--- title: "Sustainable Healthy Diets and Pathway to Net Zero: Assessing the Role of Dietary Transitions in UK Food System Decarbonisation" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-064e0a" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-064e0a" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-064e0a.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-064e0a.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS" published: "2026-02-23" --- # Sustainable Healthy Diets and Pathway to Net Zero: Assessing the Role of Dietary Transitions in UK Food System Decarbonisation Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-064e0a [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-064e0a) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-064e0a.json) ## Summary The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has initiated a tender process as they plan to commission a research project titled "Sustainable Healthy Diets and Pathway to Net Zero: Assessing the Role of Dietary Transitions in UK Food System Decarbonisation". This project is categorized under research and development consultancy services and focuses on the UK region, offering services expected to commence in April 2026 and conclude by March 2027. The procurement stage is currently in the planning phase, with engagement milestones scheduled for completion by 20th March 2026. Interested parties are invited to submit bids through detailed guidance provided at Defra's online portal. The project's approach involves modelling complex interactions within the food system to aid policy development towards Net Zero 2050. Defra encourages consortium and collaborative applications, potentially including academia, research institutes, NGOs, and other industry partners. This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in food systems sustainability, greenhouse gas accounting, and advanced systems modelling. Companies with expertise in developing complex modelling frameworks and conducting rapid evidence assessments may find this project to be a lucrative prospect. Innovative collaborations, particularly those involving academia or sectoral bodies, are likely to be well-positioned to contribute valuable insights and methodologies to the study. The project aligns with broader initiatives within the UK to meet Net Zero emissions targets, allowing businesses the chance to participate in influential policy-shaping activities and potentially secure a substantial contract valued at £225,000. This is an excellent opportunity for SMEs and VCSEs to demonstrate their capabilities, engage with governmental procurement processes, and expand their market presence in the sustainability sector. ## Notice Scope Defra is seeking to commission a research project to quantify how a transition to more sustainable and healthy diets, driven by current consumption trends and potentially enhanced by future demand side policies may influence UK territorial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the food system in the run up to Net Zero 2050. The study should explore a suite of policy driven and trend driven dietary transition scenarios and assess consequential effects on: * UK agricultural production patterns * Trade flows and import/export exposure * Land use and land use change * Herd sizes and protein production * Energy use and food system infrastructure * Broader system feedbacks (market responses, consumer acceptance, technological shifts) The project is expected to address these issues through robust modelling, integrating economic, system-dynamic, behavioural, and physical modelling where appropriate, and using both attributional and consequential Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approaches. Required Expertise Suppliers (or consortia) should demonstrate: * Technical expertise in food systems sustainability, greenhouse gas accounting, systems modelling, life cycle assessment. * Advanced modelling capability, including development and/or application of: o Systems dynamics models o Agent-based models o Integrated assessment or economic models o Other complex modelling frameworks appropriate for long term scenario design * Ability to synthesise evidence using government standard approaches, including Quick Scoping Reviews and Rapid Evidence Assessments. * Critical appraisal skills to articulate uncertainties, limitations, methodological trade-offs, and data gaps. Consortia and collaborations with academia, research institutes, NGOs, sectoral bodies, and industry partners are welcomed. Additional Context This project is informed by a growing evidence base demonstrating that demand side dietary change is likely to be essential for meeting the UK's Net Zero goals, as supply side agricultural efficiencies alone are insufficient. However: * Existing UK modelling often uses outdated datasets, * Many studies apply simplified trade assumptions, and * Few explicitly model the pathways from policy - consumer behaviour - production - territorial emissions. This project intends to fill these gaps by developing a credible, future facing modelling framework capable of capturing complex interactions across the food system and assessing the role of different policy packages. Defra has separately commission ADAS to examine the climate implications of market expansion in the UK alternative protein sector (outputs expected May 2026). Alignment between this study and the AP study is encouraged. ### Planning Information Notice Purpose Call for Competition: The tender is now live and interested parties are invited to submit bids. To obtain further information, including all documentation, please follow these steps: 1. Locate the opportunity using https://atamis-9529.my.salesforce-sites.com/?searchtype=Projects 2. Click to view documents to view the full Bidders Pack, including the Specification of Requirements 3. To submit a bid, click register your interest and log in or create a supplier account Procurement Regime Exempted Contract - Schedule 2, Part 2, Paragraph 22 - R&D Services. No notices will follow this UK2 Call for Competition. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016028-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 23 Feb 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 20 Mar 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 12 Apr 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £225,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | South West London | | Postcode | SW1P 4DF | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLI London | | ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West | | ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London | | Local authority | Westminster | | Electoral ward | St James's | | Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ### Codes - 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services ## Release History - 23 Feb 2026 at 12:16 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016028-2026 - 11 Feb 2026 at 14:37 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012475-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016028-2026 23rd February 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012475-2026 11th February 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://atamis-9529.my.salesforce-sites.com/?searchtype=Projects - https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ## 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-064e0a. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-064e0a.json.