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Audit of the display of food hygiene ratings and associated business attitudes

Food Standards Agency

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

AwardUpdate

29 Jul 2026 at 18:31

Award Notice
Award

16 Aug 2024 at 10:04

Award Notice
Tender

29 May 2024 at 14:53

Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Food Standards Agency commissioned research and consultancy to audit whether food hygiene rating stickers are displayed at publicly accessible food premises, with related checks of online rating displays. The work also covers a survey of food businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, examining their attitudes towards, understanding of and perceived business impact from the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. The later additional work targets lower-rated businesses, defined as those with a rating below 3, across the same three countries. Delivery is associated with the Food Standards Agency in York and covers premises and businesses throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The requirement is therefore suited to research agencies with fieldwork, business surveying, compliance-audit and online-assessment capability, rather than suppliers of physical goods or construction services.

This is an awarded, active procurement conducted through an open procedure, evaluated on price. The original contract was awarded to I.F.F RESEARCH LIMITED and signed on 12 August 2024 for £359,986; its planned period runs from 12 August 2024 to 31 March 2027. A second active award to the same supplier covers a variation for additional services and was signed on 29 July 2026. That contract is valued at £427,497.61 and runs from 29 July 2026 to 31 March 2027. The procurement was estimated at £360,000, with the same value recorded for its single lot. The additional service concerns an audit of 700 lower-rated food businesses during 2026. Bids were due by 3 July 2024 at noon, and the requirement is described as recurring every three years.

For a future requirement of this kind, credible suppliers would need to combine representative fieldwork with structured compliance auditing across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Relevant capability includes checking physical display of food hygiene ratings at premises, auditing online rating displays, and surveying food businesses about their understanding, attitudes and experiences of the scheme. Experience with lower-rated premises would be particularly relevant, including the ability to identify and audit businesses with Food Hygiene Rating Scheme ratings below 3. Suppliers should be able to produce evidence that supports a national regulator’s assessment of compliance and business impacts, while managing substantial multi-country samples and targeted work involving hundreds of businesses. The award shows that a large research provider with established social-research and consultancy capacity satisfied this buyer’s price-led open competition.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Audit of the display of food hygiene ratings and associated business attitudes

Notice Description

The FSA wishes to recommission a representative audit of the display of food hygiene rating stickers at food business premises in England, Wales and Northern Ireland which are publicly accessible, and an accompanying audit of online rating display. The FSA also wishes to recommission an associated survey of food businesses in the three countries to assess attitudes towards and understanding of the Scheme, and the perceived impact of the Scheme on businesses.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Variation to Contract.
The Authority requires additional services to undertake a targeted audit of 700 lower-rated food businesses (FHRS rating below 3) across England, Wales and Northern Ireland during 2026. The audit will build upon the successful lower-rated business audit completed in England in 2025 and will provide evidence to support the Food Standards Agency's understanding of compliance with Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) display requirements.

Renewal: Subject to renewal after 3 years

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-046c20
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/071935-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large, SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

79315000 - Social research services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£360,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£360,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£787,483 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
29 Jul 20264 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
3 Jul 2024Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
12 Aug 20242 years ago
Contract Period
29 Jul 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
3 years

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Food Standards Agency
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
YORK
Postcode
YO1 7PR
Postcode Area
York
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLE Yorkshire and The Humber
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLE2 North Yorkshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLE21 York
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
York
Electoral Ward
Guildhall
Westminster Constituency
York Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

I.F.F RESEARCH LIMITED

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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