Federal and State Integration Activities to Advance Cooperation and Regulatory Standards Among Animal Food Safety Regulatory Programs | RFA FD 25 022

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA FD 25 022

This funding opportunity from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offers a single cooperative agreement to support stronger coordination between federal and state animal food safety regulatory programs. The overall aim is to advance a more unified national animal food safety system by improving how agencies work together, strengthening state regulatory and surveillance programs, and expanding adoption and use of the Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards (AFRPS). The opportunity is framed around the idea that consistent, effective animal food safety oversight depends on harmonized approaches and smart sharing of resources across jurisdictions, rather than isolated efforts by individual states or programs.

The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means FDA expects substantial involvement during the project period, such as collaboration on planning, implementation, and alignment with federal priorities. The work is meant to promote integration and cooperation across partners, including federal agencies, national initiatives and associations, and state partners. In practical terms, this points to activities like convening multi-state and federal discussions, developing or refining shared tools and training resources, supporting consistent interpretation and application of standards, and helping states strengthen their inspection, surveillance, and protection programs in ways that align with AFRPS and broader national food safety goals.

Eligibility is limited by design. This is a limited competition that is only open to specific animal food safety training entities that collaborate with one or more institutes of higher education. Eligible applicants include national organizations and associations whose primary purpose is to represent state animal food regulatory programs and whose membership mainly consists of state animal feed regulatory program directors and staff, as well as government agencies (including, but not limited to, AFRPS enrollees) that meet the same collaboration requirement with qualifying institutions of higher education as defined in 21 USC 399(b). The emphasis on collaboration with higher education suggests an expectation that applicants will leverage academic partnerships for training, curriculum development, technical expertise, evaluation, or workforce development tied to regulatory program improvement and standards implementation.

Key administrative details are straightforward. The opportunity number is RFA FD 25 022, categorized as a discretionary award in the areas of agriculture, consumer protection, and food and nutrition, listed under CFDA number 93.103. FDA expects to make one award with an anticipated ceiling of $600,000. The original application closing date is August 1, 2025, and the notice was created on July 23, 2025.

• The Food and Drug Administration in the agriculture, consumer protection, food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Federal and State Integration Activities to Advance Cooperation and Regulatory Standards Among Animal Food Safety Regulatory Programs" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.103.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-07-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-08-01. (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 $600,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for RFA FD 25 022

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