Belfast Agency wins place on multi-million pound BBC framework
Big Motive has been selected for a prestigious multi-year contract.
Big Motive is one of only 12 agencies to join the BBC’s newly-formed £5M Design Research roster and the only company from Northern Ireland to be selected. This selection follows a meticulous and highly competitive process involving over 60 other design agencies from across the UK with the goal of sourcing the best talent to collaborate with teams across the BBC for the next four years.
About the BBC Framework
Over the next four years, Big Motive and the other successful agencies will work closely with the BBC to tackle some of the organisation’s most significant challenges. The Design Research roster aims to leverage cutting-edge research and design expertise to enhance the BBC’s diverse array of brands, events, content and digital products.
The rigorous, two-stage selection process presented a challenge-based approach—designed to highlight creative problem-solving skills and innovative research methods—with the entire BBC research team involved in evaluating submissions. The process ensured that the selected agencies aligned with the BBC’s values and were well-equipped to meet its needs. With 65 of the UK’s leading design agencies vying for a spot on the roster, the process was exceptionally challenging.
The rostered agencies will be contracted for 2024–2028 and include both new suppliers and agencies with a history of collaboration with the BBC. Alongside the other successful agencies, Big Motive will work with the BBC to provide expert design research services to support the ongoing development of evolution of BBC’s digital products and services, including the BBC Homepage, News, Sport, Weather, CBeebies, CBBC, Bitesize, Sounds, iPlayer and Interactive TV.
‘We’re thrilled with this news. The BBC has an incredible internal research and design team so to be selected to collaborate with an organisation of this size over a four year term is a big step forward and massively validating for our team. But not least, this whole process represents an inspiring commitment to good design and the value it brings to the creation of new digital products, services and content that are not only relevant but responsible, innovative and accessible to the widest possible audience.
Damian Cranney, Big Motive, Managing Director
The new design research roster will help the BBC:
- Maintain high standards of design research to validate and test new digital initiatives
- Provide value for audiences through enhanced digital content and services
- Drive innovation and creativity across various business units
About Big Motive
Big Motive is an award-winning service design and innovation agency.
Headquartered in Belfast, the company works with clients across the island of Ireland, UK, Europe and the USA offering a range of expert creative services including design research, user experience design, service design, strategy design and experience architecture.
With deep expertise in designing for digital health and care as well as the design of public services, Big Motive’s 25-strong team works with public sector organisations in the UK and Ireland as well as global brands and businesses in various sectors – including health, sustainability, media and sport.
Big Motive won the Service Design prize at the Irish Design Awards for its work the the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on the Children’s Code – new legislation that aims to regulate the development of apps and digital services for young users.
The agency was previously awarded ‘best in show’ at the UK National Design Week Awards for its work on the Covid Response Service for Northern Ireland’s Department of Health.
More recently, Big Motive has been working with the Irish Government on an innovative approach to designing public services around citizens’ life events.
