Find a TenderAwardedContract details notice

Published 12 Jun 2026, 09:26 BST

Official UK procurement notice

EU harmonised surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) E. coli and Salmonella found in fresh beef and pork meat on retail sale in the UK in 2027

Official notice

Authority: The Food Standards Agency (Central government)

2 lotsServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitableVCSE suitableMax 1 lot to bidMax 1 lot per supplier

Sectors: Architecture & Engineering (71)IT Services & Software (72)Research & Development (R&D) (73)

+1 more

Business Services & Consultancy (79)

Delivery: Delivery location not published

Published estimate£210,000total for 2 lots · £252,000 inc. VAT

Submissions closed 31 Jul 2026awarded 27 Aug 2026

Awarded to UK Health Security Agency3 awards

Contract term Varies by lotfirst lot 1 yr 5 mo from 1 Oct 2026 · see each lot

What is being bought2 lots · detail below

Published requirement description

The objective of microbiological food safety research themes is to provide robust information on the presence, growth, survival, and elimination of pathogenic microorganisms throughout the food chain; the extent, distribution, causes, risks and burden of foodborne disease will also be considered where appropriate. The reduction of foodborne disease has been one of FSA’s key objectives in ensuring food safety. The reduction of foodborne disease is a continuing priority, ensuring that food produced and sold in the UK is safe to eat. We are taking a targeted approach to the control and reduction of individual pathogens, with the aim of reducing the overall burden of foodborne disease in the UK.

Lot 1. Survey design, sample collection at retail and transportation to the testing laboratory. - Failed procurement, retendered via separate procurement process.

Lot 2. Microbiological testing, data analysis, reporting and archiving of recovered bacteria and their AMR profile

CPV: Data collection and collation services · Laboratory services · Market research services · Research and development consultancy services · Research and development services and related consultancy services · Research laboratory services · Research services

Lots and requirements (2)Procurement structure

2 lots · all with a published value (£210,000 together) · a supplier may bid for at most 1 and win at most 1 of them · same conditions of participation on every lot · same evaluation weights on every lot

Lot #1Survey design, sample collection at retail and transportation to the testAwardedRenewal 1 yr 5 moSMEVCSEPublished value£50,000

Applicants should submit bids indicating a proportionate stratified sampling design for a survey of AMR E. coli and Salmonella found on raw, fresh beef and pork meat on retail sale in the UK. Fresh meat is defined in the Technical specifications on a randomisation of sampling for the purpose of antimicrobial resistance monitoring from food‐producing animals and food as from 2021 as chilled meat (meaning that frozen meat is excluded), including meat that is wrapped, vacuum-wrapped or wrapped in a controlled atmosphere. The survey will include both skin and skinless beef and pork meat cuts such as, but not limited to, roasting joints, steaks, chops, sliced and diced, etc. Both pre-packed and loose beef and pork meat purchased at major supermarkets and butchers are to be included in this survey. This also includes loose beef and pork meat purchased from butchers/meat counters located within supermarkets.

Contract period: 1 Oct 2026 – 29 Feb 2028 (1 yr 5 mo) · up to 31 May 2028 with extensionsValue: £50,000 exc. VAT · £60,000 inc. VAT

Eligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligible

Extensions: October 2026 – February 2028. Sampling to be delivered January–December 2027, with an optional extension of up to 3 months.

71900000 Laboratory services 72314000 Data collection and collation services 73000000 Research and development services and related consultancy services 73110000 Research services 73111000 Research laboratory services 73200000 Research and development consultancy services

Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)2

Economic & financial standing
See PSQ
Technical & professional ability
See Technical Envelope and Specification

Lot #2Microbiological testing, data analysis, reporting and archiving of recoveAwardedRenewal 1 yr 8 moSMEVCSEPublished value£160,000

Lot 2.Microbiological testing, data analysis, reporting and archiving of recovered bacteria and their AMR profile.

Applicants should submit bids indicating a microbiological testing for a survey on AMR E. coli (ESBL-, AmpC-, carbapenemase-producing and colistin resistant) and Salmonella found on raw beef and pork meat on retail sale in the UK. Applicants must ensure good quality control throughout the sample arrival/logging and analysis and long-term storage of bacterial isolates.

Contract period: 1 Oct 2026 – 31 May 2028 (1 yr 8 mo) · up to 30 Nov 2028 with extensionsValue: £160,000 exc. VAT · £192,000 inc. VAT

Eligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligible

Extensions: October 2026 – May 2028, with an optional extension of up to 6 months.

Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)2

Economic & financial standing
See PSQ
Technical & professional ability
See Technical Envelope and Specification

What it takes to win
i
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add more

How bids were scored · same split on all 2 lots

Quality: 80%Price: 20%

Published sub-criteria (2)

Technical: 80%
Commercial: 20%

Published award criteria (2)

Technical: See Specification for more details. The technical criteria is broken down into sections.
Commercial: See specification for more details. The Commercial section is split into 5 sub-sections

Lot distribution rule: The survey will be in two Lots: Lot 1. Survey design, sample collection at retail and transportation to the testing laboratory Lot 2. Microbiological testing, data analysis, reporting and archiving of recovered bacteria and their AMR profile. Applicants may bid for one or both Lots. Applicant's can be awarded 1 or both Lots. Where bidding for both, separate tenders must be submitted for each Lot to enable independent evaluation. Collaborative or consortium approaches are permitted where they support delivery across Lots; however, they are not mandatory and will not be given preferential treatment. The FSA confirms that Lot 1 and Lot 2 are fundamentally interdependent and form a single integrated programme of work. Accordingly, the FSA reserves the absolute right, at its sole discretion: not to award both Lots, not to proceed with either Lot, or to withdraw an award decision, where it considers that the delivery of one Lot in isolation would not meet the FSA’s requirements. In particular, award of Lot 2 (Microbiological testing, data analysis and reporting) is strictly conditional upon the award and successful delivery of Lot 1 (Survey design, sample collection and transportation). Where Lot 1 is not awarded or cannot proceed, the Authority will not proceed with Lot 2. Applicants should note that no guarantee is given that either or both Lots will be awarded, and the Authority shall not be liable for any costs incurred by bidders in participating in this procurement. Where a single supplier is awarded both Lots, separate contracts will be entered into for each Lot.

Conditions of participation · identical on every lot2

Economic & financial standing
See PSQ
Technical & professional ability
See Technical Envelope and Specification

What this means for your bid

Price carries 20 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 2 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record

Procedure method: Open procedure
Legal basis: UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category: Services
Notice status: Awarded
Procurement threshold: Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime: Standard
Commercial structure: Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type: Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered: Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement: Unspecified in notice
First published: 12 Jun 2026, 09:26 BST
Last source update: 12 Oct 2026, 10:58 BST
Award evaluation window: Submission end – 1 Sept 2026
Authority reference: C452040
FTS notice number: 2026/S 000-055510
Latest notice: Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV): Data collection and collation servicesLaboratory servicesMarket research servicesResearch and development consultancy servicesResearch and development services and related consultancy servicesResearch laboratory servicesResearch services
Delivery area: Not published
Official registry OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06b3a6 Find a Tender
Contract terms summary: Payment of valid and undisputed invoices will be made within 30 days of receipt of the invoice or, if later, the date by which the payment falls due in accordance with the invoice, which must be submitted promptly by the Supplier.
All invoices must be sent, quoting a valid Purchase Order Number (PO Number) and any other relevant details including the minimum required information set out in Section 68(9) of the Procurement Act 2023, to: [email protected].
Within 10 Working Days of receipt of your countersigned copy of this Order Form, we will send you a unique PO Number. You must be in receipt of a valid PO Number before submitting an invoice.
To avoid delay in payment it is important that the invoice is compliant and that it includes a valid PO Number, item number (if applicable) and the details (name, email, and telephone number) of your Buyer contact (i.e., Buyer Authorised Representative). Non-compliant invoices may be sent back to you, which may lead to a delay in payment.

Review and risk notes

Risks: As this is an evolving research project risks are spread across the deliverables, including but not limited to, scope, timings, regulatory changes, new scientific ways of working. Delays in obtaining, analysing, or synthesising published material could also impact delivery timelines.

How it was run

Official notice

Run through: Atamis legacy domain (health-family.force.com) · Who buys & how to bid on Atamis

Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN

Access & registration note: Legacy Salesforce domain still used in notices — use the current Atamis portal · this portal address is a legacy domain; the operator has migrated

Submission deadline: 31 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST
Clarification deadline: 6 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST
Submission channel: Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission: Allowed
Accepted languages: en

Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Tenders for FSA funded projects must be submitted through the health-family single e-Commercial System (Atamis), using the following link: health-family.force.com/s/Welcome ↗

Timeline

12 Jun 2026 → 12 Oct 2026 · 7 dates

Tender notice published137 days ago
12 Jun 2026, 09:26 BST
Clarification questions by112 days ago
6 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST
Submission deadline87 days ago
31 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST
Award decision expected by55 days ago
1 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
Assessment summaries sent47 days ago
10 Sept 2026, 00:00 BST
Contract starts26 days ago
1 Oct 2026, 00:00 BST
Latest notice published15 days ago
12 Oct 2026, 10:58 BST

Notice history

5 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 12 Jun 2026

Tender notice published
12 Jun 2026, 09:26 BST
UK4
Contract award notice published
10 Sept 2026, 08:51 BST
UK6
Contract signature expected
30 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
scheduled
Contract details notice published
12 Oct 2026, 10:58 BST
UK7
Status changed to complete
12 Oct 2026, 10:58 BST

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast

Awards 3

Awarded value £134,0381 award exc. VAT · 1 repeated publication of the same award counted once

Bids received 2

Contracts signed 1latest 6 Oct 2026

Awarded to	Value	Date	Status
Lot 1 · Survey design, sample collection at retail and transportation to the test1 award
supplier not published	—	31 Jul 2026	Awarded
Lot 2 · Microbiological testing, data analysis, reporting and archiving of recove2 awards
UK Health Security AgencyEU harmonised surveillance of AMR E. coli and Salmonella found in beef and pork – Lot 21 Oct 2026 – 31 May 2028 · up to 30 Nov 2028Extensions: Lot 2: October 2026 – May 2028, with an optional extension of up to 6 months.	£134,038	27 Aug 2026	Awarded
UK Health Security Agency	£134,038 †same award published again · counted once	—	Awarded

Contracts

EU harmonised surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) E. coli and Salmonella found in fresh beef and pork meat on retail sale in the UK in 2027; Lot 2 Microbiological testing, data analysis and reporting · UK Health Security Agency
Signed
6 Oct 2026
Value
£134,038
Period
1 Nov 2026 – 30 Jul 2028 · up to 30 Jan 2029 with extensions
Status
active
Extensions
The Buyer may extend the Contract for a period of up to 6 Months by giving not less than 10 Working Days' notice in writing to the Supplier prior to the Expiry Date. The Conditions of the Contract shall apply throughout any such extended period.

Bid statistics published by the authority

Lot	Bids	SME	VCSE	Valid bid range
2 · Microbiological testing, data analysis, reporting and archiving of recove	2final-stage tenders	0	0	—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Food Standards Agency

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central government GB-PPON: PJRM-6866-LYYX YO1 7PR, York, Yorkshire & Humber, YO1 7PRContact name, email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)Awarded supplierGB-PPON: PBMQ-7576-DVGW Food Water and Environmental Microbiology Services (FWEMS), Manor Farm Road,, Wiltshire, South West, SP4 0JGContact email

Official documents & specifications (4)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender12 Oct 2026, 10:58 BST
Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender10 Sept 2026, 08:51 BST
Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender10 Sept 2026, 08:51 BST
Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender12 Jun 2026, 09:26 BST