FDA Announcement regarding Food Related Emergency Exercise Boxed set (FREE-B), Request for Proposals

Published: September 29, 2011

September 29, 2011

WHAT: Food Related Emergency Exercise Boxed set (FREE-B) Request for Proposals (RFP)

WHO: Jason Bashura, CFSAN / Food Defense Oversight Team, FDA

WHEN: RFP Closing date is November 18, 2011

HOW: The FDA today is announcing that, through a contract with the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), we are issuing a request for proposals (RFP) to provide interested State, Local, Tribal or Territorial-based entities with strategic guidance and limited financial support (up to $5,000) to conduct one of the following scenarios that are part of the FREE-B portfolio.

To access the link to the RFP, please go to www.fda.gov/Food/FoodDefense, and after you click the Food Related Emergency Exercise Boxed set (FREE-B) NEW! Link on the right side of the page within the spotlight box, the RFP link will appear in the "Resources For You" section.

Released in July, 2011 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Food Related Emergency Exercise (FREE-B) toolkit is a set of five tabletop exercise scenarios, available online, based on both intentional and unintentional food contamination events. FREE-B is designed with the intention of assisting stakeholders in assessing existing food emergency response plans, protocols, and procedures, or to assist in the revision or development of a food emergency response plan.

Once the request for proposals period has closed a review panel will perform a thorough analysis of the submissions received and make a recommendation to the FDA for granting funding requests. This recommendation will be determined based on the criteria identified in the RFP and the scenario requested. The Food Defense Oversight Team will review and approve the final list of awardees. All of the entities submitting a response to the RFP will be notified of a decision by December 20, 2011.

If you need additional information or have questions, please feel free to contact me @ FoodDefense@fda.hhs.gov - We look forward to receiving the proposals and appreciate your ongoing support of FDA and its mission.

Sincerely,

Jason P. Bashura, MPH, RS

FDA / CFSAN / Food Defense Oversight Team

5100 Paint Branch Parkway

College Park, MD 20740

FoodDefense@fda.hhs.gov