Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA FD 15 037
Apply for RFA FD 15 037
- The Food Drug Administration in the food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Development, Implementation, and Management of a Funding System to Advance Conformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS) (U18)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.103 Food and Drug AdministrationResearch.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 29, 2015 and posted on Apr 29, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 10, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,420,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The grant opportunity RFA FD 15 037, titled "Development, Implementation, and Management of a Funding System to Advance Conformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS) (U18)," is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discretionary funding program offered through a cooperative agreement. Its core purpose is to strengthen retail food safety oversight nationwide by expanding an existing funding approach that helps government retail food regulatory programs improve how closely they align with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (also called the Retail Program Standards or VNRFRPS). In practice, the FDA is not primarily funding individual state or local projects directly under this announcement. Instead, it is investing in a single national organization that will run a subaward system and distribute funds onward to state, local, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions so they can carry out targeted improvement projects and training tied to the standards.
The intended outcome is long-term, measurable improvement in the quality and consistency of retail food regulatory programs across jurisdictions. The VNRFRPS are a voluntary framework used by retail food safety programs to assess and continuously improve key program elements such as inspection quality, staff training, compliance and enforcement approaches, program assessment, and related infrastructure that supports effective foodborne illness prevention. This opportunity is designed to accelerate adoption and conformance by making resources available for concrete activities like workforce development and projects that close gaps identified through program self-assessments and audits. The emphasis on "development, implementation, and management" signals that the funded recipient is expected to operate a functioning funding and support system, not just deliver a one-time event or a stand-alone product.
Structurally, this award is expected to fund only one recipient (ExpectedAwards: 1). That recipient must be a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status (and not an institution of higher education). The selected organization would serve as the national administrator: setting up application processes for subawards, making funding decisions consistent with the program goals, overseeing subrecipient performance, and ensuring that funded projects and trainings are clearly connected to advancing conformance with the Retail Program Standards. Because the instrument is a cooperative agreement, the FDA anticipates substantial involvement in the work, meaning the agency may collaborate with the recipient on planning, oversight, and alignment to federal expectations rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back.
Funding for the program is relatively concentrated, with an estimated total funding amount of about $1 million stated in the source data, alongside an award floor of $2,000,000 and an award ceiling of $2,420,000, reflecting the scale of resources envisioned for the single national administrator to operate and subaward. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement listed, which lowers the barrier to participation for eligible nonprofits and focuses the competition on organizational capability, governance, and readiness to manage a national subaward program.
From a timeline standpoint, the opportunity was posted and created on April 29, 2015, with an original and current closing date of July 10, 2015, and it was archived on August 9, 2015. The program is cataloged under CFDA number 93.103 (Food and Drug Administration Research). The activity category is listed as Food and Nutrition, consistent with retail food safety and public health protection goals. For applicants or interested parties needing the official full text, the announcement was hosted through the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, and the listed grants management contact for access issues was Daniel Lukash at the FDA (phone 240-402-7596, email daniel.lukash@fda.hhs.gov).
Overall, this FOA is essentially about building a national pass-through funding mechanism run by a qualified nonprofit, with the explicit mission of helping retail food regulatory programs in states, cities/counties, tribes, and territories pay for the projects and training that move them closer to the FDA's voluntary retail food program standards and support sustained, system-level improvement in how retail food safety is regulated and enforced.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is RFA FD 15 037?
RFA FD 15 037 is an FDA discretionary funding opportunity titled "Development, Implementation, and Management of a Funding System to Advance Conformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS) (U18)." It is offered as a cooperative agreement and is focused on strengthening retail food safety oversight nationwide.
What is the main goal of this grant opportunity?
The core purpose is to strengthen retail food safety oversight by expanding an existing funding approach that helps government retail food regulatory programs improve conformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS), also referred to as the Retail Program Standards or Retail Program Standards (VNRFRPS).
Is the FDA funding state or local projects directly under this announcement?
No. Under this announcement, the FDA is not primarily funding individual state or local projects directly. Instead, it intends to fund one national organization that will run a subaward system and distribute funds onward to eligible jurisdictions.
Who is the intended direct recipient of this award?
The FDA expects to fund a single national organization that will serve as the national administrator for the program and manage a subaward system for state, local, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions.
How many awards does the FDA expect to make?
The opportunity indicates an expected number of awards of 1.
What type of organization is eligible to apply as the main recipient?
The main recipient must be a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status, and it must not be an institution of higher education.
What is a cooperative agreement in this context?
A cooperative agreement is a funding instrument where the FDA anticipates substantial involvement in the work. That means FDA may collaborate with the recipient on planning, oversight, and alignment to federal expectations rather than only providing funds without ongoing engagement.
What is VNRFRPS?
VNRFRPS stands for the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards. They are a voluntary framework used by retail food safety programs to assess and continuously improve key program elements that support effective foodborne illness prevention.
What kinds of program elements do the Retail Program Standards address?
Based on the opportunity description, the standards relate to areas such as inspection quality, staff training, compliance and enforcement approaches, program assessment, and related infrastructure that supports effective retail food safety oversight.
What is the intended long-term outcome of this funding program?
The intended outcome is long-term, measurable improvement in the quality and consistency of retail food regulatory programs across jurisdictions, driven by greater adoption and conformance with the Retail Program Standards.
What does "development, implementation, and management" mean for the selected recipient?
It signals that the funded recipient is expected to operate a functioning funding and support system, not just deliver a one-time event or a stand-alone product. The recipient would develop, implement, and manage the system used to make and oversee subawards tied to advancing conformance with the standards.
Who will receive subawards under the system managed by the main recipient?
Subawards are intended for state, local, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions so they can carry out targeted improvement projects and training tied to the Retail Program Standards.
What activities are the subawards expected to support?
The opportunity emphasizes concrete activities such as workforce development, training, and projects that close gaps identified through program self-assessments and audits, with a clear connection to advancing conformance with the Retail Program Standards.
What responsibilities would the national administrator have?
The selected nonprofit would be expected to set up subaward application processes, make funding decisions consistent with program goals, oversee subrecipient performance, and ensure funded projects and trainings are clearly connected to advancing conformance with the Retail Program Standards.
Is cost sharing or a match required?
No cost-sharing or matching requirement is listed for this opportunity.
How much funding is associated with this opportunity?
The source description references an estimated total funding amount of about $1 million, and also lists an award floor of $2,000,000 and an award ceiling of $2,420,000. The scale described reflects resources envisioned for a single national administrator to operate and subaward.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The opportunity is cataloged under CFDA number 93.103 (Food and Drug Administration Research).
What is the activity category for this funding opportunity?
The activity category is listed as Food and Nutrition, reflecting the retail food safety and public health protection focus.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted and created on April 29, 2015. The closing date (original and current) was July 10, 2015.
Is this opportunity still open?
No. The opportunity was archived on August 9, 2015, and the listed closing date was July 10, 2015.
Where was the full announcement hosted?
The announcement was hosted through the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts.
Who is the listed grants management contact for access issues?
The listed grants management contact is Daniel Lukash at the FDA. Phone: 240-402-7596. Email: daniel.lukash@fda.hhs.gov.
Does the opportunity focus on short-term outputs or sustained improvement?
The description emphasizes sustained, system-level improvement and long-term, measurable progress in conformance with the Retail Program Standards across jurisdictions.
What is the overall structure of this FOA?
This FOA is structured as a national pass-through funding mechanism: the FDA funds one qualified nonprofit administrator, and that organization then distributes subawards and provides oversight and support so jurisdictions can implement projects and training that advance conformance with the Retail Program Standards.
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