---
title: "Additional Analytical Methods for NDNS Biomonitoring"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06abec"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06abec"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06abec.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06abec.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY"
published: "2026-07-06"
---

# Additional Analytical Methods for NDNS Biomonitoring

Buyer: FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06abec

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## Summary

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), a UK public authority, is inviting tenders to undertake a research project titled "Additional Analytical Methods for NDNS Biomonitoring" within the industry category of research and development services. The procurement process is in the tender stage, with key dates including an enquiry deadline on 27th July 2026 and a tender submission deadline on 17th August 2026. This contract has a total estimated budget of £200,000 (excluding VAT) and covers three lots focusing on food additives, chemical contaminants, and metals, each with specific budgets and requirements. The project is located in York, United Kingdom, and the services needed relate to developing and validating analytical chemistry methods for biomonitoring human exposure to certain food-related substances.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for businesses involved in analytical research, particularly those specialising in biomonitoring and analytical chemistry, to expand their portfolios by contributing to advancing public health analytics. Companies with expertise in analytical method development using techniques like LC-MS, GC-MS, or ICP-MS, and those capable of handling complex data for systemic exposure assessments, would be well-suited to this project. The open procurement method allows for competitive bidding, offering equal opportunities for researchers, SMEs, and other enterprises across the sector. Additionally, the project supports collaboration or consortium approaches, enhancing the potential for businesses to combine resources and expertise to deliver innovative solutions.

## Notice

Tenders are invited to undertake a research project to identify suitable biomarkers of priority (groups of) additives (Lot 1) and contaminants (Lot 2), Metals (Lot 3) and develop and validate analytical chemistry methods for their quantitative measurement in human urine. In addition, an approach for estimating systemic exposure and theoretical dietary intake of each chemical of interest, from measured urinary excretion of the biomarker(s), should be derived. The FSA is requesting that methods and approaches are determined, and proven for feasibility, for substances from the following food additive and other chemical contaminant groups, below or up to the estimated budget of PS100,000 (exc. VAT) Lot 1 and PS50,000 (exc VAT) each for lot 2 and 3. The substance groups have been prioritised in accordance with the FSA's food safety remit and specific priorities. All documents and communication for FSA funded projects must be submitted through the health-family single e-Commercial System (Atamis), using the following link: https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome

### Lot Information

Lot 1: Food Additives

Food Additives (Lot 1) Over 300 food additives are approved for use in food in Great Britain (GB) (not including different forms of the same substance), and these are described in the FSA's list of Approved additives and E numbers | Food Standards Agency. Food additives are ingredients that are added to foods to carry out a particular technological function, but they may only be used in food for which they have been authorised and only up to their maximum permitted level. However, the actual use levels of food additives in foods may be below the maximum permitted levels and, therefore, accurate consumer exposures to additives in foods are not easy to estimate. Additionally, consumers may be exposed to additives through different sources, and other factors, such as dietary preferences and brand loyalty, can often make the estimation of actual exposure challenging.

Renewal: 3 month optional extension

Lot 2 : Chemical Contaminants

Chemical Contaminants (Lot 2) Chemical contaminants in food are unintentional and undesirable substances that may pose health risks at certain levels. Some examples of chemical contaminants include mycotoxins, heavy metals (such as lead and mercury), and organic pollutants (like dioxins). Chemical contaminants can enter the food chain from multiple sources, during primary or secondary production. Because of their potential impact on health, regulatory controls exist to limit consumer exposure, and it is essential to manage and reduce their presence in food.

Renewal: 3 month optional extension

Lot 3: Metals

Analysis of biomarkers able to inform on exposure to the heavy metals, arsenic, cadmium, and lead. If it is technically feasible and cost effective, analysis of other metals that may be relevant to food safety may be proposed in the response to tender, in 400 NDNS Bioresource urine samples. Measurement of urinary creatinine concentration to account for urine dilution and to enable estimation of exposure. Demonstration of an approach to estimating dietary intake of relevant metals from measured concentration of biomarker

Renewal: 3 month optional extension

### Planning Information

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is undertaking pre-market engagement to inform a potential future procurement for the development and validation of analytical methods to support biomonitoring of food additives and chemical contaminants.
This engagement seeks to:
Test the feasibility of identifying and quantifying suitable urinary biomarkers for priority additive and contaminant groups
Understand market capability and capacity to deliver analytical method development and validation within the proposed timeframes and budget
Gather insight into available methodologies (e.g. LC-MS, GC-MS, ICP-MS) and approaches to biomarker identification, including limitations and innovation opportunities
Inform the future procurement strategy, including lot structure, specification design, achievable scope, and value for money considerations
Suppliers are invited to provide feedback on the proposed scope, including:
Feasibility of delivering the requirements within ~10 months per lot
The number and type of substances that could realistically be covered within the indicative budget
Approaches to biomarker selection, ADME evaluation, and method validation
Any risks, constraints, or dependencies that should be considered
The information gathered will be used solely to shape the FSA’s understanding of the market and to refine a potential future competitive procurement. Participation is voluntary, and non-participation will not disadvantage suppliers in any subsequent procurement process.
All documents and communication for FSA funded projects must be submitted through the health-family single e-Commercial System (Atamis), using the following link: https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063325-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning, Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 6 Jul 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Future notice date | 30 Jun 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 30 Sep 2026 - 31 Jul 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £200,000 |
| Lots value | £200,000 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY |
| Locality | YORK |
| Post town | York |
| Postcode | YO1 7PR |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLE Yorkshire and The Humber |
| ITL 2 | TLE2 North Yorkshire |
| ITL 3 | TLE21 York |
| Local authority | York |
| Electoral ward | Guildhall |
| Westminster constituency | York Central |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
- 73110000 - Research services
- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

## Release History

- 6 Jul 2026 at 15:17 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063325-2026
- 2 Jun 2026 at 17:56 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052090-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063325-2026
  6th July 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052090-2026
  2nd June 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome
- https://www.food.gov.uk/
- 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-06abec. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06abec.json.