because no client commissioned them. Start with those and with your methods documents before any custom study. Our [licensing agreement checklist](https://sellmydatatoai.net/guides/ai-data-licensing-agreement-checklist) covers the clauses buyers will ask about.

> **License the method, not the respondent** Questionnaires, coding frames, analysis memos and procedures carry your firm's expertise and little personal data. Respondent-level answers, recordings and panel profiles carry the consent risk. Separate the two before you build a [data manifest](https://sellmydatatoai.net/guides/how-to-build-a-data-manifest).

## If you hold UK or EU data

UK fieldwork falls under UK GDPR. Article 8A, fully in force from February 5, 2026, says that where personal data was collected on the basis of consent, a new purpose is compatible only in narrow cases, such as where the person consents to the new purpose. Respondent consent is the usual basis for survey data, so that limit applies to most UK archives.

ESOMAR members commit to the ICC/ESOMAR code wherever they work, so Article 1(e)'s rule on separate consent for non-research purposes applies to UK and EU studies as well as US ones.

## How do you sell market research data through Sell My Data To AI?

You start with a consultation about your study archive, your respondent consent language and your client terms. We do not take custody of your raw data. Buyers see redacted samples under a mutual NDA, and full data moves only after you sign a license directly with the buyer.

Every buyer is verified for company identity, intended use, security and retention commitments and onward transfer limits before seeing a sample. You approve every buyer, every sample and every license term. [Book a consultation](https://sellmydatatoai.net/book-a-consultation?side=seller), or read about [telling staff and clients](https://sellmydatatoai.net/guides/telling-staff-and-clients-about-a-data-sale) first.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can a market research firm sell survey responses to AI companies?

A market research firm can license survey responses only where respondents' consent covers it or the data no longer identifies anyone. The Insights Association code says personal data should be used or shared only for the purposes it was collected for, and the ICC/ESOMAR code requires separate consent for non-research purposes. Take independent legal advice before licensing respondent-level data.

### Does the ESOMAR code allow AI training on research data?

The ICC/ESOMAR International Code, updated July 2025, has no article that expressly addresses training AI models on respondent data. It requires separate consent for non-research purposes in Article 1(e) and consent before personal data is disclosed to third parties in Article 2(c), so treat a commercial training license as needing consent or anonymized data.

### Can we license questionnaires we wrote for clients?

Licensing client questionnaires depends on the client contract. Some contracts give the client ownership of everything produced for the study, and the Insights Association code says data collected solely for a client should be used only for its intended purpose and for that client. Generic screeners, syndicated studies and your own methods documents are easier to clear.

### Are focus group videos worth licensing?

Focus group videos carry the most risk in a research archive. They capture faces and voices, which Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act treats as biometric identifiers when scanned, and California requires all-party consent to record confidential communications. Redacted transcripts with moderator questions and participant answers hold much of the value with far less risk.

## Sources

- [Code of Standards and Ethics for Market Research and Data Analytics](https://insightsassociation.org/About-Us/Code-of-Standards), Insights Association, accessed November 2026
- [ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market, Opinion and Social Research and Data Analytics (2025)](https://standards.esomar.org/assets/documents/icc-esomar-code-2025.pdf), ESOMAR and International Chamber of Commerce, accessed November 2026
- [California Civil Code section 1798.140: definitions (CCPA)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=1798.140.&lawCode=CIV), California Legislative Information, accessed November 2026
- [AI (and other) companies: quietly changing your terms of service could be unfair or deceptive](https://www.ftc.gov/policy/advocacy-research/tech-at-ftc/2024/02/ai-other-companies-quietly-changing-your-terms-service-could-be-unfair-or-deceptive), Federal Trade Commission, accessed November 2026
- [18 U.S. Code section 2511: interception and disclosure of wire, oral, or electronic communications prohibited](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2511), Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, accessed November 2026
- [California Penal Code section 632](https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-pen/part-1/title-15/chapter-1-5/section-632), Justia, accessed November 2026
- [Biometric Information Privacy Act (740 ILCS 14)](https://ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=3004), Illinois General Assembly, accessed November 2026
- [Data partnerships](https://www.micro1.ai/data-partnerships), micro1, accessed November 2026
- [Data partnerships](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/data-partnerships/), Handshake, accessed November 2026
- [UK GDPR Article 8A: purpose limitation, further processing](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2016/679/article/8A), legislation.gov.uk, accessed November 2026

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