Conformance with the Egg Regulatory Program Standards

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its Human Foods Program (HFP), is offering a cooperative agreement titled "Conformance with the Egg Regulatory Program Standards." This funding opportunity seeks to support state egg regulatory programs in achieving and maintaining full conformance with the Egg Regulatory Program Standards (ERPS). The ERPS are designed to create a nationally integrated food regulatory system by enhancing state programs' ability to detect, prevent, and respond to egg-related public health hazards. By building a uniform, risk-based egg safety oversight model across states, this program aims to reduce the incidence of egg-related illness and strengthen national food safety infrastructure. The ERPS consist of ten elements essential to effective egg safety regulation, including areas such as regulatory foundation, training, inspection procedures, auditing, emergency response, enforcement, outreach, resource management, and laboratory support. Programs funded under this cooperative agreement are required to assess their existing practices and implement strategic improvement plans to meet all ERPS components within five years of first receiving funding. This agreement offers an initial three-year funding cycle, with potential for continued non-competitive support based on performance and availability of funds. Participating programs must demonstrate measurable progress toward full ERPS conformance, or submit detailed plans outlining remaining gaps and action steps for completion. Key objectives for funded programs include the development of replicable strategies for sustained ERPS conformance, establishment of secure data-sharing agreements with FDA, and collaboration with federal and local agencies during inspections and outbreak investigations. Awardees are expected to contribute to ERPS development by participating in annual meetings and supporting initiatives that further the national implementation of standards. Funds may be used for activities such as training, necessary equipment, limited remodeling of existing facilities, and outreach to egg producers within a state's jurisdiction. However, they may not be used for vehicle purchases, new building construction, or duplicate reimbursements for services already funded under existing FDA contracts. Only state egg regulatory programs are eligible to apply. Specifically, applicants must be existing FDA egg inspection contract states or commit to entering such a contract in 2025. They must also maintain an active long-term 20.88 information-sharing agreement with the FDA. This funding opportunity does not allow for clinical trials, and applications must comply with both the NOFO and the "How to Apply" Application Guide. Registrations through SAM.gov, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov are required for submission. Eligible individuals include those with the qualifications to lead scientific and administrative aspects of the program, such as state regulatory officials or program managers with egg safety expertise. The application period opens July 11, 2025, and closes August 12, 2025, at 11:59 PM local time of the applicant organization. No letters of intent are required. All applications must be submitted electronically via ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or institutional system-to-system (S2S) portals. Awards are contingent on FDA appropriations, the submission of meritorious proposals, and adherence to all outlined federal requirements. The FDA anticipates funding up to two awards at $47,000 per year for each of the three years, totaling $94,000 annually across the awardees. Applications will be objectively reviewed and scored on four criteria: rationale and design, cooperation, integration, and resources, with a maximum score of 100 points. For additional assistance, applicants may contact Jennifer A. D’Angelo, the scientific/research contact at FDA’s Office of Domestic Partnerships, at jennifer.dangelo@fda.hhs.gov or 301-602-6732. For financial or grants management questions, Danielle Head at the Office of Acquisitions and Grants Services can be reached via email at danielle.head@fda.hhs.gov. Award announcements are expected following FDA’s review and selection process, which considers scientific merit, program alignment, and funding availability.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early and contact FDA for clarification on page limits and review process.