Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Food Standards Scotland (FSS)
4th Floor, Pilgrim House, Old Ford Road
Aberdeen
AB11 5RL
Telephone
+44 1224285172
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKM - Scotland
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA24524
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
one.3) Communication
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
National or federal Agency/Office
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
High-Risk Foods for Listeria
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 73110000 - Research services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Food Standards Scotland require a Contractor to carry out an evidence review to identify the foods considered high-risk for Listeria monocytogenes, based on the latest evidence and surveillance data available from worldwide sources. The Contractor would then be required to develop a prioritised list of these foods, ranking them based on their risk to vulnerable consumers.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKM - Scotland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is seeking a Contractor to deliver:
1) an up-to-date, in-depth evidence review of the foods with a known association with L. monocytogenes to reflect the current evidence base, and
2) the development of a prioritised list of these high-risk foods, ranking them based on their risk to vulnerable consumers, based on the most appropriate evidence and legitimate factors identified in the evidence review.
The Contractor must have an ability to review incidents, surveillance and outbreak data in the literature to analyse available evidence on the risk of L. monocytogenes in food products. FSS can provide food sampling data from Scotland from 2015 - 2025, but it is expected that the Contractor will source alternative, relevant published international datasets and literature to supplement this evidence review.
Currently, named food groups of potential risk from L. monocytogenes, developed from previous evidence and reviews from several years ago, are wide-ranging (e.g. pre-cut fruits and vegetables), comprising of several different food products with potentially varying levels of risk. Therefore, a key outcome of this research would be to produce a list of foods that vulnerable consumers should be aware of that are specific food commodities where possible, rather than wide-ranging food groups, based on the evidence provided.
It is expected that the outputs of this work will enable FSS to tailor its consumer messaging on L. monocytogenes to protect those consumers most at risk of food borne illness, as well identify areas which require further work or surveillance. This will ensure that these vulnerable groups have accurate information and are not avoiding foods of lower risk unnecessarily.
two.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice
27 October 2025
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Public Contracts Scotland Web Site at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=813224.
(SC Ref:813224)