Award

Potential migration levels of mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOAH and MOSH) from food

FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

08 Jan 2026 at 09:52

Summary of the contracting process

The Food Standards Agency, a central government body based in York, has completed a procurement process titled "Potential migration levels of mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOAH and MOSH) from food". This tender focuses on research and development services within the food industry, specifically addressing the measurement of MOSH/MOAH levels to evaluate dietary exposure and contamination risks. The procurement stage has reached the award phase as of 8th January 2026, with a direct procurement method used below the competitive threshold. The contract period is set from 8th January 2026 to 26th February 2027, with possible extension until April 2027, at an approximate value of £99,643.91. The contracted services are being provided by Fera Science Ltd, a large enterprise also located in York.

This tender presents substantial opportunities for businesses specialising in research and development, particularly in food safety and environmental science. Companies with a focus on analytical testing and consultancy services would find this tender aligns well with their capabilities, offering growth in expertise and industry recognition. With the contract awarded to Fera Science Ltd, businesses aspiring to collaborate or compete in similar future projects should possess robust experience in research methodologies and demonstrate complementary capacities in handling environmental and food safety assessments.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

D3 Tenders Premium

Win More Public Sector Contracts

AI-powered tender discovery, pipeline management, and market intelligence — everything you need to grow your public sector business.

Notice Title

Potential migration levels of mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOAH and MOSH) from food

Notice Description

There is currently limited UK capability to measure MOSH/MOAH levels in foods. To evaluate dietary exposure and possible migration levels of MOSH/MOAH, methodology for the determination of MOSH/MOAH in foods needs to be established. The objective of this current piece of work is to apply methods for the detection of MOSH/MOAH within food and ascertain any potential migration levels from food contact materials and as environmental contaminants in food. The development of these methods and their subsequent validation will allow the FSA to determine the risk to the consumer from exposure from foods which have been contaminated with MOSH/MOAH and additionally respond to incidents.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06017e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001291-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - without competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
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

73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£99,643 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Jan 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
7 Jan 20261 months ago
Contract Period
8 Jan 2026 - 26 Feb 2027 1-2 years
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

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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.

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-06017e-2026-01-08T09:52:47Z",
    "date": "2026-01-08T09:52:47Z",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06017e",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PJRM-6866-LYYX",
            "name": "Food Standards Agency",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PJRM-6866-LYYX"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "YO1 7PR",
                "locality": "York",
                "postalCode": "YO1 7PR",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKE21"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "name": "FSA Commercial",
                "email": "fsa.commercial@food.gov.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "https://www.food.gov.uk/",
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-FTS-170793",
            "name": "Fera Science Ltd",
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "York BioTech Campus, Sand Hutton",
                "locality": "York",
                "postalCode": "YO41 1LZ",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKE22"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "era@fera.co.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ],
            "details": {
                "scale": "large",
                "vcse": false
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PJRM-6866-LYYX",
        "name": "Food Standards Agency"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "C407605",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Potential migration levels of mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOAH and MOSH) from food",
        "description": "There is currently limited UK capability to measure MOSH/MOAH levels in foods. To evaluate dietary exposure and possible migration levels of MOSH/MOAH, methodology for the determination of MOSH/MOAH in foods needs to be established. The objective of this current piece of work is to apply methods for the detection of MOSH/MOAH within food and ascertain any potential migration levels from food contact materials and as environmental contaminants in food. The development of these methods and their subsequent validation will allow the FSA to determine the risk to the consumer from exposure from foods which have been contaminated with MOSH/MOAH and additionally respond to incidents.",
        "status": "complete",
        "procurementMethod": "direct",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Below threshold - without competition",
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "complete"
            }
        ]
    },
    "awards": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "status": "active",
            "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
            "suppliers": [
                {
                    "id": "GB-FTS-170793",
                    "name": "Fera Science Ltd"
                }
            ],
            "items": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "additionalClassifications": [
                        {
                            "scheme": "CPV",
                            "id": "73000000",
                            "description": "Research and development services and related consultancy services"
                        },
                        {
                            "scheme": "CPV",
                            "id": "73200000",
                            "description": "Research and development consultancy services"
                        }
                    ],
                    "relatedLot": "1"
                }
            ],
            "relatedLots": [
                "1"
            ]
        }
    ],
    "contracts": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "awardID": "1",
            "title": "Potential migration levels of mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOAH and MOSH) from food contact materials and background environmental contamination",
            "status": "active",
            "period": {
                "startDate": "2026-01-08T00:00:00Z",
                "endDate": "2027-02-26T23:59:59Z",
                "maxExtentDate": "2027-04-09T23:59:59+01:00"
            },
            "hasRenewal": true,
            "renewal": {
                "description": "The Buyer may extend the Contract for a period of up to 6 weeks by giving not less than 10 Working Days' notice in writing to the Supplier prior to the Expiry Date. The Conditions of the Contract shall apply throughout any such extended period."
            },
            "value": {
                "amountGross": 119572.69,
                "amount": 99643.91,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "aboveThreshold": false,
            "dateSigned": "2026-01-07T00:00:00Z",
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "001291-2026",
                    "documentType": "contractNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK7",
                    "description": "Contract details notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001291-2026",
                    "datePublished": "2026-01-08T09:52:47Z",
                    "format": "text/html"
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "language": "en"
}