---
title: "Oral Nutritional Supplements - REFRESH Trial - Abbott"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-059fd3"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-059fd3"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-059fd3.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-059fd3.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH"
published: "2025-10-09"
---

# Oral Nutritional Supplements - REFRESH Trial - Abbott

Buyer: UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-059fd3

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## Summary

The University of Plymouth has awarded a contract as part of their REFRESH trial, a study to evaluate the effectiveness of oral nutritional supplements (ONS) compared to food fortification in care homes. The procurement, tagged as "Oral Nutritional Supplements - REFRESH Trial - Abbott", falls under the industry category of dietetic products and homogenised food preparations. This direct procurement process, undertaken without competition due to being below the threshold, involves the supply and delivery of ONS to up to 30 care homes across regions such as Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, and the West Midlands. The award was made to Abbott Nutrition Ltd on 1st October 2025. The contract, covering the supply of Ensure Compact, spans from 31st October 2025 to 31st May 2028, with a potential extension until 2029 if necessary for recruiting care homes. Megan Worth is the contact point at the University, located in Plymouth, Devon.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses involved in the production and distribution of dietetic products, particularly those specialising in nutrition for institutional care environments. The contract to supply ONS can open doors for businesses seeking to expand their networks within the healthcare and eldercare sectors. Large-scale suppliers like Abbott Nutrition Ltd, already established in the industry, are well-suited to meet the demands of such contracts due to their capability to manage large supply chains and deliver to multiple geographical locations within the UK efficiently. This contract underscores the potential in health-focused procurement, especially in providing essential goods to vulnerable populations.

## Notice

The University of Plymouth is leading the REFRESH trial to compare the effectiveness of oral nutritional supplements (ONS) and of food fortification with routine care. We are looking to procure ONS to supply to the care homes assigned. * We wish to procure the following three oral nutritional supplements or equivalent: o Ensure Compact (Abbott Nutrition) o Fortisip Compact (Nutricia) o Altraplen Compact (Nualtra) * These will need to be supplied and delivered to up to 30 care homes distributed throughout Hampshire, Dorset, Devon and the West Midlands participating in a research trial. * Care homes will be given the option to use one of the three brands so a delivery to any given home will only be one brand, but should include all available flavours, or the flavours specified in the order. To view more detail of the study please visit: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/penctu/refresh-trial

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063882-2025 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - without competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 9 Oct 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 23 Sep 2025 |
| Contract period | 31 Oct 2025 - 31 May 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £166,666 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH |
| Locality | PLYMOUTH, DEVON |
| Post town | Plymouth |
| Postcode | PL4 8AA |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK4 Devon |
| ITL 3 | TLK41 Plymouth |
| Local authority | Plymouth |
| Electoral ward | Drake |
| Westminster constituency | Plymouth Sutton and Devonport |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | ABBOTT NUTRITION |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 15 - Food, beverages, tobacco and related products

### Codes

- 15881000 - Homogenised food preparations
- 15882000 - Dietetic products

## Release History

- 9 Oct 2025 at 15:30 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063882-2025
- 23 Sep 2025 at 09:00 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058761-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063882-2025
  9th October 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058761-2025
  23rd September 2025 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/about-us/university-structure/service-areas/procurement
- https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/penctu/refresh-trial

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-059fd3. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-059fd3.json.