Animal Food Regulatory Program Standards Implementation Development and Maintenance, with Mutual Reliance Initiatives

The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to advance efforts for a nationally integrated animal food safety system providing State animal food regulatory programs the ability to achieve and maintain full implementation of the Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards (AFRPS), and to fund optional projects for State animal food regulatory programs to develop and standardize processes, procedures, systems, and other methods to integrate federal and state animal food regulatory work resulting in mutual reliance. Specific outcomes may include, but are not limited to: • State animal food regulatory programs will achieve and maintain implementation of the AFRPS, which is recognized as a critical element to creating a national, fully integrated food safety system. • Operational use of standardized animal food regulatory systems developed by state programs to compel federal reliance on state regulatory work and resources and reciprocal state reliance on federal work and resources, resulting in mutual reliance. Outputs, Objectives, and Outcomes for this NOFO are currently under development and subject to change before the submission of the NOFO for clearance.

Competition is limited to these national organizations/associations for the following reasons:Limited competition ensures the applicant has responsibility and authority for animal food regulation in their respective jurisdictions. The animal food safety contract must be maintained in satisfactory condition. Awardees must have or be willing to enter into a 20.88 information disclosure agreement with the FDA and will be required to have at least a commissioning certificate (or be willing to procure one) to facilitate information sharing between other States and FDA.

Applicants should review the individual Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued under this CFDA program to see the specific evaluation criteria that applies.