This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

08 Jul 2026 at 09:17

Award

08 Jul 2026 at 09:02

Summary of the contracting process

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has completed a direct procurement process with the contract titled "Environmental Surveillance: OSMA and OSD." This procurement falls under the industry category of research and development services and related consultancy services. It specifically addresses enhancing environmental surveillance capabilities for foodborne diseases and antimicrobial resistance in York, United Kingdom. The contract has been awarded to Fera Science Ltd, with the procurement stage currently marked as 'award'. Significant dates include the award date of 8th July 2026, and the contract period from 1st August 2026 to 31st March 2029, with a potential extension until 30th June 2029.

This tender presents robust opportunities for growth, especially for businesses with expertise in research and development services concerning public health and environmental surveillance. Firms with the technical capacity, domain knowledge, and stakeholder partnerships will find this project particularly suitable as it requires a direct and specified approach involving OSMA and OSD technologies. The procurement method involved a direct award due to Fera Science Ltd's unique qualifications. Companies adept in managing complex scientific projects, mitigating associated risks, and offering innovative solutions in the public health domain could leverage such contracts for establishing or expanding their services in the public sector.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Environmental Surveillance: OSMA and OSD

Notice Description

The FSA intends to award a contract for delivery of a research and evidence project to strengthen the FSA's environmental surveillance capability for foodborne disease (FBD) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The project will generate robust, transferable evidence to support a One Health approach to environmental surveillance, demonstrating the feasibility, operational value and cost effectiveness of combining a One Sample Many Analyses (OSMA) approach with targeted On Site Diagnostic (OSD) technologies, using environmental samples that are already collected across government. The requirement is to deliver a structured, phased programme of work that enables the FSA to determine where and how OSMA and OSD approaches provide added value relative to existing laboratory based, single organisation surveillance models, and where they do not. The emphasis is on evidence generation, evaluation and decision support, rather than deployment at scale.

Procurement Information

Fera is the only supplier with the necessary combination of technical capability, domain knowledge, data access and established stakeholder relationships required to deliver this programme.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06c5e6
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063995-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
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

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£1,575,933 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Jul 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
7 Jul 20261 weeks ago
Contract Period
31 Jul 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

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
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

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.

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-06c5e6-2026-07-08T10:17:47+01:00",
    "date": "2026-07-08T10:17:47+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06c5e6",
    "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-COH-09413107",
            "name": "Fera Science Ltd",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-COH",
                "id": "09413107"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "York Biotech Campus",
                "locality": "York",
                "postalCode": "YO41 1LZ",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKE22"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "edward.haynes@fera.co.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ],
            "details": {
                "scale": "large",
                "vcse": false,
                "publicServiceMissionOrganization": false,
                "shelteredWorkshop": false
            },
            "control": {
                "description": "n/a"
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PJRM-6866-LYYX",
        "name": "Food Standards Agency"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "C446646",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Environmental Surveillance: OSMA and OSD",
        "description": "The FSA intends to award a contract for delivery of a research and evidence project to strengthen the FSA's environmental surveillance capability for foodborne disease (FBD) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The project will generate robust, transferable evidence to support a One Health approach to environmental surveillance, demonstrating the feasibility, operational value and cost effectiveness of combining a One Sample Many Analyses (OSMA) approach with targeted On Site Diagnostic (OSD) technologies, using environmental samples that are already collected across government. The requirement is to deliver a structured, phased programme of work that enables the FSA to determine where and how OSMA and OSD approaches provide added value relative to existing laboratory based, single organisation surveillance models, and where they do not. The emphasis is on evidence generation, evaluation and decision support, rather than deployment at scale.",
        "status": "complete",
        "procurementMethod": "direct",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Direct award",
        "procurementMethodRationale": "Fera is the only supplier with the necessary combination of technical capability, domain knowledge, data access and established stakeholder relationships required to deliver this programme.",
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "complete",
                "suitability": {
                    "sme": true,
                    "vcse": true
                }
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "conflictOfInterest",
                "documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
                "description": "Not published"
            }
        ],
        "riskDetails": "Risks associated with a scientific services project of this nature may include (but not limited to) delays in project delivery, budgetary pressures, changes in scope or requirements, difficulties in obtaining representative samples, sampling plan amendments, sample quality or availability issues, laboratory capacity constraints, analytical method development and validation challenges, equipment failure, data quality concerns, regulatory or legislative changes, stakeholder availability, and delays in the provision of information, materials or approvals. There is also a risk that research findings or analytical results may not generate the expected outcomes, requiring additional investigation, testing, or revisions to the proposed approach. Suppliers will be expected to identify, manage and mitigate such risks throughout the contract lifecycle to ensure delivery of the agreed objectives, timelines and outputs.",
        "procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
            {
                "id": "singleSuppliersTechnicalReasons"
            }
        ]
    },
    "awards": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "title": "Environmental Surveillance - OSMA and OSD",
            "status": "pending",
            "value": {
                "amountGross": 1891120.56,
                "amount": 1575933.8,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
            "aboveThreshold": true,
            "suppliers": [
                {
                    "id": "GB-COH-09413107",
                    "name": "Fera Science Ltd"
                }
            ],
            "items": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "additionalClassifications": [
                        {
                            "scheme": "CPV",
                            "id": "73000000",
                            "description": "Research and development services and related consultancy services"
                        }
                    ],
                    "deliveryAddresses": [
                        {
                            "region": "UK",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UK",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        }
                    ],
                    "relatedLot": "1"
                }
            ],
            "contractPeriod": {
                "startDate": "2026-08-01T00:00:00+01:00",
                "endDate": "2029-03-31T23:59:59+01:00",
                "maxExtentDate": "2029-06-30T23:59:59+01:00"
            },
            "hasRenewal": true,
            "renewal": {
                "description": "3 month optional extension"
            },
            "relatedLots": [
                "1"
            ],
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "063969-2026",
                    "documentType": "awardNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK5",
                    "description": "Transparency notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063969-2026",
                    "datePublished": "2026-07-08T10:02:41+01:00",
                    "format": "text/html"
                },
                {
                    "id": "063995-2026",
                    "documentType": "awardNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK6",
                    "description": "Contract award notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063995-2026",
                    "datePublished": "2026-07-08T10:17:47+01:00",
                    "format": "text/html"
                }
            ],
            "milestones": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "type": "futureSignatureDate",
                    "dueDate": "2026-07-21T23:59:59+01:00",
                    "status": "scheduled"
                }
            ],
            "date": "2026-07-08T00:00:00+01:00",
            "standstillPeriod": {
                "endDate": "2026-07-20T23:59:59+01:00"
            },
            "subcontracting": {
                "subcontracts": [
                    {
                        "id": "1",
                        "mainContractors": [
                            {
                                "id": "GB-COH-09413107",
                                "name": "Fera Science Ltd"
                            }
                        ],
                        "description": "n/a"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "language": "en"
}