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Following are a few opportunities and limitations for using your 2025-26 Training Optional Add-On funds, when awarded with your Track 2 or Track 3 Base Grant, for the remainder of grant year (now through March 31, 2026):

• If you have attended or plan to attend a local or regional training that supports conformance with the Retail Program Standards, even if it is not listed on the NEHA website (/retail-grants-training-options), please reach out to the NEHA-FDA RFFM Grant Program Support Team for approval.
• Although many grantees intended to use Training funds to support attendance at the Conference for Food Protection (CFP), because this training occurred outside of the grant period (April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026), we are unable to reimburse attendance at CFP. If you attended CFP and would like to propose an alternate training to use your Training funds, please reach out to the Grant Program Support Team.
• Although 2025-26 Training funds may not be carried over into the next grant year, nor can project periods be extended to accommodate later training (past March 31, 2026), we do expect Training funds to once again be available for Grant Year 2026-27 (April 1, 2026 - March 31, 2027).

Finally, we do expect that a number of eligible Retail Training Courses, Conferences, Workshops, and Seminars will once again be available for Grant Year 2026-27. See below for details.

GY 2026-27 Training Opportunities

Following are some of the training options available for Track 1, 2, and 3 applicants that choose the Training Optional Add-On in their 2026-27 application:

• NACCHO Preparedness Summit: Baltimore, MD, April 13 - April 16, 2026
• Food Safety Summit: Rosemont, IL, May 11 – 14, 2026
• AFDO Annual Educational Conference: Columbus, OH, June 5 – 9, 2026
• IAFP Annual Meeting: New Orleans, LA, July 26 – 29, 2026
• NACCHO 360 Annual Conference: Louisville, KY, July 14 – 17, 2026
• NEHA Annual Education Conference: Kansas City, MO, August 3 – 6, 2026
• FDA Retail Food Protection Virtual Seminar: December 9-10, 2025, from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. ET
• Any FDA Retail Food Safety Seminars, FDA Retail Food Courses scheduled during the grant period (April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2027)
• Regional Training, Conferences, or Seminars with a Retail Food Safety Focus (for training offered April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2027)
• Other Trainings, Conferences, or Seminars with a Retail Food Safety Focus (for training offered April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2027)

Training-Related Costs

Training Optional Add-On Grants offer reimbursement-based support for training-related costs such as registration fees, online course fees, materials, air travel, baggage, car rental and other transportation costs, lodging, parking fees, mileage, and meals. Receipts will be required for all travel expenses except for meals, which will be reimbursed on a federal per diem (or prevailing agency) basis.

Personnel costs (salaries and fringe benefits dedicated to an approved project) are not permissible for Training Optional Add-Ons or Grants. This includes funds for staff to attend ORAU and other online training courses.

Training-Related Questions and Technical Support

For training-related questions or for technical support related to the grant application process, contact the NEHA-FDA RFFM Grant Program Support Team via email at retailgrants@neha.org or toll-free at 1-833-575-2404.