Scope
Description
To address this evidence gap, we are inviting tenders to carry out a survey of E. coli, Campylobacter, Salmonella and AMR on frozen chicken meat on retail sale in the UK. The survey should include UK-produced and imported frozen chicken. We anticipate that 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 and reporting.
Total value (estimated)
- £180,000 excluding VAT
- £216,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
Lot constraints
Maximum number of lots a supplier can bid for: 1
Maximum number of lots a supplier can be awarded: 1
Description of how multiple lots may be awarded:
Can be awarded all lots. Full details on lots in the specification.
Not the same for all lots
Contract dates are shown in Lot sections, because they are not the same for all lots.
Lot 1. Lot 1. Survey design, sample collection at retail and transportation to the test
Description
Applicants should submit bids indicating a provisional design for a survey on E. coli, Campylobacter and Salmonella and AMR found on raw frozen chicken meat on retail sale in the UK. Sample collection For this survey, the frozen chicken items will need to be evenly sampled over a 12-month period commencing from October 2025 and concluding at the end of September 2026. Given the lack of AMR data on UK retail frozen chicken, we suggest sampling 300 (+5% contingency) frozen chicken samples at retail supermarkets as this will enable us to create a new baseline for AMR E. coli whilst also providing updated prevalence figures for Campylobacter and Salmonella Full details are in the specification document.
Lot value (estimated)
- £50,000 excluding VAT
- £60,000 including VAT
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 September 2025 to 31 October 2026
- Possible extension to 31 January 2027
- 1 year, 5 months
Description of possible extension:
Optional 3 month extension
Same for all lots
CPV classifications are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Lot 2. Lot 2: Microbiological testing, data analysis and reporting
Description
Applicants should submit bids indicating a microbiological testing for a survey on E. coli, Campylobacter and Salmonella and AMR found on raw frozen chicken 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. Full details are in the specification document.
Lot value (estimated)
- £130,000 excluding VAT
- £156,000 including VAT
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 September 2025 to 31 March 2027
- Possible extension to 30 September 2027
- 2 years, 1 month
Description of possible extension:
Optional 6 month extension
Same for all lots
CPV classifications are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Participation
Particular suitability
Lot 1. Lot 1. Survey design, sample collection at retail and transportation to the test
Lot 2. Lot 2: Microbiological testing, data analysis and reporting
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
12 June 2025, 12:00pm
Tender submission deadline
25 June 2025, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Tenders for FSA funded projects must be submitted through the health-family single e-commercial system (Atamis), using the following link: http://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome. Failure to do so may result in the tender response not being processed by the system or the response being automatically disqualified during the evaluation stage of the tender process.
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
29 August 2025
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Technical | 70% |
Quality |
| Social Value | 10% |
Quality |
| Commercial | 20% |
Cost |
Weighting description
See specification for full award criteria
Other information
Applicable trade agreements
- Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Justification for not publishing a preliminary market engagement notice
No prior market engagement was conducted due to an already defined scope and value of the procurement.
Contracting authority
Food Standards Agency
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PJRM-6866-LYYX
YO1 7PR
York
YO1 7PR
United Kingdom
Email: fsa.commercial@food.gov.uk
Website: https://www.food.gov.uk/
Region: UKE21 - York
Organisation type: Public authority - central government