Award

Research: Genetic Drift impact on the Safety of Cell Cultivated Products

FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

18 Nov 2025 at 14:20

Tender

11 Sep 2025 at 12:30

Summary of the contracting process

The public procurement process led by the Food Standards Agency, located in York, United Kingdom, pertains to a research project titled "Genetic Drift impact on the Safety of Cell Cultivated Products." The procurement falls under the services category, specifically focused on research and development services within the UK. Initially tendered with an open competition method, the process has now reached the award stage as of 18th November 2025. The contract with Fera Science Limited commenced on 13th November 2025, with an expected completion date of 27th March 2026. The primary aim is to generate data supporting the safe consumption of cell-cultivated products, aligning with the FSA's strategy for ensuring food safety and sustainability from 2022 to 2027. Key dates included an enquiry deadline on 24th September 2025 and a tender submission deadline on 14th October 2025.

This tender provides significant opportunities for businesses specialising in research and development, particularly those engaged in food safety, novel ingredients, and biotechnology sectors. The project is designed to address gaps in understanding genetic drift in cell-cultivated products, thus contributing to advancing regulatory frameworks and consumer safety. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) may find this initiative particularly relevant due to its open competition nature and suitability criteria. Businesses equipped with expertise in protein quality, environmental impact assessments, or alternative proteins production can leverage this opportunity to expand their footprint within a burgeoning sector of the food industry.

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Notice Title

Research: Genetic Drift impact on the Safety of Cell Cultivated Products

Notice Description

The main objective of the FSA's strategy for 2022-2027 is to ensure that food is safe, is what it says that it is and that it is healthier and more sustainable. With this, our role is to protect consumers from unacceptable risks linked to the consumption of food. Under the regulated products research programme, this includes producing evidence to support thorough, well informed, risk assessments for novel ingredients proposed for the UK market. Cell cultivated products (CCPs) and alternative proteins produced by biomass or precision fermentation are an emergent food sector around the world. The FSA CCP Sandbox programme is a two-year programme designed to inform regulatory actions that strike the right balance between supporting innovation and ensuring consumers safety. CCPs products claim to have benefits in protein quality, environmental impact, and improved animal welfare implications. This proposed piece of work is attempting to address a key gap in our understanding of the genetic drift of the production cell line occurring during the production of these products, and how producers will be able to effectively demonstrate that they have mitigated any potential hazards. These outputs will then be used to reduce the uncertainties in our future risk assessments and will help facilitate the authorisation of products that we can be confident are safe for use under the proposed uses. Contract start Date:07/11/2025

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05989b
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074810-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services


CPV Codes

73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

73110000 - Research services

73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£50,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
£50,000 Under £100K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£42,890 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
18 Nov 20253 months ago
Submission Deadline
14 Oct 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
12 Nov 20253 months ago
Contract Period
13 Nov 2025 - 27 Mar 2026 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY
Contact Name
FSA Commercial
Contact Email
fsa.commercial@food.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
YORK
Postcode
YO1 7PR
Post Town
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

FERA SCIENCE

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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