---
title: "Support for the SAFER Food Business Interests Technical Advisory Group"
ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000828236"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000828236"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000828236.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000828236.json"
source: "Public Contracts Scotland"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "FOOD STANDARDS SCOTLAND (FSS)"
published: "2026-04-01"
---

# Support for the SAFER Food Business Interests Technical Advisory Group

Buyer: FOOD STANDARDS SCOTLAND (FSS)  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000828236

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## Summary

The contracting process concluded with an award to Scotland Food & Drink by Food Standards Scotland (FSS) for the "Support for the SAFER Food Business Interests Technical Advisory Group" project. This procurement initiative falls within the food safety services category and is located in the UKM region. The procurement method employed was a limited award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition, due to the specialised expertise required. The contract, valued at £290,900, was signed on 31st March 2026, marking the completion of this services procurement stage.

This tender presents opportunities for businesses, especially those with expertise in food law, compliance, and technological implementation, to engage with FSS's strategic initiatives aimed at modernising food law. Companies with the ability to provide comprehensive industry representation, established credibility, and quick mobilisation capability could benefit from such partnerships. While the procurement was specifically tailored, businesses with these attributes can explore similar future opportunities to contribute to Scotland's food safety and regulatory landscape.

## Notice

SAFER is one of FSS's key strategic priorities which aims to reform and modernise the delivery of food law in Scotland to ensure safe and authentic food for consumers by: - Creating a delivery system that is sustainably resourced. - Being intelligence-led, risk-focused and assurance-driven. - Harnessing data and digital technologies to improve compliance. - Driving efficiency and effectiveness across the system. SAFER objectives are to: 1. Review and reform the food law delivery model for Scotland, benchmarked against leading international approaches to ensure ambition and best practice. 2. Develop options to sustainably fund delivery of official controls and consider a transparent and proportionate cost recovery system. 3. Explore innovative regulatory strategies for reform, focused on risk, assurance, increased efficiency, and measurable public health outcomes. 4. Utilise new technologies to support food safety professionals, incentivise business compliance, and enhance consumer protection. The SAFER Programme Team will establish the Food Business Interests TAG (FBI TAG) which is needed to provide subject matter expertise from Scottish Food Industry in the co-design of a modernised food law delivery model and a sustainably funded Target Operating Model (TOM). The establishment of the FBI TAG is to ensure food businesses have a voice and play a key role in co-designing the new TOM and shaping any cost recovery options should they be introduced. In order to secure the FBI TAG's specialist expertise, a dedicated resource to lead the work of the TAG is required, ensuring subject matter expertise is available to the SAFER Programme Team in a timely manner so work can be delivered at pace.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

SAFER is one of FSS's key strategic priorities which aims to reform and modernise the delivery of food law in Scotland to ensure safe and authentic food for consumers by: - Creating a delivery system that is sustainably resourced. - Being intelligence-led, risk-focused and assurance-driven. - Harnessing data and digital technologies to improve compliance. - Driving efficiency and effectiveness across the system. SAFER objectives are to: 1. Review and reform the food law delivery model for Scotland, benchmarked against leading international approaches to ensure ambition and best practice. 2. Develop options to sustainably fund delivery of official controls and consider a transparent and proportionate cost recovery system. 3. Explore innovative regulatory strategies for reform, focused on risk, assurance, increased efficiency, and measurable public health outcomes. 4. Utilise new technologies to support food safety professionals, incentivise business compliance, and enhance consumer protection. The SAFER Programme Team will establish the Food Business Interests TAG (FBI TAG) which is needed to provide subject matter expertise from Scottish Food Industry in the co-design of a modernised food law delivery model and a sustainably funded Target Operating Model (TOM). The establishment of the FBI TAG is to ensure food businesses have a voice and play a key role in co-designing the new TOM and shaping any cost recovery options should they be introduced. In order to secure the FBI TAG's specialist expertise, a dedicated resource to lead the work of the TAG is required, ensuring subject matter expertise is available to the SAFER Programme Team in a timely manner so work can be delivered at pace.

Options: Option to extend for an additional 12 months at the sole discretion of FSS

### Procurement Information

The requirement is not generic stakeholder engagement or consultancy. It is technically specific and relates to the ability to provide whole system industry representation and legitimacy in the co design of a future food law delivery and charging model. In practice, this requires: - pan sector coverage across the Scottish food system (primary production through to retail, wholesale and hospitality); - established credibility and trust with industry to act as a single, authoritative counterpart to government on charging; - existing leadership and engagement structures that can be mobilised immediately, without a prolonged "bring up to speed" period; and - the ability to convene, synthesise and reconcile industry input into SAFER governance within very tight programme timescales. While a number of organisations represent parts of the sector well, none provide a reasonable substitute capable of meeting all of these requirements together.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland |
| Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR552990 |
| Notice type | OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 1 Apr 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 31 Mar 2026 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £290,900 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | FOOD STANDARDS SCOTLAND (FSS) |
| Locality | ABERDEEN |
| Post town | Aberdeen |
| Postcode | AB11 5RL |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM5 North Eastern Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM50 Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire |
| Local authority | Aberdeen City |
| Electoral ward | Torry/Ferryhill |
| Westminster constituency | Aberdeen South |
| Delivery location | TLM Scotland |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | SCOTLAND FOOD & DRINK |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 75 - Administration, defence and social security services

### Codes

- 75130000 - Supporting services for the government

## Release History

- 1 Apr 2026 at 00:00 - Award - OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR552990

## Documents

- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR552990
  Support for the SAFER Food Business Interests Technical Advisory Group - SAFER is one of FSS's key strategic priorities which aims to reform and modernise the delivery of food law in Scotland to ensure safe and authentic food for consumers by: - Creating a delivery system that is sustainably resourced. - Being intelligence-led, risk-focused and assurance-driven. - Harnessing data and digital technologies to improve compliance. - Driving efficiency and effectiveness across the system. SAFER objectives are to: 1. Review and reform the food law delivery model for Scotland, benchmarked against leading international approaches to ensure ambition and best practice. 2. Develop options to sustainably fund delivery of official controls and consider a transparent and proportionate cost recovery system. 3. Explore innovative regulatory strategies for reform, focused on risk, assurance, increased efficiency, and measurable public health outcomes. 4. Utilise new technologies to support food safety professionals, incentivise business compliance, and enhance consumer protection. The SAFER Programme Team will establish the Food Business Interests TAG (FBI TAG) which is needed to provide subject matter expertise from Scottish Food Industry in the co-design of a modernised food law delivery model and a sustainably funded Target Operating Model (TOM). The establishment of the FBI TAG is to ensure food businesses have a voice and play a key role in co-designing the new TOM and shaping any cost recovery options should they be introduced. In order to secure the FBI TAG's specialist expertise, a dedicated resource to lead the work of the TAG is required, ensuring subject matter expertise is available to the SAFER Programme Team in a timely manner so work can be delivered at pace.

## Notice URLs

- http://
- http://www.foodstandards.gov.scot
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000828236

## 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-r6ebe6-0000828236. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000828236.json.