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Mentorship Add-Ons and Grants- Calendar Year 2024

Mentorship opportunities are available to every jurisdiction applying for a NEHA-FDA RFFM grant for the 2024 calendar year.

Benefits of Mentorship Grant

  • Network and collaborate with other retail food regulatory jurisdictions.
  • As a mentor - share experiences and tips for making progress in the Retail Program Standards (the Standards). Mentors also propose projects to advance on their own standards while supporting mentees.
  • As a mentee - leverage the expertise of an experienced jurisdiction to increase your own expertise and make rapid progress through the Standards. Mentors will work with mentees to review project plans and develop customized support to achieve realistic goals throughout the project period.
  • New for the CY 2024 grant year, fixed funding amounts will allow applicants to expend funds that support the specific needs of their jurisdiction.
  • Mentorship participants will benefit from building collaborative relationships with similar programs with the focus of achieving conformance with the Retail Program Standards. Both mentees and mentors will participate in sharing sessions, site visits, webinars, and an end-of-year meeting. Travel awards, over and above the grant funding provided by the NEHA-FDA RFFM grants, will be made available for all mentorship participants to attend the end-of-year meeting.
  • Mentorship Program participants will also benefit from outcomes that may include:
    • increased staff familiarity with the Retail Program Standards;
    • increased retail food regulatory program capacity for implementing continuous quality assurance and quality improvement for retail food regulatory programs; and
    • improved inspection and oversight of retail and food service establishments under the jurisdiction of the retail food regulatory program;
    • increased likelihood to achieve conformance with more standards (compared with programs not participating in mentorship).

For Track 1 and Track 2 Development Base Grant Applicants

  • When applying for a Track 1 or Track 2 Development Base Grant, choosing the Mentee Optional Add-On offers the perfect opportunity to quickly increase your expertise. As a mentee, you will be paired with a skilled mentor program who will work directly with you throughout the year.
  • Jurisdictions new to the Standards can benefit from having a more experienced jurisdiction help them complete their Self-Assessment of All Nine Standards or their Comprehensive Strategic Improvement Plan. More experienced applicants will receive assistance in making progress through the Retail Program Standards.
  • Track 1 and Track 2 Development Base Grant applicants who choose to select the Mentee Optional Add-On, and are selected for an award, will receive fixed funding of up to $14,000 based on deliverables met.

For Track 2 Development Base Grant Applicants or Current Track 3 Maintenance and Advancement Base Grantees

  • Current Track 3 Maintenance and Advancement Base Grantees can use the Mentorship Optional Add-On Grant to as a mentee for up to $14,000 in fixed funding based on deliverables met. See the CY 2024 Grant Guidance for detail.
    • Consider applying for a Mentorship / Mentee Optional Add-On Grant to receive assistance from an experienced jurisdiction in making progress with or meeting one or more specific Standards, or to make progress on a Public Health Metric.
  • Track 2 Development Base Grant applicants who do not choose the Mentee Optional Add-On in their base application, and current Track 3 Maintenance and Advancement Base grants can use the Mentorship Optional Add-On Grant to apply as a mentor for up to $24,000 in funding.
    • Consider becoming a mentor if you are experienced in one or more specific areas of the Standards – completing a Self- Assessment of All Nine Standards, completing a Comprehensive Strategic Improvement Plan, completing any of the Standards or Elements, or completing or making progress on a Public Health Metric – you don't need to be an expert in all areas to help another jurisdiction!
    • Mentors can support between 1 and 5 jurisdictions, depending on their availability. Maximum funding is based on the number of mentees assigned: up to $12K for one mentee, up to $15K for two, up to $18K for three, up to $21K for four, and up to $24K for five. All mentorship funding will be provided as fixed funding based on deliverables met. See the CY 2024 Grant Guidance for detail.
  • Although in Tracks 2 and Track 3 base grant applicants can qualify to be either a mentor or a mentee in a single year, jurisdictions will have to choose to be one or the other for each 1-year award. Qualified jurisdictions will have the opportunity to make this choice each year during the 3-year duration of the NEHA-FDA RFFM Grant Program Cooperative Agreement.

Can you choose your mentor or mentees?

Within the Mentorship Grant application, mentees will be able to request a specific mentor and justify why the proposed choice will be best for the jurisdiction. Similarly, mentors will be able to request specific mentees and justify why the proposed choice(s) will be best for all involved. Final assignments, however, will depend on the numbers and qualifications of both mentor and mentee applications, and will be made by NEHA-FDA RFFM project leadership (with input from FDA, NACCHO, and NEHA).

Can I submit a revised mentorship work plan after receiving the notice of award?

Yes! We understand that once paired, mentor work plans may need to be revised to reflect the actual needs of the assigned mentees. Mentee work plans may need revisions to reflect achievable goals during the project period.