Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FSIS 06 30 2009
Apply for USDA FSIS 06 30 2009
- 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 Jun 30, 2009 and posted on Jun 30, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 8, 2009. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- State and Commonwealth Emergency Management Agencies from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Puerto Rico are eligible to apply for this Cooperative Agreement.
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Opportunity Summary:
The FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement (Food Emergency Management Program, posted June 30, 2009) is a USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service opportunity designed to strengthen how the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) coordinates food emergency preparedness and response across the Southeast and Gulf region. The core aim is to build, formalize, and then actively test comprehensive food emergency response plans that bring together local, state, and federal partners alongside private food industry stakeholders. The targeted geography includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Puerto Rico, with the intent of improving both state-by-state readiness and region-wide coordination for food safety incidents and intentional food defense threats.
A central focus of the cooperative agreement is planning that is practical and demonstrable, not just written. Applicants are expected to produce a detailed response plan framework (often described as a matrix) for each covered state or commonwealth, integrating established agriculture and food sector tools such as risk assessment and time-consequence decision tools. The plans are expected to address the full operational chain of a food emergency, including intelligence sharing and evaluation, notification procedures, internal and external communications, deployment and logistics, sampling strategies, field diagnostics, readiness and response assessment, identification of food-related critical infrastructure, chain of custody procedures, transport of samples, laboratory diagnostics using FERN methods, standardized reporting through FERN, and after-action gap analysis and reporting. The opportunity also emphasizes that these systems should function not only within individual jurisdictions, but in a regionally coordinated way that supports USDA and FDA food protection efforts through FERN.
Beyond writing plans, the agreement requires applicants to prove the plans work by running exercises. This includes tabletop exercises at the state/commonwealth level and regionally, plus at least one larger functional exercise focused specifically on food defense in the targeted region. The program also anticipates incorporating additional food and agricultural defense tools as they become available, meaning the work is meant to evolve with emerging methodologies and preparedness resources. In practice, the award supports a cycle of planning, coordination, exercising, evaluation, and improvement so that preparedness becomes routine rather than ad hoc.
FERN itself is described as a national network of roughly 150 federal, state, and local regulatory laboratories with varying capabilities to test for microbiological, chemical, and radiological threat agents. While other existing FERN agreements often concentrate on lab testing capacity and diagnostic methods, this cooperative agreement is more about the emergency management and coordination layer that connects labs with incident response decision-making. The program is positioned as a way to better align FERN laboratory support with emergency management agencies, law enforcement, the National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams (WMD CST), and private-sector food partners, especially when responding to outbreaks, contamination events, or deliberate attacks on the food supply.
Funding for the cooperative agreement was expected to range from $500,000 to $1,000,000 for the 2009-2010 agreement year, with the final amount depending on the scope and complexity of the proposed plan development and implementation and how well it augments the FSIS FERN mission. The announcement notes that funds are intended to cover administrative and operational coordination costs such as meetings, communications, scheduling, and exercise-related expenses. Travel and meeting costs must follow state per diem and reimbursement rules, and the agreement explicitly does not support construction costs. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement listed.
Eligibility is limited to state and commonwealth emergency management agencies from the specified jurisdictions (TX, LA, MS, AL, GA, FL, SC, NC, and Puerto Rico). Applications were accepted either as hard copy submissions to the FSIS FERN Southeast Regional Coordination Center in Athens, Georgia or electronically through Grants.gov. The initial (tentative) proposal deadline was Wednesday, July 8, 2009, with the understanding that a panel of experts would review submissions and could require modifications before a final application package was completed to meet FSIS FERN needs.
Applicants were required to submit a narrative detailed proposal (including plans, ideas, objectives, and information related to industry vendor training at FERN meetings), a project description explaining how the work benefits both parties, standard federal forms SF-424 and SF-424A with line-item budgeting, and CVs plus contact information for dedicated personnel. Evaluation criteria emphasized clarity and completeness in addressing prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery outcomes, along with concrete deliverables. Proposals also had to include an emergency management agency coordination plan showing how the applicant would integrate state, local, federal, and industry programs with FERN laboratory personnel and the WMD CST presence in each location. Reviewers also looked for demonstrated multi-jurisdictional coordination experience, credible staffing and expertise, the ability to manage the effort through web-based tools (such as training/personnel databases and survey capabilities), and disclosure of other relevant grants or cooperative agreements that strengthen the applicant’s capacity to run a coordinated food emergency management program.
Administrative identifiers in the notice include Funding Opportunity Number USDA FSIS 06 30 2009, CFDA 10.479 (Food Safety Cooperative Agreements), and a discretionary cooperative agreement instrument type under the Agriculture, Food and Nutrition activity category. A point of contact provided in the announcement is Dr. Tom Beacorn at the FSIS FERN Southeast Regional Coordination Center in Athens, Georgia, who was listed for questions and access issues related to the full announcement and submission process.
FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement (Food Emergency Management Program) FAQs
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) cooperative agreement focused on the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN). It is titled the FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement (Food Emergency Management Program) and was posted June 30, 2009.
What is the main purpose of the cooperative agreement?
The purpose is to strengthen how FERN coordinates food emergency preparedness and response across the Southeast and Gulf region. The work centers on building, formalizing, and actively testing comprehensive food emergency response plans that connect local, state, and federal partners with private food industry stakeholders.
Which states and jurisdictions are targeted?
The targeted geography includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Puerto Rico.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to state and commonwealth emergency management agencies from the specified jurisdictions (TX, LA, MS, AL, GA, FL, SC, NC, and Puerto Rico).
What types of incidents is the program meant to address?
The program is intended to improve readiness and coordination for food safety incidents and intentional food defense threats, including outbreaks, contamination events, and deliberate attacks on the food supply.
How is this cooperative agreement different from other FERN-related agreements?
Many other FERN agreements focus on laboratory testing capacity and diagnostic methods. This cooperative agreement emphasizes the emergency management and coordination layer that links laboratory capabilities to incident response decision-making and multi-partner operations.
What is FERN, as described in the opportunity?
FERN is described as a national network of roughly 150 federal, state, and local regulatory laboratories with varying capabilities to test for microbiological, chemical, and radiological threat agents.
What are applicants expected to produce besides written plans?
The opportunity emphasizes practical, demonstrable planning. In addition to producing detailed response plan frameworks, applicants must show the plans work by conducting exercises, including state/commonwealth tabletop exercises, regional tabletop exercises, and at least one larger functional exercise specifically focused on food defense in the targeted region.
What is meant by a response plan framework or "matrix"?
Applicants are expected to produce a detailed response plan framework for each covered state or commonwealth, often described as a matrix. The framework should integrate established agriculture and food sector tools, including risk assessment and time-consequence decision tools.
What operational areas must the plans cover?
The plans are expected to address the full operational chain of a food emergency, including intelligence sharing and evaluation, notification procedures, internal and external communications, deployment and logistics, sampling strategies, field diagnostics, readiness and response assessment, identification of food-related critical infrastructure, chain of custody procedures, transport of samples, laboratory diagnostics using FERN methods, standardized reporting through FERN, and after-action gap analysis and reporting.
Do the plans need to work across jurisdictions, or only within each state?
The opportunity emphasizes that the systems should function within individual jurisdictions and also in a regionally coordinated way that supports USDA and FDA food protection efforts through FERN.
What partners are expected to be involved?
The cooperative agreement is intended to bring together local, state, and federal partners and private food industry stakeholders. It is also positioned to better align FERN laboratory support with emergency management agencies, law enforcement, the National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams (WMD CST), and private-sector food partners.
Is there an expectation to include WMD CST coordination?
Yes. Proposals had to include an emergency management agency coordination plan describing how the applicant would integrate state, local, federal, and industry programs with FERN laboratory personnel and the WMD CST presence in each location.
Is the program expected to evolve over time?
Yes. The program anticipates incorporating additional food and agricultural defense tools as they become available, meaning the work is intended to evolve with emerging methodologies and preparedness resources.
What is the expected funding range?
Funding was expected to range from $500,000 to $1,000,000 for the 2009-2010 agreement year, with the final amount dependent on the scope and complexity of the proposed plan development and implementation and how well it augments the FSIS FERN mission.
What are the funds intended to cover?
Funds are intended to cover administrative and operational coordination costs such as meetings, communications, scheduling, and exercise-related expenses.
Are there restrictions on how the funds can be used?
Yes. Travel and meeting costs must follow state per diem and reimbursement rules, and the agreement explicitly does not support construction costs.
Is cost sharing or a match required?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is listed in the opportunity.
How could applications be submitted?
Applications were accepted either as hard copy submissions to the FSIS FERN Southeast Regional Coordination Center in Athens, Georgia or electronically through Grants.gov.
What was the proposal deadline mentioned in the notice?
The initial (tentative) proposal deadline was Wednesday, July 8, 2009.
Was there any review-and-revision process described?
Yes. The notice states that a panel of experts would review submissions and could require modifications before a final application package was completed to meet FSIS FERN needs.
What were the required application components?
Applicants were required to submit: (1) a narrative detailed proposal (including plans, ideas, objectives, and information related to industry vendor training at FERN meetings), (2) a project description explaining how the work benefits both parties, (3) standard federal forms SF-424 and SF-424A with line-item budgeting, and (4) CVs plus contact information for dedicated personnel.
What did the narrative proposal need to include?
The narrative proposal was expected to include detailed plans, ideas, objectives, and information related to industry vendor training at FERN meetings.
What budgeting forms were required?
The notice specifies SF-424 and SF-424A, with line-item budgeting.
What staffing documentation was required?
Applicants were required to provide CVs and contact information for dedicated personnel.
What criteria were used to evaluate proposals?
Evaluation criteria emphasized clarity and completeness in addressing prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery outcomes, along with concrete deliverables.
What else were reviewers looking for?
Reviewers also looked for demonstrated multi-jurisdictional coordination experience, credible staffing and expertise, the ability to manage the effort through web-based tools (such as training/personnel databases and survey capabilities), and disclosure of other relevant grants or cooperative agreements that strengthen the applicant's capacity to run a coordinated food emergency management program.
Are web-based tools specifically mentioned as part of project management?
Yes. The notice references the ability to manage the effort through web-based tools, including training/personnel databases and survey capabilities.
Are applicants expected to disclose other grants or agreements?
Yes. The review considerations include disclosure of other relevant grants or cooperative agreements that strengthen the applicant's capacity to operate a coordinated food emergency management program.
What administrative identifiers are associated with this opportunity?
The notice lists Funding Opportunity Number USDA FSIS 06 30 2009, CFDA 10.479 (Food Safety Cooperative Agreements), and indicates it is a discretionary cooperative agreement under the Agriculture, Food and Nutrition activity category.
Who is the point of contact named in the announcement?
The point of contact listed is Dr. Tom Beacorn at the FSIS FERN Southeast Regional Coordination Center in Athens, Georgia, for questions and access issues related to the full announcement and submission process.
Where was the hard copy submission location?
Hard copy applications were to be submitted to the FSIS FERN Southeast Regional Coordination Center in Athens, Georgia.
Does the opportunity emphasize alignment with other federal food protection efforts?
Yes. The opportunity notes that the regional coordination and planning should support USDA and FDA food protection efforts through FERN.
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