Food Standards Agency awards biosurveillance research contract to CATALYTIC AI LTD

Tender information last checkedLast checked 20 Oct 2026, 15:27.

Opportunity overview

Biosurveillance is becoming increasingly important to support food safety, public health, animal and plant health. As the volume, complexity and variety of surveillance data continue to increase, government organisations are exploring new tools, technologies and approaches to improve the collection, analysis, interpretation and sharing of information. These developments include the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), horizon-scanning tools, data integration platforms, analytical workflows, collaboration technologies and other digital approaches that can enhance the speed and effectiveness of surveillance activities. This project will examine how government and related organisations are using tools, technologies and approaches, including AI, to support biosurveillance activities, with a particular focus on generating insight and intelligence from surveillance data to support food safety. The project will identify successful implementations, common challenges and opportunities for collaboration, while establishing a cross-government working group to support knowledge exchange and community building. The project should adopt a One Health perspective, recognising the links between food safety, human health, animal health, plant health and environmental surveillance. The outputs will provide an evidence base to support future decision-making, reduce duplication of effort, strengthen cross-government networks and help maximise the value of existing and future investments in biosurveillance capabilities

Awarded to

Amounts belong to published awards or contracts. Where several suppliers share one value, it is labelled as shared and is not a supplier-specific allocation.

Catalytic AI Ltd

Matched by number

Contract value: £100k
Awarded: Not supplied
Contract signed: 18 Oct 2026
Including VAT: £120k
Award ID: 1
Status: active
Identifier: GB-COH 16365101
Location: Bristol, UKK11, BS1 6QA, United Kingdom

Classification

No classification was supplied.

Lots

Lot 1Value not stated

Documents and notices

Contract details notice on Find a TenderOpen source ↗

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id: C472723
Status: complete
Procurement Method: direct
Procurement Method Details: Below threshold - without competition

Legal basis

Id: 2023/54
Scheme: UKPGA
Uri: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ↗

Lots and requirements

Entry 1

Id: 1
Status: complete

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1

Name: Food Standards Agency
Id: GB-PPON-PJRM-6866-LYYX

Identifier

Scheme: GB-PPON
Id: PJRM-6866-LYYX

Address

Street Address: YO1 7PR
Locality: York
Postal Code: YO1 7PR
Country: GB
Country Name: United Kingdom
Region: UKE21

Contact

Name: FSA Commercial
Email: fsa.commercial@food.gov.uk

Roles

buyer

Details

Url: https://www.food.gov.uk/ ↗

Classifications

Entry 1

Scheme: UK_CA_TYPE
Id: publicAuthorityCentralGovernment
Description: Public authority - central government

Organisation 2

Name: Catalytic AI Ltd
Id: GB-COH-16365101

Identifier

Scheme: GB-COH
Id: 16365101

Address

Street Address: Temple 1852, Lower Approach Road,
Locality: Bristol
Postal Code: BS1 6QA
Country: GB
Country Name: United Kingdom
Region: UKK11

Contact

Email: hello@catalyticai.net

Roles

supplier

Details

Scale: sme
Vcse: No

Award information

Award 1

Id: 1
Status: active
Main Procurement Category: services

Items

Item 1

Id: 1
Related Lot: 1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1

Scheme: CPV
Id: 73200000
Description: Research and development consultancy services

Entry 2

Scheme: CPV
Id: 72316000
Description: Data analysis services

Entry 3

Scheme: CPV
Id: 79315000
Description: Social research services

Suppliers

Supplier 1

Id: GB-COH-16365101
Name: Catalytic AI Ltd

Related lots

Contracts and changes

Entry 1

Id: 1
Award ID: 1
Title: Biosurveillance tools and approaches
Status: active
Has Renewal: Yes
Above Threshold: No
Date Signed: 19 Oct 2026, 00:00

Period

Starts: 2 Nov 2026, 00:00
Ends: 31 Mar 2027, 23:59
Max Extent Date: 12 May 2027, 23:59

Renewal

Description: The Buyer may extend the Contract for a period of up to 6 weeks 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.

Value

Including VAT: 120,000
Amount: 100,000
Currency: GBP

Documents

Entry 1

Id: 099040-2026
Document Type: contractNotice
Notice Type: UK7
Description: Contract details notice on Find a Tender
Url: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099040-2026 ↗
Published: 20 Oct 2026, 14:11
Format: text/html

Recorded locations

Buyer location · York · UKE21 · YO1 7PR · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION

099040-2026Contract details notice on Find a Tender · 20 Oct 2026, 14:11

PROCURAAXIS AWARD ANALYSIS

Award outcome intelligence

Evidence-bound analysis of the published award appears below the official tender and award information.

ANALYSIS PREVIEW

Award intelligence at a glance

The Food Standards Agency has awarded a direct, below-threshold contract to CATALYTIC AI LTD for research and consultancy on biosurveillance tools and approaches. The work covers AI and digital approaches to surveillance data, with a food-safety focus and a One Health perspective.

Published outcome signals

Procurement statusCompleteEvidence: Tender status is "complete" and lot 1 status is "complete" in the published contract details notice.
Award statusActiveEvidence: Award 1 is recorded with status "active".
Contract statusActiveEvidence: Contract 1 is recorded with status "active".

97% approved-analysis confidence1 supplier record analysed4 source limitations

SOURCE AND FRESHNESS

Traceable procurement data

Source: Find a Tender
Notice reference: 099040-2026
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078bed
First published: 20 Oct 2026
Last checked: 20 Oct 2026, 15:27
Notice versions reviewed: 1

View Find a Tender notice ↗

HOW THIS WAS PREPARED

Approved, evidence-bound analysis

ProcuraAxis structures information found in published procurement records, checks the result for consistency and publishes only approved analysis. Confidence describes the completeness and consistency of the available source information; it is not a guarantee of eligibility or contract award.

Analysis status: Approved for publication
Analysed: 20 Oct 2026

Read the analysis methodology →

AWARD OUTCOME

What happened

Published outcome

Award 1 is active and is linked to an active contract with CATALYTIC AI LTD. The contract was explicitly recorded as signed on 19 October 2026, starts on 2 November 2026 and is scheduled to end on 31 March 2027.

Market significance

This is a £100,000 net (£120,000 gross) public-sector research, data-analysis and consultancy engagement. It may inform future biosurveillance decision-making and cross-government collaboration, but the notice does not publish competition, evaluation or pricing detail.

AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS

1 supplier record analysed

CATALYTIC AI LTD

99% confidence

Award 1 · Lots 1 · £100,000 net; £120,000 gross GBP · Active award and active contract

View supporting evidence

Verified supplier identity is CATALYTIC AI LTD (company number 16365101). Award 1 names this supplier and is linked to contract 1, whose total value is £100,000 excluding VAT and £120,000 including VAT.

LIFECYCLE

Award or contract stage

Procurement status

98% confidence

Complete

View supporting evidence

Tender status is "complete" and lot 1 status is "complete" in the published contract details notice.

Award status

98% confidence

Active

View supporting evidence

Award 1 is recorded with status "active".

Contract status

98% confidence

Active

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 is recorded with status "active".

Contract signature

99% confidence

Signed on 19 October 2026

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 includes dateSigned: 2026-10-19T00:00:00+01:00.

Notice publication

99% confidence

20 October 2026

View supporting evidence

The Contract details notice on Find a Tender was published at 2026-10-20T14:11:51+01:00.

VALUES

Published values explained

Contract value excluding VAT

99% confidence

£100,000

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 value.amount is 100000 GBP.

Contract value including VAT

99% confidence

£120,000

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 value.amountGross is 120000 GBP.

Value allocation

97% confidence

Single contract value linked to award 1 and lot 1

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 references awardID 1; award 1 references related lot 1 and names one supplier.

TIMELINE

Procurement timeline

Contract signed

99% confidence

19 October 2026

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 dateSigned is 2026-10-19T00:00:00+01:00.

Contract details notice published

99% confidence

20 October 2026

View supporting evidence

Notice publication date is 2026-10-20T14:11:51+01:00.

Contract start

99% confidence

2 November 2026

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 period.startDate is 2026-11-02T00:00:00Z.

Scheduled contract end

99% confidence

31 March 2027

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 period.endDate is 2027-03-31T23:59:59+01:00.

Maximum possible end date

98% confidence

12 May 2027

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 period.maxExtentDate is 2027-05-12T23:59:59+01:00.

SCOPE

What was awarded

Requirement

98% confidence

Research on tools, technologies and approaches for biosurveillance, particularly insight and intelligence from surveillance data for food safety.

View supporting evidence

Published description states the project will examine use of tools, including AI, to support biosurveillance and support food safety.

Methods and technologies in scope

98% confidence

AI, horizon scanning, data-integration platforms, analytical workflows, collaboration technologies and other digital approaches.

View supporting evidence

These approaches are expressly listed in the published description.

Expected outputs

97% confidence

Evidence on implementations, challenges and collaboration opportunities, plus a cross-government working group for knowledge exchange and community building.

View supporting evidence

Published description specifies these intended outputs and activities.

Subject perspective

99% confidence

One Health, spanning food safety, human, animal, plant and environmental surveillance.

View supporting evidence

Published description explicitly requires a One Health perspective.

Service classifications

99% confidence

Research and development consultancy; data analysis; social research.

View supporting evidence

Award item lists CPV 73200000, 72316000 and 79315000.

PROCEDURE

Procedure and competition

Procurement method

99% confidence

Direct procurement

View supporting evidence

Tender procurementMethod is "direct".

Procurement method detail

99% confidence

Below threshold - without competition

View supporting evidence

Tender procurementMethodDetails states "Below threshold - without competition".

Threshold status

99% confidence

Below threshold

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 records aboveThreshold: false.

Competition information

98% confidence

No competition or bid-count information supplied in the published notice.

View supporting evidence

The supplied notice data contains no tenderer count, bid count, evaluation results or award rationale.

CONTRACT TERMS

Published contract terms

Contract period

99% confidence

2 November 2026 to 31 March 2027

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 period.startDate and period.endDate specify these dates.

Extension provision

99% confidence

Buyer may extend by up to 6 weeks with at least 10 working days' written notice before expiry.

View supporting evidence

Contract 1 renewal description states this provision.

Maximum duration boundary

97% confidence

Potentially to 12 May 2027 if the extension is exercised

View supporting evidence

Contract maxExtentDate is 2027-05-12T23:59:59+01:00; the contract includes an extension provision.

COMMERCIAL VIEW

Commercial observations

Commercial model

98% confidence

A single-supplier, below-threshold direct award for a defined research and advisory project.

View supporting evidence

One supplier is named on award 1; the procedure is direct and below threshold without competition.

Demand signal

92% confidence

The buyer is seeking evidence and cross-government learning on digital and AI-enabled biosurveillance rather than procuring a named software platform.

View supporting evidence

The description focuses on examining tools and approaches, identifying implementations and challenges, and establishing a working group.

Published commercial detail

98% confidence

No rate card, deliverable-level pricing, evaluation scores or selection rationale is supplied.

View supporting evidence

These details are absent from the supplied notice data.

ANALYSIS QUALITY

97%overall confidence

Confidence reflects the completeness and consistency of the published award data.

Reference: ocds-h6vhtk-078bed
Analysed: 20 Oct 2026

APPROVED AWARD ANALYSIS

BUYER CONTEXT

Buyer context

Buyer

99% confidence

Food Standards Agency

View supporting evidence

The notice identifies Food Standards Agency as buyer.

Buyer type

99% confidence

Central government public authority

View supporting evidence

Buyer details classify it as "Public authority - central government".

Buyer location

95% confidence

York, United Kingdom

View supporting evidence

Buyer address locality is York and country is GB/United Kingdom.

SUPPLIER CONTEXT

Supplier context

Supplier identity

99% confidence

CATALYTIC AI LTD, company number 16365101

View supporting evidence

Supplier verification identifies CATALYTIC AI LTD using a company-number match to GB-COH-16365101.

Supplier status

99% confidence

Verified active company

View supporting evidence

Supplier-verification record reports status "verified" and verified company status "Active".

Supplier classification

97% confidence

SME

View supporting evidence

Published supplier details state scale: "sme".

Supplier location

96% confidence

Bristol, United Kingdom

View supporting evidence

Published supplier address lists Bristol, BS1 6QA, United Kingdom.

RENEWAL OUTLOOK

Renewal outlook

Extension outlook

99% confidence

An extension of up to 6 weeks is contractually permitted; this is an option, not a confirmed renewal.

View supporting evidence

The contract's renewal description permits an extension, and maxExtentDate is 12 May 2027.

Estimated decision window

96% confidence

Before the scheduled expiry of 31 March 2027, with at least 10 working days' written notice required if extending

View supporting evidence

The extension clause requires notice prior to the Expiry Date; this is a contractual timing condition, not a procurement forecast.

DATA QUALITY

Gaps and source limitations

Supplier identity quality

99% confidence

Verified

View supporting evidence

CATALYTIC AI LTD was verified by company-number match (16365101); no supplier-name mismatch is flagged.

Award and value linkage

97% confidence

Clear for the single award, lot and supplier

View supporting evidence

Award 1 names one supplier, relates to lot 1, and contract 1 links to award 1.

Lot detail

99% confidence

Lot 1 has no published title, description or separate value.

View supporting evidence

Lot 1 is supplied only with id and complete status; no title, description or value is present.

Competition and evaluation detail

99% confidence

Information not supplied in the published notice.

View supporting evidence

No bid count, tenderer list, scoring, evaluation outcome or award rationale is included.

Notice terminology

92% confidence

The notice is titled a Contract details notice despite its document type field being "contractNotice".

View supporting evidence

Document description and notice type identify a Contract details notice; documentType is recorded as contractNotice.

SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS

Information not supplied in the published notice

Information not supplied in the published notice: award date, submission deadline, bid count, competing suppliers, evaluation criteria, scores, award rationale and pricing breakdown.
Lot 1 has no published title, description or individual value.
The published extension is a contractual option only; there is no evidence it will be exercised.
The notice does not publish detailed deliverables, milestones, performance measures or supplier rate information.

MARKET THEMES

Relevant award themes

COMMON QUESTIONS

About this award

Who won the Food Standards Agency biosurveillance contract?

CATALYTIC AI LTD, verified under company number 16365101.

What is the contract value?

£100,000 excluding VAT and £120,000 including VAT.

When does the contract run?

It starts on 2 November 2026 and is scheduled to end on 31 March 2027. A six-week extension is permitted under the published terms.

Was the contract competitively tendered?

The notice records a direct, below-threshold procurement without competition.

ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.

Biosurveillance tools and approaches

Opportunity overview

Awarded to

Catalytic AI Ltd

Classification

Lots

Documents and notices

Published notice details

Scope, procedure and submissions

Legal basis

Lots and requirements

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Identifier

Address

Contact

Roles

Details

Classifications

Identifier

Address

Contact

Roles

Details

Award information

Items

Additional Classifications

Suppliers

Related lots

Contracts and changes

Period

Renewal

Value

Documents

Recorded locations

Notice and amendment history

Award intelligence at a glance

Published outcome signals

Traceable procurement data

Approved, evidence-bound analysis

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