---
title: "Oral Nutritional Supplements - REFRESH Trial - Nualtra"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05a07b"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05a07b"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05a07b.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05a07b.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH"
published: "2025-10-09"
---

# Oral Nutritional Supplements - REFRESH Trial - Nualtra

Buyer: UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05a07b

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## Summary

The University of Plymouth, a public authority within the sub-central government, has concluded a procurement process aimed at acquiring oral nutritional supplements as part of the REFRESH trial. This initiative, located primarily in Plymouth, Devon, involves comparing the effectiveness of these supplements against traditional food fortification within care homes across the regions of Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, and the West Midlands. The procurement has reached the award stage, with the contract awarded to Nualtra Limited on 1 October 2025. The process used a direct procurement method, falling below the competitive threshold, which involves the simple selection of suppliers without a formal tendering competition. The contract period is set from 31 October 2025 to 31 May 2028, with potential extensions, primarily due to challenges in recruiting participating care homes.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for businesses involved in the production and distribution of dietetic products, specifically companies like Nualtra Limited that can supply oral nutritional supplements. The selected supplier will have the chance to engage with care homes across multiple regions, thus enhancing its business reach and reputation in the health and nutrition industry. The contract's focus on a specific selection of products, including brands like Ensure Compact and Fortisip Compact, highlights the potential for suppliers familiar with the health sector to expand their portfolio. Large-scale suppliers capable of managing logistics efficiently across multiple care home locations would be particularly well-suited for this type of contract, providing both growth potential and a platform for showcasing industry-specific expertise.

## 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/063883-2025 |
| 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 | NUALTRA |

## 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/063883-2025
- 23 Sep 2025 at 16:00 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/059026-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063883-2025
  9th October 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/059026-2025
  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-05a07b. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05a07b.json.