The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has forecasted the opportunity titled “FDA’s Integrated Food Safety System Training Delivery and Development.” This cooperative agreement program aims to advance the nationwide Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS), a strategic effort to promote coordination and standardization among federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal food safety programs. The IFSS initiative supports shared public health objectives by enhancing communication, training, and collaboration among regulatory partners to protect consumers and ensure food safety across the U.S.
The FDA plays a central role in regulating the safety of the U.S. food supply and has invested significantly in developing a cohesive IFSS to ensure consistent oversight. This funding opportunity is a continuation of ongoing efforts initiated under RFA-FD-20-024, which established frameworks for cross-jurisdictional food safety collaboration. Only current recipients under that prior funding announcement are eligible to apply, ensuring continuity and leveraging established partnerships to expand training delivery systems and development capabilities.
Under this cooperative agreement, the FDA anticipates supporting approximately four awards. The funding will enable awardees to develop, implement, and maintain training programs that strengthen the competencies of regulatory staff within the IFSS. Awarded organizations will work closely with the FDA to deliver standardized curricula, improve training infrastructure, and expand accessibility to learning resources across partner agencies. The specific use of funds is expected to align with FDA-approved project plans and national food safety goals.
The program does not require cost sharing or matching funds. As a forecasted opportunity, application dates, award amounts, and detailed funding parameters have not yet been announced. The estimated post date and application due date are pending, with formal publication expected later in fiscal year 2025. Interested entities currently receiving funding under RFA-FD-20-024 should prepare to monitor Grants.gov for the official Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) release.
Applications will be submitted electronically through Grants.gov once the opportunity opens. Because this is a continuation and expansion program, eligible organizations are expected to demonstrate performance and outcomes achieved under their previous awards, as well as present scalable plans for future training development. Evaluation will be based on the applicant’s capacity to deliver high-quality, consistent training aligned with FDA standards and the overall IFSS strategy.
For additional information, prospective applicants may contact Patrick Johnson, Grants Management Specialist, at patrick.johnson@fda.hhs.gov. Further updates, including the finalized application package and submission deadlines, will be published upon official release of the NOFO. The program reinforces FDA’s commitment to maintaining an integrated, science-based approach to food safety that benefits all U.S. consumers.
Monitor Grants.gov for official NOFO release; ensure prior performance documentation is current.
