Award

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

Bioavailability of Food Supplements

Food Standards Agency

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

04 Jun 2026 at 18:01

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

14 May 2026 at 11:52

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

06 Mar 2026 at 07:45

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), located in York, United Kingdom, has awarded a contract to Camrosh Limited for a project titled "Bioavailability of Food Supplements." This procurement falls under the industry category of research and development services and will be conducted through an open procedure method. The contract commenced on 5th June 2026 and is expected to run until 31st March 2028, with a potential extension of up to three months. Worth approximately GBP 350,064 gross, the project aims to address the lack of robust data regarding the bioavailability and toxicological risks of novel food supplement formulations. The key focus areas include lipid-based systems and non-lipid approaches, where limited evidence currently clouds the understanding of absorption rates and risks.

This contract represents a substantial opportunity for businesses involved in providing research and consultancy services, particularly those specialising in the life sciences or food technology sectors. Companies with expertise in toxicokinetics, bioavailability analysis, and regulatory consultancy are well-equipped to support such projects. The procurement also encourages small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary community and social enterprises (VCSEs) to participate. The scale and scope of this tender could facilitate business growth by enabling conventional and innovative industry players to contribute to pivotal research that informs policy and regulatory frameworks within the FSA's domain.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Bioavailability of Food Supplements

Notice Description

The Food Standards Agency is looking to appoint 1 supplier to deliver a systematic literature review project on 'Bioavailability of Food Supplements' on a contracted basis from June 2026 until March 2028. Consumer use of food supplements has increased in recent years, accompanied by a growing trend for manufacturers to market novel formulations that claim enhanced oral bioavailability compared to conventional forms. These formulations include lipid-based systems such as liposomes, micelles, emulsions, and nanoparticles, as well as non-lipid approaches like particle size reduction through micronisation and co-formulation with polysaccharides. Although these products are often promoted as improving absorption, the supporting evidence remains limited and uncertain. This uncertainty is further increased by the vast variety of formulation types and the lack of data characterising their physicochemical properties. Consequently, the potential impact of these formulations on bioavailability and on toxicological risk, remains unclear and may pose concerns, particularly for under-characterised active ingredients and vulnerable populations. The Chemical Risk Assessment Unit (CRAU), through its risk assessments and engagement with other regulators, has identified emerging risks from food supplements intake and has sought advice from the Committee on Toxicity (COT) on several actives. The lack of information on how different formulations influence the toxicological profile of active substances remains a significant data gap in the risk assessment of food supplements. Addressing this gap is critical for ensuring robust risk assessments and informed policy decisions. In their recent report on novel formulations designed to increase food supplement bioavailability, the COT recommended that novel formulations and their active agents should be assessed for toxicokinetics on a case by case basis, using model systems that account for species differences in metabolism (COT, 2025). The COT emphasised that the feeding state (fed versus fasted) is a key determinant of bioavailability and must be critically considered when comparing across formulations. Furthermore, the suitability of acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) and other health based guidance values (HBGVs) for unformulated food supplements should always be reviewed when applied to formulations designed to increase bioavailability, and approaches for relating HBGVs to differences in bioavailability should be assessed and applied on a case by case basis (COT, 2025). The work proposed in the specification contributes to the FSA Corporate Priority EG1 - Risk Analysis informed by evidence and aligns with FSA Areas of Research Interest on novel approach methods to assess chemical hazards and impact on consumers.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: This contract will have an optional extension of 3 months from 31st March 2028

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0663a1
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053078-2026
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
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

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

CPV Codes

71900000 - Laboratory services

73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

73110000 - Research services

73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

79310000 - Market research services

79315000 - Social research services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£300,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£300,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
£291,720 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
£291,720 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
4 Jun 20263 months ago
Submission Deadline
17 Apr 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
14 May 20264 months ago
Contract Period
5 Jun 2026 - 31 Mar 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active, Pending
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

Camrosh Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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.

Loading OCDS record...