ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½

The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ (NEHA) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) work in partnership to administer the NEHA-FDA Retail Flexible Funding Model (RFFM) Grant Program. The program provides funding to State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) retail food regulatory agencies as they advance conformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (Retail Program Standards). FDA is utilizing NEHA's strengths to assist SLTT retail food programs in their efforts to reduce the occurrence of foodborne illness risk factors and implement and attain conformance with the Retail Program Standards.

Outcome Goals

FDA encourages all applicants to achieve the following outcomes as they seek to complete all nine of the Retail Program Standards:

• Complete/update a Self-Assessment of All Nine Standards (SA9) once every five years. The initial SA9 can be completed using funding from a Development (DEV) Base Grant. Repeat SA9s can be funded once every five years, using funds from either a DEV Base Grant or a Maintenance and Advancement (M&A) Base Grant.
• Meet all Elements leading to compliance with each of the nine Standards and complete a Verification Audit for each of the nine Standards (using funding from either a DEV or an M&A Base Grant).
• Achieve the Elements that will lead to maintenance or conformance with Standard 9, using funding available to:
  • complete a foodborne illness risk factor study or equivalent public health measure with a written summary of the data analysis (DEV Base Grant);
  • complete an evaluation of inspection data with a written summary of data analysis (DEV Base Grant);
  • develop and implement one or more intervention strategy(ies) based on a completed risk factor study or equivalent public health measure (DEV Base Grant);
  • complete a Public Health Metric based on the use of inspection data as the foundation for a risk factor study with a written summary of the data analysis and implementation of an intervention strategy(ies) based on the data analysis to improve public health outcomes (M&A Base Grant); or
  • complete a Public Health Metric based on the FDA Risk Factor Study model or equivalent public health measure with a written summary of the data
  • complete analysis and implementation of an intervention strategy(ies) based on the data analysis to improve public health outcomes (M&A Base Grant).
• Use a Mentorship Optional Add-on Grant to become a Mentor and assist other jurisdictions in making progress in the Retail Program Standards or become a Mentee to learn about and progress through the Retail Program Standards.
• Use a Training/Staff Development and Program Standards Engagement Optional Add-On Grant to advance SLTT retail food protection programs by training employees, with the goal of meeting and maintaining the requirements of Standard 2 and other Retail Program Standards.
• Use a Special Projects Optional Add-on Grant to develop a project that works toward an Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS), with all project deliverables and resources made available to other retail food protection programs.

Understanding the Three Types of Base Grants and the Two Optional Add-On Grants

The NEHA-FDA RFFM Grant Program was designed to assist the hundreds of diverse SLTT agencies with the primary responsibility of regulating the millions of retail food establishments in the United States. The RFFM offers five grants of varying amounts and complexities, with the goal of meeting each jurisdiction where they are, no matter how large, small, or resource-limited.

Grants types available during the CY2025 open application period include:

Track 1 Development Base Grant

Designed for jurisdictions newly beginning or re-starting with the Retail Program Standards (RPS), providing funding for:

• Completion of a Self-Assessment of all 9 Standards (SA9) AND a Comprehensive Strategic Improvement Plan (CSIP);
• Mentee Optional Add-On;
• Training Optional Add-On for attendance at SA VA workshops, FDA Retail Food Protection Seminars, or Conference for Food Protection (CFP).

Track 2 Development Base Grant

Designed for jurisdictions who have a current SA9 (August 2019 or later) and CSIP, providing funding for:

• Continuous Improvement with at least one of Standards 1 – 8;
• Work toward meeting or maintaining Standard 9;
• Completing an Updated Self-Assessment of All 9 Standards (within 12 months of its expiration, if applicable);
• Mentee Optional Add-On;
• Training Optional Add-On for attendance at retail food training, conferences, or workshops.

A three-year Track 3 Maintenance and Advancement Base Grant

For jurisdictions who have a current SA9 (August 2019 or later) and CSIP, and have successfully Met and Audited three different Standards within the past 5 year, providing funding for:

• Continuous Improvement with at least one of Standards 1-8;
• Work toward meeting or maintaining Standard 9;
• Completing an updated Self-Assessment of All Nine Standards (within 12 months of its expiration, if applicable);
• Mentee Optional Add-On;
• Training Optional Add-On for attendance at retail food training, conferences, or workshops;
• Capacity Building Optional Add-On.

Mentorship / Mentor Optional Add-On Grant

Available for Track 2 and 3 applicants, instead of choosing the Mentee option in the base grant, providing funding to serve as a Retail Program Standards Mentor for 1-5 Mentees.

Special Projects Grant

Available for Track 2 and 3 applicants, providing funding for projects that advance the Retail Program Standards with the greater goal of supporting the Integrated Food Safety System.