Animal Food Regulatory Program Standards Implementation Development and Maintenance, with Mutual Reliance Initiatives
🏛 Food and Drug Administration (HHS-FDA)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 15, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations working to advance animal food regulatory standards and safety protocols. Eligible applicants typically include state regulatory agencies, tribal organizations, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations with demonstrated expertise in animal feed safety, labeling compliance, or food regulatory science. The program supports activities related to the implementation, development, and maintenance of regulatory standards for animal food products, as well as participation in mutual reliance initiatives that promote harmonized standards across jurisdictions. Applicants must demonstrate capacity to conduct regulatory work, provide technical expertise, and collaborate with FDA and other regulatory partners. Geographic scope is nationwide, and funded activities must align with FDA priorities for animal food safety and regulatory modernization.
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Program description
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.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- SF-424 Supplement (Assurances and Certifications)
- Project narrative describing proposed regulatory standards work, implementation timeline, and alignment with FDA priorities
- Detailed budget and budget justification
- Organizational capacity statement, including staff qualifications and past regulatory work
- Letters of commitment or partnership agreements from collaborating agencies or organizations (if applicable)
- Description of mutual reliance initiatives, if applicable
- Sustainability or continuation plan
- Indirect cost rate agreement (if applicable)
Program contact
- 👤 Terrin Brown Grantor
- 📧 terrin.brown@fda.hhs.gov
- 📞 2404027610
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.103 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$121,795,918
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$76,105,626
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$50,217,964
-
$47,940,304
-
$36,000,000
-
$35,573,997
-
$35,391,995
-
$30,732,300
-
$23,332,999
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$21,347,288
Top States by Funding
- AZ 3 awards $131.4M
- MD 7 awards $108.7M
- CA 9 awards $106.5M
- VA 5 awards $96.6M
- PA 10 awards $77.4M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.103). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2016 | $170,482,435 | |
| 2017 est. | $208,900,832 | |
| 2018 | $173,077,408 | |
| 2019 | $198,507,896 | |
| 2020 | $212,448,590 | |
| 2021 | $218,918,739 | |
| 2022 est. | $255,910,458 | |
| 2023 est. | $246,894,600 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Eligible applicants typically include state regulatory agencies, tribal organizations, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations with relevant expertise in animal food safety, regulatory standards, or food science. Some programs may also consider private sector organizations with appropriate regulatory focus.
What types of activities does this grant fund?
This grant supports implementation and maintenance of animal food regulatory standards, development of regulatory protocols, training initiatives, and participation in mutual reliance initiatives that harmonize standards across jurisdictions and with international partners.
How competitive is this funding?
This is a competitive federal grant program. Applications are evaluated on organizational capacity, technical expertise, alignment with FDA priorities, and demonstrated ability to sustain regulatory work over time.
What is the typical funding range?
Funding amounts vary based on scope and organizational capacity. Contact the FDA directly or consult the RFP for specific funding levels and budgeting requirements.
When is the application deadline?
The specific deadline date has not been announced. Monitor Grants.gov and the FDA website for the official RFP and deadline information.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize your organization's existing expertise in animal food safety, regulatory compliance, or food science. Highlight past successes with regulatory projects or standards implementation.
- Clearly articulate how your work aligns with FDA priorities, particularly FDA's strategic goals for animal food safety modernization and regulatory harmonization.
- If proposing a mutual reliance initiative, demonstrate existing partnerships with state agencies, other regulatory bodies, or international organizations and explain how the collaboration advances shared goals.
- Include a detailed workplan with measurable outcomes such as regulatory standards developed, training programs delivered, or harmonization agreements reached.
- Build sustainability into your proposal—explain how the program will be sustained or transitioned after federal funding ends, whether through state appropriations, fee-based mechanisms, or other revenue sources.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Common rejection reasons include failing to demonstrate organizational capacity or technical expertise in animal food regulatory work, vague or misaligned proposals that don't clearly connect to FDA's stated priorities for animal food safety, and insufficient detail on how mutual reliance initiatives will function or benefit participants. Weak sustainability plans are also frequently cited; reviewers want to see how the work will continue beyond the grant period.
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