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CEPI
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Private Company Equity Plans Survey

Equity compensation insights & benchmarks for private companies

Survey Closes February 13

Deadline Extended:
Participate by May 9

Access Critical Data on Private Company Equity Award Practices

Get a comprehensive view of equity compensation practices, discover emerging trends, and benchmark your strategies against private company peers. From plan design and administration to liquidity programs and valuation methods, participation gives you exclusive access to in-depth results and analysis across a wide range of topics.
 
Brought to you by the NASPP, the Certified Equity Professional Institute (CEPI), and Pave.
Survey participation is the only way to unlock access to exclusive benchmarks and insights.

Icon - February 13

Participation Deadline

 

Icon - March

Preliminary Results
Early March

 

Time to Complete

 

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Confidentiality*

 

 

*The full survey report will include a list of participating companies, but results will be reported in aggregate only.

Registration Required

All participants must first register to participate in the survey here. Once registered, you will receive an email within 2 business days with your direct access link to complete the survey.

Who Should Participate?

Professionals with some responsibility for designing or managing an equity plan at a private company offering stock-based compensation (not profits interests or capital interests).

  • Compensation professionals

  • HR leaders

  • Finance teams

  • Advisors

Please submit only one response per company.

Why Participate?

  • Benchmark your practices against peers

  • Understand trends and best practices

  • Identify gaps and opportunities for your program

  • Keep your program competitive

  • Make decisions and build your case based on current data

  • Help establish an essential benchmarking resource

Key Questions
You'll Get Answered

 

  • What type of equity compensation vehicles do private companies offer?

  • Which employees and other service providers are eligible to receive equity awards?

  • What are the typical equity grant sizes and granting practices at private companies?

  • How do private companies provide liquidity opportunities for employees and other equity holders?

  • How do private companies manage, administer, and communicate their equity programs to participants?

Deadline Extended: Participate by May 9

Survey Topics

Demographic and Organizational Info

Demographic &
Organizational Info

  • Industry classifications of respondent companies 

  • Company size (e.g., employee count)

  • Stage on the IPO or exit trajectory

Equity Plan Design

Equity Plan Design

  • Types of equity vehicles granted by private companies

  • Participation rates, equity overhang, and burn rates

  • Use of equity awards for board members, contractors, and other nonemployees 

  • Guidelines for grant sizing, ongoing equity awards, and global equity programs

  • Types of liquidity opportunities offered to employees
Stock Options

Stock Options

  • Use of incentive stock options (ISOs) and nonqualified stock options (NQSOs)

  • Employee levels that typically receive option grants

  • Common vesting schedules for stock options  

  • Post-termination exercise periods (PTEPs)  

  • Valuation methods used for stock option accounting and expense purposes  

Time-Based Awards

Time-Based Awards

  • Types of time-based awards offered (e.g., restricted stock, restricted stock units) 

  • Employee levels eligible for time-based awards 

  • Whether vesting is contingent on an IPO or change in control (CIC)  

  • Methods used to facilitate tax withholding and payment obligations 

Performance-Based Awards

Performance-Based
Awards

  • Employee populations that receive performance-based equity awards

  • Types of performance metrics and conditions used  

  • Typical performance periods for private company awards

Equity Plan Management

Equity Plan Management
and Administration

  • Equity administration tools and technology platforms 

  • Internal staffing and recordkeeping practices 

  • Use of artificial intelligence (AI) in equity plan management

  • Common approaches to private company stock valuation

  • Employee education and communication strategies related to equity compensation 

This survey is administered jointly by the NASPP, Certified Equity Professional Institute (CEPI), and Pave.

NASPP
CEPI
Pave
2021 Design Survey Gears

Survey Guidelines for Participants

  • Issuers must participate in the survey to receive access to the full survey results

  • Survey must be completed by May 9

  • Only public companies that offer stock compensation to their employees may participate

  • Survey respondents must have some level of responsibility for designing, managing, or reporting on their company's equity program

  • Service providers are ineligible to participate

  • Open only to public companies issuing stock compensation

  • Only one response per company

  • Participation required for results

About the NASPP

The National Association of Stock Plan Professionals is the largest and oldest professional association for the stock and executive compensation community, with over three decades of leadership providing expert resources, education and other benefits for nearly 6,000 members across 18 affiliated chapters.

Learn More

Contact Us

(925) 685-9271
naspp@naspp.com
PO Box 21639
Concord, CA 94521
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