Award

Support for the SAFER Food Business Interests Technical Advisory Group

FOOD STANDARDS SCOTLAND (FSS)

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

01 Apr 2026 at 00:00

Summary of the contracting process

The contracting process concluded with an award to Scotland Food & Drink by Food Standards Scotland (FSS) for the "Support for the SAFER Food Business Interests Technical Advisory Group" project. This procurement initiative falls within the food safety services category and is located in the UKM region. The procurement method employed was a limited award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition, due to the specialised expertise required. The contract, valued at £290,900, was signed on 31st March 2026, marking the completion of this services procurement stage.

This tender presents opportunities for businesses, especially those with expertise in food law, compliance, and technological implementation, to engage with FSS's strategic initiatives aimed at modernising food law. Companies with the ability to provide comprehensive industry representation, established credibility, and quick mobilisation capability could benefit from such partnerships. While the procurement was specifically tailored, businesses with these attributes can explore similar future opportunities to contribute to Scotland's food safety and regulatory landscape.

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Notice Title

Support for the SAFER Food Business Interests Technical Advisory Group

Notice Description

SAFER is one of FSS's key strategic priorities which aims to reform and modernise the delivery of food law in Scotland to ensure safe and authentic food for consumers by: - Creating a delivery system that is sustainably resourced. - Being intelligence-led, risk-focused and assurance-driven. - Harnessing data and digital technologies to improve compliance. - Driving efficiency and effectiveness across the system. SAFER objectives are to: 1. Review and reform the food law delivery model for Scotland, benchmarked against leading international approaches to ensure ambition and best practice. 2. Develop options to sustainably fund delivery of official controls and consider a transparent and proportionate cost recovery system. 3. Explore innovative regulatory strategies for reform, focused on risk, assurance, increased efficiency, and measurable public health outcomes. 4. Utilise new technologies to support food safety professionals, incentivise business compliance, and enhance consumer protection. The SAFER Programme Team will establish the Food Business Interests TAG (FBI TAG) which is needed to provide subject matter expertise from Scottish Food Industry in the co-design of a modernised food law delivery model and a sustainably funded Target Operating Model (TOM). The establishment of the FBI TAG is to ensure food businesses have a voice and play a key role in co-designing the new TOM and shaping any cost recovery options should they be introduced. In order to secure the FBI TAG's specialist expertise, a dedicated resource to lead the work of the TAG is required, ensuring subject matter expertise is available to the SAFER Programme Team in a timely manner so work can be delivered at pace.

Lot Information

Lot 1

SAFER is one of FSS's key strategic priorities which aims to reform and modernise the delivery of food law in Scotland to ensure safe and authentic food for consumers by: - Creating a delivery system that is sustainably resourced. - Being intelligence-led, risk-focused and assurance-driven. - Harnessing data and digital technologies to improve compliance. - Driving efficiency and effectiveness across the system. SAFER objectives are to: 1. Review and reform the food law delivery model for Scotland, benchmarked against leading international approaches to ensure ambition and best practice. 2. Develop options to sustainably fund delivery of official controls and consider a transparent and proportionate cost recovery system. 3. Explore innovative regulatory strategies for reform, focused on risk, assurance, increased efficiency, and measurable public health outcomes. 4. Utilise new technologies to support food safety professionals, incentivise business compliance, and enhance consumer protection. The SAFER Programme Team will establish the Food Business Interests TAG (FBI TAG) which is needed to provide subject matter expertise from Scottish Food Industry in the co-design of a modernised food law delivery model and a sustainably funded Target Operating Model (TOM). The establishment of the FBI TAG is to ensure food businesses have a voice and play a key role in co-designing the new TOM and shaping any cost recovery options should they be introduced. In order to secure the FBI TAG's specialist expertise, a dedicated resource to lead the work of the TAG is required, ensuring subject matter expertise is available to the SAFER Programme Team in a timely manner so work can be delivered at pace.

Options: Option to extend for an additional 12 months at the sole discretion of FSS

Procurement Information

The requirement is not generic stakeholder engagement or consultancy. It is technically specific and relates to the ability to provide whole system industry representation and legitimacy in the co design of a future food law delivery and charging model. In practice, this requires: - pan sector coverage across the Scottish food system (primary production through to retail, wholesale and hospitality); - established credibility and trust with industry to act as a single, authoritative counterpart to government on charging; - existing leadership and engagement structures that can be mobilised immediately, without a prolonged "bring up to speed" period; and - the ability to convene, synthesise and reconcile industry input into SAFER governance within very tight programme timescales. While a number of organisations represent parts of the sector well, none provide a reasonable substitute capable of meeting all of these requirements together.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-r6ebe6-0000828236
Publication Source
Public Contracts Scotland
Latest Notice
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR552990
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

75 - Administration, defence and social security services


CPV Codes

75130000 - Supporting services for the government

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£290,900 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
1 Apr 20263 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
31 Mar 20264 days ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
FOOD STANDARDS SCOTLAND (FSS)
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
ABERDEEN
Postcode
AB11 5RL
Post Town
Aberdeen
Country
Scotland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM5 North Eastern Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM50 Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
Delivery Location
TLM Scotland

Local Authority
Aberdeen City
Electoral Ward
Torry/Ferryhill
Westminster Constituency
Aberdeen South

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

SCOTLAND FOOD & DRINK

Further Information

Notice Documents

  • https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR552990
    Support for the SAFER Food Business Interests Technical Advisory Group - SAFER is one of FSS's key strategic priorities which aims to reform and modernise the delivery of food law in Scotland to ensure safe and authentic food for consumers by: - Creating a delivery system that is sustainably resourced. - Being intelligence-led, risk-focused and assurance-driven. - Harnessing data and digital technologies to improve compliance. - Driving efficiency and effectiveness across the system. SAFER objectives are to: 1. Review and reform the food law delivery model for Scotland, benchmarked against leading international approaches to ensure ambition and best practice. 2. Develop options to sustainably fund delivery of official controls and consider a transparent and proportionate cost recovery system. 3. Explore innovative regulatory strategies for reform, focused on risk, assurance, increased efficiency, and measurable public health outcomes. 4. Utilise new technologies to support food safety professionals, incentivise business compliance, and enhance consumer protection. The SAFER Programme Team will establish the Food Business Interests TAG (FBI TAG) which is needed to provide subject matter expertise from Scottish Food Industry in the co-design of a modernised food law delivery model and a sustainably funded Target Operating Model (TOM). The establishment of the FBI TAG is to ensure food businesses have a voice and play a key role in co-designing the new TOM and shaping any cost recovery options should they be introduced. In order to secure the FBI TAG's specialist expertise, a dedicated resource to lead the work of the TAG is required, ensuring subject matter expertise is available to the SAFER Programme Team in a timely manner so work can be delivered at pace.

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