---
title: "WP4 Social Science - Communicating changes to precautionary allergen labelling"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06e0b0"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e0b0"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e0b0.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e0b0.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Food Standards Agency"
published: "2026-08-10"
---

# WP4 Social Science - Communicating changes to precautionary allergen labelling

Buyer: Food Standards Agency  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06e0b0

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e0b0)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e0b0.json)

## Summary

The Food Standards Agency commissioned social research services on communicating changes to precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) and the potential effects of those changes on consumers. The work supports the Agency’s responsibility to explain food-safety risks, regulatory developments and the risks and benefits of changes to PAL and standardisation for pre-packed foods. It is aligned with research into food hypersensitivity risks, consumer and business behaviour, and better risk communication. The requirement is for research and communications insight rather than food manufacturing, laboratory testing or physical supply. The buying organisation is the Food Standards Agency, a central government public authority, based in York. The awarded supplier is based in London, while the research concerns communication with consumers affected by food-labelling changes.

The procurement is complete and was awarded through a direct, below-threshold call-off without competition from the Social Science Call-Off framework. The Social Agency/Basis Social Limited was awarded the contract on 10 August 2026. The contract was signed on the same date and runs from 10 August 2026 to 31 March 2027. Its value is £92,811.25 excluding VAT, or £111,373.50 including VAT. The contract is active and covers one completed lot. The award is for social research services, classified under CPV 79315000. The evaluation basis was the direct call-off route rather than a competed tender. The research relates to anticipated changes in precautionary allergen labelling and communication of their consumer impact.

This requirement indicates demand for specialist social research and public-facing risk communication on food hypersensitivity. Suppliers best placed for comparable work would combine robust qualitative or quantitative social research with a clear understanding of consumer behaviour, food safety and allergen risks. Credible expertise would include translating technical or regulatory change into accessible messages, testing how consumers understand precautionary allergen labelling, and assessing perceived risks and benefits. Experience working with a public authority, food policy or pre-packed-food labelling would strengthen a future response. The work also suits organisations able to connect research findings with practical communication recommendations, stakeholder insight and evidence-based behaviour change. A competitor would need to demonstrate relevant research quality, subject knowledge and the capacity to deliver a focused work package.

## Notice

Calling off from C425727 Research: Social Science Call-Off. The FSA has a duty to inform consumers of changes that may influence food safety risk (regulatory or otherwise). The FSA want to conduct research to ensure we are effectively communicating to consumers potential changes to precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) and standardisation for pre-packed foods. This work is aligned to FSA's key area of research interest on food hypersensitivity risks: How can we use business and consumer behaviour insights to deliver better food hypersensitivity outcomes and improve risk communication? The EU has indicated its intention to legislate in this area by the end of 2027. By December 2027 the SPS agreement is likely to be in place, with the UK aligning on food hypersensitivity (FHS) issues. Therefore, changes to how and when PAL is applied will likely apply directly to us and we need to be able to communicate these changes, and their potential risks and benefits, to consumers.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/075961-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| 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 | 10 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 10 Aug 2026 |
| Contract period | 10 Aug 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £92,811 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Food Standards Agency |
| Locality | YORK |
| Postcode area | 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 |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | The Social Agency/Basis Social Limited |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

### Codes

- 79315000 - Social research services

## Release History

- 10 Aug 2026 at 21:49 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/075961-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/075961-2026
  10th August 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- 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-06e0b0. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e0b0.json.