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About the Program

Program Goals

The NEHA‑FDA Retail Flexible Funding Model (RFFM) Grant Program has three primary goals:

  1. Support strategies that reduce the occurrence of foodborne illness risk factors in retail food establishments.
  2. Promote uniformity and build a national Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS) by enabling state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) retail food regulatory jurisdictions to move toward full conformance with the Retail Program Standards.
  3. Fully leverage the expertise and capacity of SLTT retail food-protection agencies to meet the goals of the Retail Program Standards

Understanding the Three Types of Base Grants and the 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 multiple grants of varying amounts and complexities, with the goal of meeting each jurisdiction where they are, no matter how large, small, or resource-limited.

Grant Year 2026-27 Grant Types:

Track 1 Development Base Grant

Designed for jurisdictions newly beginning or re-starting with the Retail Program Standards (RPS), providing funding via one combined application 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 retail food training, conferences, or workshops.

Track 2 Development Base Grant

Designed for jurisdictions who have a current SA9 (January 2021 or later) and CSIP, providing funding via one combined application for:

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

  • Mentee Optional Add-On

A three-year Track 3 Maintenance and Advancement Base Grant (not open for new applications in 2026-27, but current Track 3 grantees can apply for Optional Add-Ons)

For current Track 3 grantees, the following One-Year Optional Add-On options are available via one combined application:

  • Training Optional Add-On for attendance at retail food training, conferences, or workshops.
  • Mentee Optional Add-On

Mentorship / Mentor Optional Add-On Grant

Available for Track 2 and 3 applicants, providing funding to serve as a Retail Program Standards Mentor for 1-5 Mentees.

MOST funding, in all three tracks, will be available as Fixed Funding Awards based on specific milestones met, significantly reducing both the application and reporting burdens. The only funding that requires budget details and reimbursement documentation is the Training Optional Add-On (Tracks 1, 2, and 3), and the Capacity Building Optional Add-On (Track 3).