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National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) Review

Food Standards Agency

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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22 Oct 2026 at 08:03

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Food Standards Agency commissioned a review of the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS), a rolling survey of diet, nutrient intake and nutritional status across the general population. The work investigates possible changes to the survey methodology to improve the data available for food-safety exposure assessments, while maintaining the survey’s usefulness to other stakeholders. Exposure assessment combines food-consumption information with measurements of substances such as contaminants, food additives and pesticide residues in food. The NDNS is jointly funded by the Department of Health and Social Care’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the Food Standards Agency. This is research and development consultancy work, delivered for the FSA; the supplier is Cambridge University Technical Services Limited, based in Cambridge.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to Cambridge University Technical Services Limited. The FSA used a below-threshold direct award without competition. The contract was signed on 21 October 2026 and runs from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027, with an option for the buyer to extend it by up to six weeks by giving at least 10 working days’ written notice before expiry. The contract value is £49,551.05 excluding VAT (£59,461.26 including VAT). The procurement comprised one lot. The published information does not state an evaluation basis or eligibility criteria.

For suppliers considering future work for the FSA, this award signals demand for specialist research and development consultancy on national diet and nutrition survey methods. Credible providers would need to understand how survey design and dietary data support food-safety exposure assessment, including the combination of consumption data with concentration data for contaminants, additives and pesticide residues. They would also need to develop methodological recommendations that improve usefulness for the FSA while preserving the survey’s value to other stakeholders. The selected supplier is a large Cambridge-based technical services organisation, providing a benchmark for the institutional capability involved. This was awarded directly without competition, so the award does not establish a competitive scoring model or stated formal qualification requirements.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) Review

Notice Description

As part of the FSA's commitment to ensure food is safe and is what it says it is, the FSA undertakes food safety risk assessments in line with the internationally recognised 'Codex Working Principles for Risk Analysis for Food Safety'. A key component of food safety risk assessment is exposure assessment, which estimates the amount of a hazard consumed through the diet. Exposure assessment combines food consumption data with information on the concentrations of substances such as contaminants, food additives or pesticide residues in food to estimate the levels consumers may be exposed to. UK consumption data is primarily obtained from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS). The NDNS is a rolling programme of surveys designed to assess the diet, nutrient intake and nutritional status of the general population of the UK. The NDNS is a co funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and FSA. This project is to investigate potential changes to the methodology used in the NDNS, to optimize the data collected for use in exposure assessment for food safety risk assessment, while ensuring the survey continues to meet the requirements of other stakeholders.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078d63
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099736-2026
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

73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£49,551 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 Oct 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Nov 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
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

Cambridge University Technical Services Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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