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Understanding consumer attitudes and behaviours around misinformation to inform communications activity to counter food safety misinformation

Food Standards Agency

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

23 Oct 2026 at 10:44

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Food Standards Agency commissioned social research into how consumers encounter and respond to food-related information online, with a particular focus on misinformation about food safety. The work is intended to examine consumer attitudes, behaviour and trust, and to provide evidence for communications that can improve confidence and help counter misleading claims. Findings are also intended to inform the Agency’s future communications, public engagement and policy development. This is a research and consultancy requirement, rather than a food testing or enforcement service. The buyer is the Food Standards Agency, a central government body. The procurement describes online information and consumer behaviour as the subject of the research; it does not identify a separate delivery location.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to The Social Agency/Basis Social Limited. It was a single-lot call-off from the Research: Social Science Call-Off, made directly without competition under a below-threshold procedure. The contract was signed on 21 October 2026 and runs from 21 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. Its value is £59,990.08 excluding VAT (£71,988.10 including VAT). The award records social research and related research services. No evaluation basis is stated in the process information. The published outcome identifies one awarded supplier; there are no separate lot awards to report.

For suppliers considering similar future work for the Food Standards Agency, this award demonstrates demand for focused social research that connects online information, consumer trust and food safety. A credible provider would need to design research capable of examining both attitudes and behaviour, and turn findings into practical evidence for communications and engagement. The work also needs to support policy development and help the Agency understand how to counter misinformation while improving consumer confidence. Social research and research consultancy capabilities are directly relevant; expertise confined to food testing, product supply or enforcement would not match the requirement described here. The selected supplier’s award shows that a specialist research provider can deliver this kind of focused assignment through the Agency’s social science call-off route.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Understanding consumer attitudes and behaviours around misinformation to inform communications activity to counter food safety misinformation

Notice Description

Calling off from C425727 Research: Social Science Call-Off. Research services to explore consumer attitudes, behaviours and trust in relation to food-related information encountered online. The work will provide evidence on how consumers engage with information and identify approaches to support effective communications, improve consumer confidence, and inform future communications, engagement and policy development.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078e9b
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100312-2026
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

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

CPV Codes

73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

73110000 - Research services

79315000 - Social research services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£59,990 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
23 Oct 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
21 Oct 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

The Social Agency/Basis Social Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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