Opportunity Information: Apply for FOR FD 20 020
The Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Alliance (Funding Opportunity Number: FOR FD 20 020) is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under CFDA 93.103, in the Food and Nutrition and Health activity areas. The opportunity is designed to strengthen how manufactured food safety oversight is carried out across the United States by improving coordination and consistency among federal, state, local, tribal, and partner organizations. As a cooperative agreement, it also signals a close working relationship with FDA during the project period, with substantial involvement from the agency in shaping, aligning, and advancing shared objectives.
At its core, the program is meant to help FDA and its partners meet key requirements of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). FSMA is focused on preventing food safety problems rather than reacting after illnesses occur, and it relies heavily on aligned regulatory approaches, common standards, and coordinated operational capacity across jurisdictions. This grant supports that prevention-oriented framework by investing in the systems and relationships that allow regulators and public health agencies to operate more like a single, connected network when it comes to manufactured foods.
A major emphasis of the alliance is supporting the build-out of an Integrated National Food Safety System. That goal reflects the idea that food safety in practice is shared work: FDA sets national direction and oversight, but state, local, territorial, and tribal agencies often perform a significant portion of inspections, surveillance, sampling, and response activities. The alliance is intended to reduce fragmentation by helping these entities coordinate expectations, share workload intelligently, and develop mutual confidence in each other s regulatory activities, especially where responsibilities overlap or where rapid information exchange is critical during outbreaks or significant compliance events.
The opportunity also prioritizes creating and maintaining practical systems for sharing and collaborating on the tools that regulators use every day. This includes best practices, guidance documents, sampling plans, inspection and enforcement procedures, memorandums of understanding, and other resources that make programs more consistent and interoperable. By promoting shared tools and a structured way to circulate them, the alliance aims to foster mutual reliance, meaning federal, state, and local programs can more readily depend on each other s work products and findings without duplicating effort. In real terms, that can translate to more efficient oversight, better coverage of facilities and supply chains, and a more unified approach to identifying and managing risk.
Training and workforce development are another central pillar. The alliance is expected to assist FDA in identifying, developing, delivering, promoting, and or attending food safety and food defense training that supports conformance with manufactured food regulatory program standards and FSMA provisions. This focus on training recognizes that consistent implementation depends on having staff who are prepared to apply standards in the same way across different jurisdictions. Food defense is included alongside food safety, reflecting the need to address intentional adulteration and related vulnerabilities in addition to unintentional contamination and process control issues.
Finally, the grant supports continued advancement of regulatory program standards and other integration initiatives, including the hosting of in-person meetings. Those meetings are not just administrative; they are often where agencies align on interpretations, resolve recurring operational challenges, coordinate strategic priorities, and build the working relationships that make rapid coordination possible during emergencies. The intent is to move integration from a concept into routine practice, supported by governance structures, shared resources, and regular collaboration.
Eligibility is broad and includes state governments, county governments, city or township governments, federally recognized tribal governments, other tribal organizations, and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). The listing also includes an "Others" category with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement. The posting indicates an expected award count of one, and the award ceiling is listed as 0 in the source data, which often means the ceiling is not specified in the summary record and would need to be confirmed in the full funding announcement or related agency materials. The opportunity record shows a creation date of May 25, 2021, with the original closing date described as an archiving forecast, suggesting the listing may have been posted for planning or archival purposes rather than reflecting an active open deadline in the summary field.Apply for FOR FD 20 020
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Alliance" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.103.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 25, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Archiving forecast. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Alliance (FOR FD 20 020) - FAQs
What is the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Alliance funding opportunity?
The Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Alliance (Funding Opportunity Number: FOR FD 20 020) is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is listed under CFDA 93.103 and falls within the Food and Nutrition and Health activity areas.
Is this a grant or a cooperative agreement, and what does that mean?
This opportunity is a cooperative agreement. That signals a close working relationship with FDA during the project period, including substantial involvement from the agency in shaping, aligning, and advancing shared objectives (rather than a more hands-off relationship typical of some grants).
What is the main purpose of this opportunity?
The central purpose is to strengthen manufactured food safety oversight across the United States by improving coordination and consistency among federal, state, local, tribal, and partner organizations. The emphasis is on building systems and relationships so regulators can operate more like a connected network for manufactured foods.
How does this opportunity connect to the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)?
The program is intended to help FDA and its partners meet key requirements of FSMA. FSMA is focused on preventing food safety problems rather than reacting after illnesses occur, and it depends on aligned regulatory approaches, common standards, and coordinated operational capacity across jurisdictions.
What does "prevention-oriented" mean in the context of this program?
Based on the description provided, "prevention-oriented" refers to strengthening systems that help avoid food safety problems before they lead to illness, rather than focusing primarily on response after an incident. This includes coordinated oversight, shared standards, consistent procedures, and training that supports uniform implementation.
What is the Integrated National Food Safety System, and why is it emphasized?
The opportunity emphasizes supporting the build-out of an Integrated National Food Safety System, reflecting that food safety is shared work across FDA and state, local, territorial, and tribal agencies. These partners often conduct inspections, surveillance, sampling, and response activities, so integration aims to reduce fragmentation and improve coordinated coverage.
Which organizations are expected to coordinate through the alliance?
The alliance is described as improving coordination among federal, state, local, tribal, and partner organizations. It is meant to support cooperation where responsibilities overlap and where rapid information exchange is important, such as during outbreaks or significant compliance events.
What kinds of day-to-day regulatory tools and resources are included in the alliance's focus?
The alliance prioritizes practical systems for sharing and collaborating on tools regulators use routinely, including best practices, guidance documents, sampling plans, inspection and enforcement procedures, memorandums of understanding (MOUs), and other resources that improve consistency and interoperability.
What is meant by "mutual reliance" in this opportunity?
"Mutual reliance" is described as enabling federal, state, and local programs to depend more readily on each other's work products and findings without duplicating effort. In practical terms, this can support more efficient oversight, better coverage of facilities and supply chains, and a more unified approach to identifying and managing risk.
What types of activities does the alliance support related to training?
Training and workforce development are a central pillar. The alliance is expected to assist FDA in identifying, developing, delivering, promoting, and/or attending food safety and food defense training that supports conformance with manufactured food regulatory program standards and FSMA provisions.
Does the opportunity address food defense as well as food safety?
Yes. Food defense is included alongside food safety, reflecting attention to intentional adulteration and related vulnerabilities, in addition to unintentional contamination and process control issues.
What are "regulatory program standards" and how does this opportunity relate to them?
The opportunity supports continued advancement of regulatory program standards and other integration initiatives. While specific standards are not listed in the provided summary, the description ties standards work to improving consistency across jurisdictions and supporting FSMA-related conformance.
Are in-person meetings part of the expected work?
Yes. The grant supports hosting in-person meetings as part of integration initiatives. These meetings are described as important for aligning interpretations, resolving recurring operational challenges, coordinating strategic priorities, and strengthening relationships that support rapid coordination during emergencies.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes state governments, county governments, city or township governments, federally recognized tribal governments, other tribal organizations, and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). An "Others" category is also listed, with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement.
Are institutions of higher education eligible?
Not under the nonprofit category described in the summary. The listing states nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status are eligible, excluding institutions of higher education.
How many awards does the posting expect to make?
The summary indicates an expected award count of one.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is listed as 0 in the source data. The summary notes this often means the ceiling is not specified in the summary record and would need to be confirmed in the full funding announcement or related FDA materials.
When was this opportunity created or posted?
The opportunity record shows a creation date of May 25, 2021.
Is there a current application deadline listed in the provided information?
The summary describes the original closing date as an archiving forecast, suggesting the listing may have been posted for planning or archival purposes rather than reflecting an active open deadline in the summary field.
What should applicants do if key details (like ceiling or deadline) are unclear in the summary?
Based on the summary, details like an unspecified award ceiling and an archived/forecast closing date would need to be verified in the full funding announcement or related agency materials referenced by the posting.
What kinds of outcomes is the alliance trying to achieve?
The described outcomes include reduced fragmentation across jurisdictions, improved coordination and consistency, stronger information sharing during outbreaks or major compliance events, more interoperable regulatory tools, increased mutual reliance, and a better-prepared workforce implementing food safety and food defense practices aligned with FSMA.
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