Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA FD 26 013
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is offering a discretionary cooperative agreement titled "Cooperative Agreement to Support Shellfish Safety Assistance Project" (Funding Opportunity Number: RFA FD 26 013; CFDA: 93.103). This is a single-source opportunity designed to support national coordination and practical assistance around molluscan shellfish safety, with the overarching goal of reducing foodborne illness risks tied to shellfish consumption. The program emphasizes collaboration and public health-based controls, particularly for hazards such as pathogenic Vibrio species, Campylobacter, and Salmonella.
The work supported under this cooperative agreement is organized around three main objectives. First, it aims to improve the exchange and transfer of information among key groups involved in shellfish safety, including state agencies, federal partners, foreign agencies where relevant, industry stakeholders, and consumers. In practice, this means strengthening communication channels so that emerging risks, surveillance findings, policy updates, and best practices move quickly and consistently across jurisdictions and between regulators and industry.
Second, the opportunity is intended to strengthen state-level shellfish safety activities by supporting training, technical assistance, research, and education. A central part of that support includes enabling states to participate in meetings and forums that advance a cooperative shellfish program grounded in public health principles. The emphasis here is on building capacity and consistency across states, so that shellfish safety programs have the expertise, tools, and shared standards needed to operate effectively and respond to issues in a coordinated way.
Third, the cooperative agreement seeks to promote efforts and projects, including research, that meaningfully increase states' ability to identify and implement scientifically defensible food safety controls. The focus is not only on understanding risks but on translating science into workable controls that reduce illness associated with molluscan shellfish. This can include developing or refining risk controls for specific pathogens, improving investigative approaches, and supporting projects that help states adopt evidence-based measures that stand up to scientific scrutiny and regulatory needs.
Eligibility is extremely limited: only the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC) is eligible to apply, and the announcement specifies it as a single-source funding opportunity. FDA expects to make one award, with an award ceiling of $500,000. The opportunity was created on 2026-07-22, and the original application closing date is 2026-08-21. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which generally indicates substantial involvement by the federal agency in the funded work, aligning the project closely with FDA's public health mission and coordination needs in shellfish sanitation and safety.Apply for RFA FD 26 013
- The Food and Drug Administration in the agriculture, consumer protection, food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement to Support Shellfish Safety Assistance Project" 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 2026-07-22.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-08-21. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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FAQs: Cooperative Agreement to Support Shellfish Safety Assistance Project (RFA FD 26 013)
What is this funding opportunity called?
The opportunity is titled "Cooperative Agreement to Support Shellfish Safety Assistance Project." It is offered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA FD 26 013.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 93.103.
What type of funding mechanism is being used?
This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement funding instrument.
What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement generally indicates substantial involvement by the federal agency in the funded work. In this case, it signals that FDA expects to be actively engaged to help align the project with FDA public health goals and national coordination needs related to shellfish sanitation and safety.
Is this a competitive grant open to multiple applicants?
No. This is a single-source discretionary cooperative agreement.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is extremely limited. Only the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC) is eligible to apply.
How many awards does FDA expect to make?
FDA expects to make one award.
What is the maximum funding amount available?
The award ceiling is $500,000.
When was the opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on 2026-07-22.
What is the application closing date?
The original application closing date is 2026-08-21.
What is the overall purpose of this cooperative agreement?
The purpose is to support national coordination and practical assistance for molluscan shellfish safety, with the overarching goal of reducing foodborne illness risks tied to shellfish consumption.
What public health hazards are highlighted in the announcement?
The announcement emphasizes public health-based controls for hazards such as pathogenic Vibrio species, Campylobacter, and Salmonella.
What are the main objectives of the work supported under this cooperative agreement?
The work is organized around three main objectives: (1) improving the exchange and transfer of information among key shellfish safety groups; (2) strengthening state-level shellfish safety activities through training, technical assistance, research, and education; and (3) promoting efforts and projects, including research, that increase states' ability to identify and implement scientifically defensible food safety controls.
What does "improving the exchange and transfer of information" involve?
It involves strengthening communication channels among state agencies, federal partners, foreign agencies where relevant, industry stakeholders, and consumers so that emerging risks, surveillance findings, policy updates, and best practices move quickly and consistently across jurisdictions and between regulators and industry.
Which groups are specifically mentioned as part of the information-sharing objective?
The announcement mentions state agencies, federal partners, foreign agencies where relevant, industry stakeholders, and consumers.
How does the opportunity support state-level shellfish safety programs?
It supports training, technical assistance, research, and education intended to strengthen state-level shellfish safety activities and build capacity and consistency across states.
Does the program support participation in meetings or forums?
Yes. A central part of the support includes enabling states to participate in meetings and forums that advance a cooperative shellfish program grounded in public health principles.
What is meant by "a cooperative shellfish program grounded in public health principles"?
Based on the announcement, this refers to advancing shellfish safety activities that rely on collaboration across jurisdictions and emphasize public health-based controls, shared standards, and coordinated responses to risks and incidents.
What kinds of projects are included under the third objective?
The third objective promotes efforts and projects, including research, that meaningfully increase states' ability to identify and implement scientifically defensible food safety controls for molluscan shellfish.
What does "scientifically defensible food safety controls" mean in this context?
It refers to evidence-based measures that reduce illness associated with molluscan shellfish and can stand up to scientific scrutiny as well as regulatory needs, including developing or refining risk controls for specific pathogens and improving investigative approaches.
Is the focus only on understanding risks, or also on implementing controls?
The focus is both. The announcement stresses translating science into workable controls that reduce illness associated with molluscan shellfish, not just studying risks.
Does the announcement indicate a national coordination role?
Yes. It is described as supporting national coordination and practical assistance around molluscan shellfish safety.
Does the announcement mention collaboration as a priority?
Yes. The program emphasizes collaboration and public health-based controls, including coordinated communication and consistent approaches across jurisdictions and between regulators and industry.
Is this opportunity focused on molluscan shellfish specifically?
Yes. The announcement specifically references molluscan shellfish safety and reducing foodborne illness risks tied to shellfish consumption.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition
Previous opportunity: Fiscal Year 2026 Cooperating Technical Partners (CTP) Program - Region 8
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