Browse: Departments Dates Agencies
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Docket ID: [Docket No. FSIS-2008-0018]
NOTICE: NOTICES
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice of funding opportunity.
SUBJECT CATEGORY: Notice of Funding Opportunity With the Food Safety and Inspection Service for Food Safety and Defense Training for Spanish-Speaking Plant Owners and Operators
DATES: Applications must be received by August 11, 2008.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is soliciting applications for one or more cooperative agreements for a collaborative outreach program on food safety and defense. The program will target Spanishspeaking owners and operators of small and very small establishments producing meat and poultry products. The goal is to increase knowledge of and compliance with FSIS requirements regarding meat and poultry products sold in the U.S. by this segment of the regulated industry. FSIS will allocate between $50,000 and $100,000 to one or more cooperative agreements this fiscal year 2008, with agreements being renewable for up to five years.
SUMMARY: Funding Opportunity with the Food Safety and Inspection Service for Food Safety and Defense Training for Spanish-Speaking Plant Owners and Operators,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
BackgroundFSIS relies on partner agencies, organizations and institutions to help it in many aspects of its public health mission. These partners share FSIS's public health and food safety goals and through their activities make important contributions to national food safety and food defense.
On occasion, FSIS supports such partnerships with state or local agencies, educational institutions or other nonprofit organizations by funding projects to address specific areas of mutual concern. This is done under FSIS's authority to enter into cooperative agreements for educational programs or special studies to improve the safety of the nation's food supply (Pub. L. 1087, sec. 713, 117 Stat. 39).
Cooperative agreements are federal grants where the granting Federal agency is substantially involved with the cooperator that receives the funding during both project development and project execution.
The nature and the number of cooperative projects funded each year are determined by the Agency's current priorities, the availability of discretionary funds, the number of proposals received, and the Agency's assessment of how well proposals will address its stated priority goals and objectives.
Outreach is an essential component of FSIS's regulatory program. Improving outreach is one of FSIS's six priorities in its Strategic Plan for 2008 to 2013. The Web site for the Strategic Plan is: http:// search.usda.gov/search?sort=date%3AD%3AL%3Ad1&output=xml_no_ dtd&site=FSIS&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&client=FSIS&proxystylesheet=default_ frontend&q=Strategic+Plan.
Outreach is essential because the agency's implementation of its Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation requires that regulated establishments develop and implement their own controls to ensure production of safe products. It is a public health imperative that all producers of meat, poultry and egg products for American consumers employ effective systems for food safety and food defense.
Program Description
FSIS wants to improve its outreach to underserved and nonEnglish speaking persons engaged in meat and poultry processing. The initial focus is on Spanishspeaking operators of small plants (fewer than 500 employees) and very small plants (fewer than 10 employees, or less than $2.5 million in sales.) Operators of small and very small plants generally have fewer technical and financial resources by which to ensure compliance with Federal inspection requirements than do large plants. This disadvantage is exacerbated if English is not the predominant language spoken because difficulties may arise in understanding and complying with applicable inspection laws and guidance generally available only in English.
In addition to U.S. plants affected, the ability of plant operators in countries exporting to the U.S. to meet equivalency requirements directly relates to their ability to understand our requirements and establish systems that are as effective as our own.
Therefore, FSIS intends to fund one or more cooperative projects to provide training and education to Spanishspeaking owners and operators of establishments producing meat and poultry products subject to FSIS's regulations. This includes establishments in the U.S., including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and establishments in other countries producing imports to the U.S. in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America. The goal is for those trained to be able to enhance their own food safety programs, better demonstrate compliance with applicable regulations, and communicate more effectively with FSIS and other Agencies regarding the production and export of their meat, poultry, and egg products.
The cooperator that receives the funding will design, develop, and
deliver training for Spanishspeaking operators of meat and poultry
facilities that addresses the effective use of HACCP systems,
appropriate responses to emerging food safety and food defense
concerns, understanding of the latest information on foodborne illness
and hazards, and the availability of new procedures and technologies
for hazard avoidance and mitigation. HACCP training should encompass products
[[Page 36036]]
entering plants as well as products produced.
Training will address U.S. meat, poultry, and egg products regulations, policies, and procedures. It will also provide guidance on how small and very small plant owners and operators can manage their operations to better ensure compliance with applicable FSIS regulations.
The training program will be designed to reach a large proportion of the targeted operators, directly or indirectly. Training will be delivered through workshops and other kinds of group instruction but will also be delivered through alternative methods such as electronic selfteaching materials and distance learning programs.
Materials developed will have educational value independent of the cooperative project and will be made available by FSIS or the cooperator for reproduction and public use.
Available Funding
Fiscal year 2008 funding will total between $50,000 and $100,000. Project Period
Projects are funded for a period of up to one year from the project starting date. Awarded cooperative agreement(s) may be renewed yearly for up to four additional years.
Eligible Applicants
Educational institutions, state, local and tribal government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations with demonstrable capabilities to provide outreach and education to Spanishspeaking owners and operators of meat and poultry establishments are invited to submit applications.
Content and Form of Application
1. Application for Federal Assistance, OMB Standard Form 424. Please complete this form in its entirety. The original copy of the application must contain a penandink signature of the authorized organizational representativean individual with the authority to commit the organization's time and other relevant resources to the project. The CFDA (block 10) is ``10.479Food Safety Cooperative Agreements.'' The Web site for OMB Standard Form 424 is: http:// www.grants.gov/agencies/aforms_repository_information.jsp.
2. Project Description. The description should provide reviewers sufficient information to effectively evaluate the merits of the application under the review criteria listed below. It should include a statement of the objectives; the steps necessary to implement the objectives of the outreach program; an evaluation plan for the activities; a program delivery plan; and a statement of work describing how the activities will be implemented and managed by the applicant. It should be no longer than eight pages.
The statement of work should be in a table format that identifies each objective, the key tasks to achieve it, the entity responsible for the task, the completion date, the task location, and FSIS' role.
3. Budget. Applicants must complete OMB Standard Form 424A, ``Budget Information, NonConstruction Program'', and a budget narrative itemizing costs for each line item on the SF424A. The Web site for OMB Standard Form 424A is: http://www.grants.gov/agencies/ aforms_repository_information.jsp.
4. Key Personnel and Collaborative Arrangements. Applicants should provide information on the roles and responsibilities of each person working on the project, specifying the project leader and including collaborators from other organizations.
Address to Submit Applications
Applications may be submitted through http://www.grants.gov, or directly to FSIS, electronically or by mail. Applications sent directly should be emailed to mildred.riverabetancourt@fsis.usda.gov, or mailed to Mildred RiveraBetancourt, U.S Department of Agriculture, FSIS, OEET/CFL/TOB, 210 Walnut Street, Room 985, Des Moines, IA 50320.
All applications must be submitted by the deadline. Applications
meet the deadline if they are received in the mailroom at the above address on or before the date applications are due.
Date Applications Are Due
Applications are due August 11, 2008.
Acknowledgment of Applications
FSIS will acknowledge receipt of applications by email. If receipt of application is not acknowledged by FSIS within 15 days of the submission deadline, the applicant should contact Mildred Rivera Betancourt at (515) 7278987, email: mildred.rivera betancourt@fsis.usda.gov, or Ralph Stafko at (202) 6906592, email: ralph.stafko@fsis.usda.gov. Application Review Process
Applications will be reviewed on their merits by a panel of at least three reviewers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies or disinterested organizations as needed. The panel will examine and score applications based on each of the five criteria listed below. Reviewers will assign a point value up to the maximum for each criterion. After all reviewers have evaluated and scored each of the applications, the scores for the entire panel will be averaged to determine a final score for the application.
After assigning points for each criterion, applications will be listed in order of their final score and presented, along with funding level recommendations, to the FSIS Assistant Administrator for Outreach, Employee Education and Training, who will make the final decision on awarding of the cooperative agreement(s). Decisions may be tentative, pending additional information subject to negotiation between FSIS and the applicant.
FSIS will review and critique applications, and select those to be made cooperative projects, by September 23, 2008.
Evaluation Criteria and Weights
Proposals for funding will be reviewed and ranked in accord with the following factors:
Notification of Award. FSIS will notify project leaders whose applications have been selected for funding. The FSIS awarding official will enter into cooperative agreements with applicants whose applications have been judged most meritorious under the procedures set forth in this announcement. Cooperative agreements will provide the amount of Federal funds for use in the project period, the terms and conditions of the award, and the timeperiod for the project. The effective date of the award is the date the agreement is executed by both parties. All funds provided must be expended solely for the purposes for which they are obligated under the approved agreement and budget, the regulations, and applicable Federal cost principles. Awarded agreements are subject to applicable Federal regulations and OMB circulars. No commitment of Federal assistance beyond the project period is made or implied for any award resulting from this notice.
Applicants that are not funded will be notified within 120 days after the submission deadline.
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to ensure that
minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are aware of this
notice, FSIS will announce it online through the FSIS Web page located
at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/2008_Notices_Index/. FSIS
will also make copies of this Federal Register publication available
through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide
information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal
Register notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of information
that could affect or would be of interest to constituents and
stakeholders. The Update is communicated via Listserv, a free
electronic mail subscription service for industry, trade groups,
consumer interest groups, health professionals, and other individuals
who have asked to be included. The Update is also available on the FSIS
Web page. Through the Listserv and Web page, FSIS is able to provide
information to a much broader and more diverse audience. In addition,
FSIS offers an email subscription service which provides automatic and
customized access to selected food safety news and information. This
service is available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news_and_events/
email_subscription/. Options range from recalls to export information
to regulations, directives and notices. Customers can add or delete
subscriptions themselves, and they have the option to password protect their accounts.
Done at Washington, DC, on: June 19, 2008.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E814287 Filed 62408; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410DMP
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Mildred Rivera-Betancourt, Training Operations Branch, telephone (515)7278987; facsimile (515)7278992; e mail mildred.riverabetancourt@fsis.usda.gov. Application materials can be downloaded from the Government grants Web site at http:// www.grants.gov. Click on ``Find Grant Opportunities,'' then select ``Basic Search;'' type in ``10.479'' in the Search by Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number field and select ``Search''; click on ``Food Safety Cooperation Agreements'' and select ``Application'' to access the application for this announcement.
Common CFR Searches
14 CFR Part 39 40 CFR Part 52 14 CFR Part 71 33 CFR Part 165 50 CFR Part 679 26 CFR Part 1 40 CFR Part 180 47 CFR Part 73 50 CFR Part 17 33 CFR Part 117 44 CFR Part 67 50 CFR Part 648 14 CFR Part 97 33 CFR Part 100 40 CFR Part 63 50 CFR Part 622 26 CFR Part 301 39 CFR Part 111 40 CFR Part 300 50 CFR Part 660 44 CFR Part 65 40 CFR Parts 52 and 81 40 CFR Part 271 47 CFR Part 64 50 CFR Part 665 47 CFR Part 76 50 CFR Part 229 14 CFR Part 23 14 CFR Part 25 21 CFR Part 522