This is a real time study of the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on UK businesses. Its aim is to feed into the UK government’s planning to support businesses. This is important because of the economic impacts that the virus is likely to have on your business.

It collects real-time information on your business' performance over the spring and summer.

Take the First Survey

The study is led by Professor Francis Greene and Dr Alessandro Rosiello at the University of Edinburgh Business School. It is supported by the UK’s Productivity Insight Network and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

Over the summer, we will ask you to complete follow-on surveys that show the impact of the virus on your business.

Frequently Asked Questions

The University of Edinburgh has strict data ethics guidelines. We have already gone through this process and received approval. Our data management plan includes:

  • Safe secure storage of the data.
  • We will use the data to develop statistical reports of what is happening to UK businesses. These reports will be sent to the press and the UK government. You and your business will not be identified in any way in these reports. Your data will remain confidential and anonymous.
  • If the press or media want specific examples of the impact of the Coronavirus on UK businesses, we would first approach you to gain your consent for the press and media to be contacted. If you did not want to be contacted we would not pass on your details.
  • Robust data entry, collation, and data validation techniques.
  • Named individuals responsible (Professor Greene and Dr Rosiello) for data curation and security.

The team is led by Professor Francis Greene and Dr Alessandro Rosiello. Its research assistants are Owais Golra and Matjaz Vidmar.

The funders of this project are the Productivity Insights Network. They receive funding from the ESRC which is the UK’s main governmental funder of business research.

We will be asking you questions about such things as the impact of the Coronavirus on the performance of your business, about your business finances, and what the government can do to help. We cannot get this information from Company House because very many small firms and self-employed workers are not obliged by law to provide this information.

The survey takes no more than 10 minutes to complete.