Food Safety Outreach Program-Community Outreach Projects

The Food Safety Outreach Program Community Outreach Projects grant is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture through its National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The program operates under legislative authority that allows the Secretary of Agriculture to fund training, education, outreach, and technical assistance initiatives that improve public health outcomes by increasing the adoption of food safety standards. Since its inception in 2015, the program has been implemented in coordination with the Food and Drug Administration to support compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act. The initiative reflects federal priorities related to agricultural productivity, food safety, and national food system resilience. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to support community-based projects that expand or establish food safety education and outreach programs. These projects are intended to build the capacity of local organizations to identify and address food safety needs specific to their communities. Funded activities may include developing new training curricula, adapting existing materials, conducting outreach to underserved populations, and providing technical assistance to producers and processors. The program emphasizes alignment with Food Safety Modernization Act requirements and encourages projects that extend education to new or broader audiences across agricultural sectors. Funding for this opportunity totals approximately 3500000 dollars, with individual awards ranging from 80000 to 300000 dollars and an anticipated 11 awards. Projects are expected to span a 24 month period. While cost sharing is not required, applicants are encouraged to include it voluntarily. Funding may be used for program development, outreach delivery, training implementation, and related educational activities, but must comply with federal cost principles and indirect cost limitations, which cap indirect costs at 30 percent of total federal funds awarded. Eligible applicants include a wide range of organizational entities such as state cooperative extension services, federal, state, local, and tribal agencies, nonprofit community-based organizations, institutions of higher education, and organizations representing agricultural producers or small food processors. Collaborations among eligible entities are also permitted. The program prioritizes projects that serve small and mid-sized farms, beginning farmers, and small-scale processors, particularly those that demonstrate strong partnerships and community engagement. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov and require multiple preparatory steps including registration with the System for Award Management, acquisition of a Unique Entity Identifier, and registration with eRA Commons. Required application components include a project summary, a detailed project narrative with defined sections such as objectives, methodology, timeline, and data management plan, as well as supporting documentation such as budgets and personnel profiles. The project narrative is limited to ten pages of written content excluding certain supplementary materials. Applications are evaluated through a two-stage process that includes administrative screening followed by scientific peer review. Evaluation criteria assess the clarity of project objectives, methodological rigor, qualifications of personnel, effectiveness of project management, and appropriateness of the proposed budget. Review panels consist of subject matter experts across relevant disciplines and sectors. Successful applicants may be required to revise project scope or budget prior to award finalization. The application deadline for this funding opportunity is July 20, 2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. No letter of intent is required. Award decisions are made within the federal fiscal year, with project start dates expected before September 30 of that year. Program contacts are available via a dedicated email inbox for technical and administrative inquiries. The program is offered annually, indicating a recurring funding cycle aligned with federal fiscal year appropriations and program priorities.

Align proposal with FSMA requirements and clearly demonstrate measurable community impact; emphasize partnerships and capacity building; provide strong evaluation and data reporting plans