Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FSIS 05032010
Apply for USDA FSIS 05032010
- The Food Safety Inspection Service in the agriculture food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.479 Food Safety Cooperative Agreements.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 3, 2010 and posted on May 3, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 21, 2010. (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 $400,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) focused on strengthening the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN). FERN is a nationwide network of federal, state, and local regulatory laboratories that support food defense and emergency response by testing for threat agents, but these laboratories vary in their technical capabilities and surge capacity. FSIS is seeking a single award recipient to build, operate, and maintain a secure communication and collaboration portal that helps FERN coordinate across its member laboratories and maintain an up-to-date picture of network readiness.
At the center of the project is an online portal designed to collect and manage laboratory capability, capacity, and readiness information across FERN members. In practical terms, the system is meant to function as a secure, centralized hub where FERN can see what labs can test for which threat agents, how much workload they can handle, and how prepared they are at any given time. This kind of situational awareness supports rapid coordination during food-related emergencies and improves preparedness by identifying gaps and tracking improvements across the network.
Beyond readiness data, the portal must also support several operational functions that are essential to keeping the network trained and validated. First, it must provide training event registration along with historical tracking of attendees, so FERN can document who has completed which trainings over time. Second, it must offer "just-in-time" training capabilities that include video and webinar functions suitable for multi-agency participation, allowing rapid, scalable training delivery when an incident occurs or when new methods need to be rolled out quickly. Third, it must manage proficiency testing logistics through registration and historical tracking of participants, helping FERN document participation and maintain records related to competency and performance verification. Fourth, it must support public-facing web page maintenance and enhancement, indicating that part of the work involves maintaining an outward-facing web presence in addition to the secure internal collaboration functions. For each of these functional areas, the resulting data must be organized and reported in the exact format and manner specified by FERN, which signals that standardized reporting and consistent data outputs are a core requirement, not an optional add-on.
The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning FSIS expects to have substantial involvement in the project as it is carried out, which is typical when the agency needs close coordination on technical requirements, security expectations, data standards, and deliverables. The funding ceiling listed for the award is $400,000, and FSIS anticipated making one award. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement stated, which reduces financial burden on the recipient and places the emphasis on technical capability and successful delivery of the portal and its ongoing support.
Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, suggesting FSIS was looking for a university-based organization with the ability to develop and host secure systems, manage training and proficiency-test workflows, and support a national, multi-stakeholder network. The opportunity is associated with CFDA 10.479 (Food Safety Cooperative Agreements) and falls under the Agriculture/Food and Nutrition activity category.
Key dates from the announcement show it was posted May 3, 2010, with an application closing date of May 21, 2010, and it was later archived on June 20, 2010. For administrative or access issues related to the full announcement, the listed point of contact was Michael Myers, Staff Officer, at 706-546-3664.
FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement (USDA FSIS) - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement?
This is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) focused on strengthening the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) by funding work to build, operate, and maintain a secure communication and collaboration portal for the network.
What is FERN?
FERN is a nationwide network of federal, state, and local regulatory laboratories that support food defense and emergency response by testing for threat agents. Member laboratories differ in technical capabilities and surge capacity, and the network needs a consistent way to understand readiness across members.
What is the main purpose of the funded project?
The central purpose is to create and support a secure, centralized online portal that allows FERN to coordinate across its member laboratories and maintain an up-to-date picture of network readiness.
What is meant by "network readiness" in this opportunity?
Readiness refers to laboratory capability, capacity, and preparedness information across FERN members, such as what labs can test for which threat agents, how much workload they can handle, and how prepared they are at a given time.
What core system is the award expected to deliver?
The award is expected to deliver an online portal that collects and manages laboratory capability, capacity, and readiness information across FERN member laboratories, serving as a secure hub for situational awareness and coordination.
Why is a centralized readiness portal important for FERN?
By centralizing capability and capacity information, FERN can coordinate more rapidly during food-related emergencies, identify gaps in preparedness, and track improvements across the network over time.
What specific operational functions must the portal support?
Beyond readiness data management, the portal must support: training event registration and historical attendee tracking; just-in-time training with video and webinar functions for multi-agency participation; proficiency testing logistics with registration and historical participant tracking; and maintenance/enhancement of public-facing web pages.
Does the portal need to track training participation over time?
Yes. The system must provide training event registration and historical tracking of attendees so FERN can document who has completed which trainings over time.
What does "just-in-time" training mean in the context of this opportunity?
It refers to rapid, scalable training delivery when an incident occurs or when new methods need to be deployed quickly. The portal must include video and webinar functions suitable for multi-agency participation.
Is proficiency testing management part of the required scope?
Yes. The portal must manage proficiency testing logistics through registration and historical tracking of participants, supporting records tied to competency and performance verification.
Is there a public-facing website requirement in addition to the secure portal?
Yes. The scope includes public-facing web page maintenance and enhancement, indicating the recipient must maintain an outward-facing web presence alongside secure internal collaboration functions.
Are standardized reports and outputs required?
Yes. For each functional area (readiness data, training, just-in-time training, proficiency testing, and public-facing content), the resulting data must be organized and reported in the exact format and manner specified by FERN. Standardized reporting and consistent data outputs are presented as a core requirement.
What type of federal award is this?
It is a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement indicates FSIS expects substantial involvement in the project during performance. In this opportunity, that is tied to the need for close coordination on technical requirements, security expectations, data standards, and deliverables.
How many awards did FSIS anticipate making?
FSIS anticipated making one award.
What is the funding ceiling for this opportunity?
The listed funding ceiling is $400,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated in the provided announcement summary.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
What kinds of organizations does the eligibility restriction suggest FSIS was looking for?
Based on the description, it suggests FSIS was looking for a university-based organization capable of developing and hosting secure systems, managing training and proficiency-test workflows, and supporting a national, multi-stakeholder laboratory network.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 10.479, Food Safety Cooperative Agreements.
What activity category does this opportunity fall under?
It falls under the Agriculture/Food and Nutrition activity category.
When was the opportunity posted?
The announcement was posted on May 3, 2010.
What was the application closing date?
The application closing date was May 21, 2010.
When was the opportunity archived?
The opportunity was archived on June 20, 2010.
Who was the listed point of contact for administrative or access issues?
The listed point of contact was Michael Myers, Staff Officer, reachable at 706-546-3664.
What is the portal expected to help FERN do during an emergency?
The portal is intended to support rapid coordination by providing situational awareness across laboratories, including who can test for specific threat agents and what surge capacity is available.
What kinds of laboratories are part of FERN, as described in the opportunity?
FERN includes federal, state, and local regulatory laboratories.
Is the portal described as secure?
Yes. The project calls for a secure communication and collaboration portal that serves as a centralized hub for the network.
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| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement Apply for USDA FSIS 06 30 2009 Funding Number: USDA FSIS 06 30 2009 Agency: Food Safety Inspection Service Category: Agriculture Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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