Retail Food Safety Regulatory Association Collaboration
Grant Opportunity Analysis
The Food and Drug Administration is seeking national retail food organizations or associations to carry out a cooperative agreement that advances retail food safety and reduces foodborne illness. The work focuses on promoting adoption of the FDA Food Code, implementing the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards, expanding risk-based inspections, improving outbreak response and root-cause analysis, and supporting food safety management systems and active managerial control. Eligibility is limited to national organizations that represent state, local, tribal, or territorial retail food regulatory programs or retail food and foodservice industries, have the capacity to build national consensus, and hold or obtain an FDA information-sharing agreement. Applications are due July 14, 2026, and the opportunity provides up to three awards with a ceiling of $750,000 per award and $2.25 million in total program funding.
Eligible Applicants
This funding opportunity is limited to national organizations/associations as outlined below:1. National organizations/associations that represent SLTT retail food regulatory programs or retail food/foodservice industries as a primary purpose. National associations/organizations have the membership, resources, structure, and expertise necessary to build national consensus amongst state/local agencies and/or industry on key food safety issues. They are the primary means for communication and collaboration on issues of national significance for SLTT retail food regulatory agencies and/or industry. The outcomes are position statements, resolutions, and legislation that are uniformly supported by SLTT agencies and/or industry.2. These national organizations/associations have a vested interest and share the FDA’s vision to leverage the resources and strengths of national retail food safety associations to collaboratively advance retail food initiatives and activities to reduce foodborne illness.3. A principal purpose of the organization(s)/association(s) must be to facilitate harmonization of state standards and requirements in areas congruent with the purpose and goals of this funding opportunity announcement. The association(s) should act as a leader and a resource to SLTT retail food regulatory agencies or industry in developing and implementing strategies to promote public health and consumer protection related to retail foods. Additionally, the association(s) must have knowledge on the infrastructure, capacity, strengths, and needs of SLTT retail food regulatory programs and/or industry. The association(s) must have successful experience in carrying out national efforts to build an integrated food safety system, which includes federal, SLTT agencies, and industry. The association(s) must be comprised of regular members that are officials of SLTT regulatory agencies that administer retail food inspection programs in conjunction and in collaboration with the FDA and/or comprised of regular members from the retail food/foodservice industries.4. Applicant associations must hold an information sharing agreement with FDA under 21 CFR 20.88(e) or be able to obtain an agreement prior to the start date of the award. Information sharing is limited to pre-decisional information and only for the purpose outlined in this award.