Opportunity Information: Apply for FSIS FERN 061020
The FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement Program is a USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) funding opportunity focused on supporting the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN), a nationwide network of federal, state, and local regulatory laboratories that test for threat agents affecting food safety. Because member labs have different capabilities and levels of readiness, FSIS is seeking one cooperative agreement recipient to operate and keep fully functional a secure online communication and collaboration portal that allows the network to share, manage, and report key information about laboratory capability, capacity, and preparedness.
At its core, the project is about maintaining an always-active, secure platform that gives FERN immediate visibility into what member laboratories can do starting on the first day of the award. The portal is expected to centralize capability, capacity, and readiness data and make it usable for both routine coordination and urgent response. Beyond basic information sharing, the system must support a range of operational needs: registering participants for training events and keeping historical attendance records; providing just-in-time training through video and webinar tools that can be used across multiple agencies; managing proficiency testing events with registration and historical participant tracking; and maintaining and improving a public-facing webpage that represents FERN externally.
The opportunity also requires more specialized functionality tied to network operations and logistics. This includes an online, secure "FERN Storeroom" for ordering supplies and maintaining inventory, plus an activation management system where all members can enter results data during exercises and real-world activation events. The portal must also function as a document repository for the network, housing FERN methods, operational standard operating procedures (SOPs), and other key documents, with search capabilities that help users quickly find what they need across all of FERN's documented capabilities. In addition, the platform must include a calendar of events that is automatically populated based on scheduled network activities occurring within the site's functional areas, keeping members aligned on upcoming trainings, tests, and events.
A major expectation is ongoing support and administration. The cooperative agreement recipient must provide 24-hour helpdesk assistance and manage user accounts and the underlying datasets tied to each functional area of the portal. Just as important, the information collected and managed through these functions must be organized so it can produce outputs and reports in the specific formats and manner required by FERN, meaning the portal is not just a storage site but a structured system designed for consistent, network-wide reporting and decision-making.
Administratively, this is a discretionary cooperative agreement (not a standard grant), indicating FSIS expects substantial involvement and collaboration with the awardee during the project. The opportunity is listed under CFDA 10.479 (Agriculture). Eligible applicants are limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. The anticipated funding ceiling is $250,000, with FSIS expecting to make one award. The opportunity was created on June 10, 2020, with an original application closing date of July 3, 2020.Apply for FSIS FERN 061020
- The Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Inspection Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.479.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 10, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 03, 2020. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement Program FAQs
What is the FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement Program?
It is a USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) funding opportunity that supports the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN). The focus of this cooperative agreement is operating and keeping fully functional a secure online communication and collaboration portal used by the nationwide network of regulatory laboratories involved in testing for threat agents affecting food safety.
What is FERN?
FERN is described as a nationwide network of federal, state, and local regulatory laboratories that test for threat agents impacting food safety. The portal is meant to help these member laboratories share and manage information about their capability, capacity, and preparedness.
What is the main purpose of the funded project?
The main purpose is to maintain an always-active, secure platform that provides immediate, first-day visibility into what FERN member labs can do, and to centralize and manage capability, capacity, and readiness information for both routine coordination and urgent response.
How many awards does FSIS expect to make?
FSIS expects to make one award.
What is the anticipated funding ceiling?
The anticipated funding ceiling is $250,000.
Is this a standard grant or something different?
This opportunity is a discretionary cooperative agreement, not a standard grant. That means FSIS expects substantial involvement and collaboration with the recipient during the project.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 10.479 (Agriculture).
What is the portal expected to provide on day one of the award?
The portal is expected to give FERN immediate visibility into member laboratory capabilities, capacity, and preparedness starting on the first day of the award, with the system fully functional and secure.
What kinds of information must the portal centralize?
The portal must centralize data on laboratory capability, capacity, and readiness/preparedness and make that information usable for routine coordination and urgent response situations.
What training-related features must the portal support?
The portal must support registering participants for training events, keeping historical attendance records, and providing just-in-time training through video and webinar tools that can be used across multiple agencies.
What proficiency testing features are required?
The system must manage proficiency testing events, including registration and historical participant tracking.
Does the project include any public-facing web presence?
Yes. The cooperative agreement includes maintaining and improving a public-facing webpage that represents FERN externally.
What is the "FERN Storeroom" mentioned in the opportunity?
It is an online, secure area of the portal used for ordering supplies and maintaining inventory.
What is meant by an activation management system?
The portal must include an activation management system where all members can enter results data during exercises and during real-world activation events.
What document management capabilities must the portal include?
The portal must serve as a document repository for the network, including FERN methods, operational standard operating procedures (SOPs), and other key documents. It must also include search capabilities so users can quickly find what they need across FERN's documented capabilities.
Does the portal need an events calendar?
Yes. The platform must include a calendar of events that is automatically populated based on scheduled network activities occurring within the site's functional areas, helping members stay aligned on upcoming trainings, tests, and events.
What level of support is the recipient required to provide?
The recipient must provide 24-hour helpdesk assistance, manage user accounts, and manage the underlying datasets tied to each functional area of the portal.
Is the portal only for storing information, or does it need reporting capabilities too?
It must be a structured system designed for consistent, network-wide reporting and decision-making. The information collected and managed through the portal must be organized so it can produce outputs and reports in the specific formats and manner required by FERN.
Why is FSIS seeking this portal approach?
The opportunity notes that FERN member labs have different capabilities and levels of readiness. The portal is intended to provide a secure, centralized way to share, manage, and report information so the network can coordinate routinely and respond quickly during urgent events.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on June 10, 2020.
What was the original application closing date?
The original application closing date was July 3, 2020.
What agency is offering this funding opportunity?
The offering agency is the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
What is the portal expected to enable for the network beyond communication?
Beyond communication and collaboration, the portal is expected to enable centralized operational coordination (capability/capacity/readiness visibility), training and webinar delivery, proficiency testing administration, inventory and supply ordering, activation data entry during exercises and real events, document storage and search, automated event calendaring, and standardized reporting in FERN-required formats.
How does the opportunity describe the security and availability expectations?
The portal is described as secure, always-active, and fully functional, with 24-hour helpdesk support. It is intended to support immediate network visibility and operations from the start of the award.
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