DoD Fresh Program | USDA FNS FDD FDPIR PRODUCETRNG 2023

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FNS FDD FDPIR PRODUCETRNG 2023

The DoD Fresh Program grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number USDA FNS FDD FDPIR PRODUCETRNG 2023) is a discretionary funding announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), focused on food and nutrition (CFDA 10.594). Through a cooperative agreement, USDA is looking to partner with a qualified organization to create and deliver a specialized training program on fresh produce safety and handling for operators and staff of the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). The central purpose is to strengthen how FDPIR programs receive, store, handle, and manage fresh fruits and vegetables in order to reduce food safety risks and improve program operations in Tribal communities.

USDA intends to fund one award, with a maximum funding level (award ceiling) of $500,000. The project is framed as a cooperative agreement, which typically means USDA expects to have substantial involvement during the project rather than simply providing funds and stepping back. In practice, that often includes collaboration on program design, review of materials, coordination on implementation details, and ensuring the final training product aligns with USDA priorities and FDPIR operational realities.

Eligible applicants are limited to organizations with demonstrated expertise working with Tribal communities, specifically including Tribal organizations, non-profit organizations, American Indian Tribal Colleges, and other accredited public or private institutions of higher education. The emphasis on experience with Tribal communities is a key eligibility signal: the training is not meant to be a generic produce safety course, but one that is designed with FDPIR settings in mind and delivered in a way that fits the needs, context, and day-to-day constraints of FDPIR programs serving American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

The funded partner will be responsible for developing, designing, and implementing what USDA refers to as the FDPIR Produce Training Program. USDA also specifies that the training should model USDA's Produce Safety University (PSU). PSU is described as a one-week, experiential learning program that immerses participants in the fresh produce supply chain. That model suggests the new FDPIR-focused training is expected to go beyond slides and lectures and instead include hands-on, scenario-based learning that helps staff recognize risks and make informed decisions in real-world situations. The training is intended to build practical skills, such as identifying common food safety hazards, understanding how contamination can occur at different points from sourcing to service, and learning how to respond appropriately when issues arise (for example, when product quality is questionable, when temperature control is uncertain, or when receiving and storage conditions are not ideal).

From a program impact standpoint, the opportunity is aimed at improving the safety and handling of fresh produce distributed through FDPIR. Because FDPIR sites vary widely in staffing, infrastructure, storage capacity, and delivery patterns, a major implied goal is to create training that is both technically sound and operationally realistic, giving operators and frontline staff tools they can apply immediately. By building competencies across the produce supply chain and strengthening critical thinking around food safety scenarios, USDA is trying to reduce preventable food safety incidents and support more consistent, high-quality fresh produce distribution within FDPIR.

The opportunity was created on July 20, 2023, with an original closing date of August 21, 2023. In summary, this funding supports a single, relatively substantial project to produce an FDPIR-tailored, PSU-style experiential training program that equips Tribal food distribution staff with concrete, scenario-tested skills for safely handling fresh produce from receipt through distribution.

• The Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service in the food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DoD Fresh Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.594.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 20, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 21, 2023. (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 (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for USDA FNS FDD FDPIR PRODUCETRNG 2023

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