Development, Implementation, and Management of a Funding System to support the Grade “A” Milk Safety Program and National Shellfish Sanitation Program (U18) | RFA FD 19 004

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA FD 19 004

The Department of Health and Human Services, through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), offered this discretionary funding opportunity as a cooperative agreement to build and run a structured pass-through funding system that strengthens two key public health programs: the Grade "A" Milk Safety Program and the National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP). The core aim is not simply to fund individual projects directly, but to establish an organized, repeatable process where State, Tribal, and Territorial (STT) regulatory programs can apply for support and then receive subawards that help them improve program performance, consistency, and capacity. In practical terms, the opportunity is about creating a well-managed pipeline of funds that can be used for technical training, purchasing needed equipment, and supporting other concrete improvements tied to implementation of Grade "A" milk safety requirements and NSSP standards.

The program is structured so that FDA does not subaward money straight to the STT agencies. Instead, FDA would make awards to up to two nonprofit associations or organizations, and those awardees would take on the responsibility of administering the program and distributing subawards to eligible STT regulatory agencies. This makes the nonprofit awardee(s) the central operator of the funding system: they would design the application process for STT programs, set up review and selection methods, manage award administration, monitor how funds are used, and ensure that the funded activities actually support advancement of the Grade "A" Milk Safety Program and the NSSP. Because it is a cooperative agreement, FDA would typically be expected to have substantial involvement in the project, meaning the awardee(s) would likely coordinate closely with FDA on program design, oversight expectations, reporting, and alignment with national program goals.

Eligible applicants were limited to nonprofits other than institutions of higher education, including both 501(c)(3) organizations and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status. This reflects the intent to use a nonprofit entity (often one with strong relationships to regulators and public health partners) as a neutral, capable administrator that can handle subawards, training support, and equipment funding in a consistent way across jurisdictions. The focus on STT regulatory agencies underscores that the ultimate beneficiaries are the public health inspection and oversight programs responsible for regulating milk safety under the Grade "A" framework and shellfish sanitation under NSSP, where improvements can translate into better prevention of contamination, stronger compliance, and more uniform implementation nationwide.

Key administrative details from the listing include the Funding Opportunity Number RFA-FD-19-004, a creation date of February 26, 2019, and an original closing date of April 30, 2019. The opportunity used the CFDA listing number 93.103 and fell under the broad activity category of consumer protection, food and nutrition, and health. The stated award ceiling was $3,000,000, and FDA anticipated making about three awards. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as an investment in infrastructure and capacity: a mechanism to reliably get training dollars and equipment support into STT milk and shellfish regulatory programs, while improving how these programs implement nationally recognized safety systems.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration in the consumer protection, food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Development, Implementation, and Management of a Funding System to support the Grade “A” Milk Safety Program and National Shellfish Sanitation Program (U18)" 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 Feb 26, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 30, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: 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.

Apply for RFA FD 19 004

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