Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 21 0019

The Strengthening Food Safety Systems in Africa grant was a discretionary USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) opportunity designed to help African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and their Member States improve how they understand, apply, and align science-based sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards, with a specific emphasis on food safety. The program is framed around Africa's rapidly expanding intra-continental trade environment, especially after the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) took effect on January 1, 2021. With AfCFTA creating a 54-nation free trade bloc, the grant positions SPS alignment as a practical requirement for smoother agricultural trade and as a safeguard for human, animal, and plant health. It also ties directly to implementation of AfCFTA Annex 7 on SPS, which underscores the need for legislation, regulations, and inspection systems that are grounded in science and consistent with international standard setting bodies.

A key driver behind the opportunity is the African Union Commission's leadership through AU-DARBE and the continent-wide SPS Policy Framework developed in 2019 and adopted by heads of state in March 2020. That framework is presented as the roadmap for putting the SPS chapter of the AfCFTA into action, laying out objectives, strategies, and responsibilities for RECs, Member States, and partner organizations. USDA FAS describes this grant as a way to support harmonization of SPS processes at continental, regional, and bilateral levels so that food safety controls are applied more uniformly. The underlying logic is that strong, consistent SPS measures make trade safer and more predictable: they reduce the risk of pests and disease spread, protect consumers, and help African exporters meet requirements in both regional and global markets. Conversely, weak enforcement capacity or inconsistent procedures can lead to market exclusions, avoidable compliance costs, and inefficiencies that slow down trade.

The main objective is to fund national and regional technical training, research, and outreach that strengthen scientific collaboration and help regulators and other food safety actors implement international standards in a consistent way. In practical terms, the recipient is expected to build structured learning programs in food safety, carry out collaborative research, and make sure scientific findings are shared and used by decision-makers. The opportunity highlights a gap in advanced analytical research and education in the region, noting that without that capacity, health authorities are less likely to make policy choices based on solid evidence. Because of that, the grant is not just about training workshops; it is also meant to improve the knowledge base and the channels through which evidence informs regulation and trade practice.

USDA anticipates several core activity streams. One is coordination with the African Union and USDA to provide scientific support for developing and implementing the AU's food safety strategy, along with research and policy guideline development to help RECs and Member States implement food safety measures aligned with AfCFTA Annex 7. Another is collaboration with USDA and other U.S. government agencies to train REC and Member State technical experts through workshops, virtual meetings, technical assistance, and online tools, with the goal of familiarizing African regulators with U.S. food safety inspection regulations and procedures. The grant also calls for consultative research with agribusinesses to identify practical trade bottlenecks and priority food safety barriers, including issues tied to border management processes where delays, duplicative controls, or unclear requirements can disrupt trade. Finally, the recipient is expected to provide technical assistance around WTO SPS Agreement transparency tools, including strengthening SPS notification systems and inquiry points, so countries can more effectively report and respond to SPS-related measures and track results under CAADP framework indicators.

Programmatically, the grant emphasizes working in a way that complements and links with other ongoing regional investments in food safety, such as laboratory-based research and education programs, integrated data collection platforms, and high-level policy dialogue. The broader development narrative connects harmonized SPS systems to continental commitments like the Malabo Declaration, CAADP, and Agenda 2063, positioning food safety capacity as both a public health need and an economic competitiveness strategy. In short, the opportunity targets the "plumbing" of food safety governance: the training, scientific collaboration, research, and transparency mechanisms that make food safety rules credible, implementable, and consistent enough to support expanded trade under AfCFTA.

From an administrative standpoint, this was a grant (not a contract) with an award ceiling of $1,000,000 and an expectation of one award. The eligible applicant pool was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, reflecting the program's emphasis on training, research, and evidence-based policy support. The opportunity was issued by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service under CFDA 10.960, created on June 11, 2021, with an original closing date of July 19, 2021.

  • The Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strengthening Food Safety Systems in Africa" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.960.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Jun 11, 2021.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 19, 2021. (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 $1,000,000.00 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.
Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 21 0019

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