FY 2024 Strengthening Bangladesh’s Trade Facilitative Phytosanitary Regulatory Systems | USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 24 0003

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 24 0003

FY 2024 Strengthening Bangladesh's Trade Facilitative Phytosanitary Regulatory Systems is a discretionary USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) funding opportunity designed to improve how Bangladesh manages plant health regulations in ways that both protect agriculture and make trade smoother. The focus is on strengthening Bangladesh's National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO), which is the government body responsible for phytosanitary measures such as pest risk management, import and export plant health controls, inspections, and certification. The overall intent is to build on earlier USDA/FAS sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) technical assistance efforts that emphasized transparency and practical technical skills, especially by helping the NPPO better understand and apply international standards established under the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). In practical terms, this opportunity supports work that moves Bangladesh closer to internationally recognized best practices for plant health regulation, which can reduce trade friction, improve confidence in Bangladesh's regulatory decisions, and support market access for agricultural products.

The award will be made as a cooperative agreement, meaning the recipient should expect substantial involvement and coordination with USDA/FAS rather than operating completely independently. The program anticipates making a single award, with an award ceiling of $500,000. The opportunity is listed under CFDA (now commonly referred to as Assistance Listing) 10.960 and falls within the Agriculture activity category. The funding opportunity number is USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 24 0003. The original application closing date was March 15, 2024, and the notice was created on January 9, 2024. Eligible applicants are categorized as "Others," with specific eligibility details referenced in Section C of the official funding opportunity announcement, which typically spells out what types of organizations can apply (for example, nonprofits, universities, quasi-governmental entities, or other specialized implementers, depending on the announcement language).

Programmatically, the recipient is expected to work closely with several groups at once: the Bangladesh NPPO itself, relevant stakeholders across Bangladesh's agricultural sector, USDA/FAS, and other donor or partner organizations operating in-country. The core deliverable is increased institutional and technical capacity within the NPPO to carry out its mandated responsibilities in line with the IPPC framework. The description points to workshops and training series as a proven approach used previously, and this new effort is framed as the next step that deepens those gains rather than starting from scratch. Capacity strengthening can include, depending on the final workplan, areas such as improving regulatory transparency and communication, strengthening technical competencies related to phytosanitary inspection and certification systems, aligning procedures with IPPC standards, and reinforcing internal systems that allow the NPPO to implement rules consistently and credibly.

A notable component of the opportunity is its regional emphasis. Beyond work inside Bangladesh, the program is expected to coordinate with regional partner programs in South and Southeast Asia to support regional dialogue on SPS regulatory harmonization. This matters because plant pests and trade pathways do not stop at borders, and because alignment across neighboring countries can reduce inconsistent requirements that slow trade and create uncertainty for exporters and importers. Regional dialogue can also help share practical tools, build professional networks among regulators, and encourage common approaches grounded in IPPC principles, which in turn can make cross-border trade more predictable while maintaining appropriate plant health protections.

In short, this grant opportunity funds one implementing partner to help Bangladesh's NPPO strengthen its ability to apply IPPC-based phytosanitary standards in a transparent, technically sound, and trade-facilitative way, while also contributing to broader regional conversations in South and Southeast Asia about harmonizing SPS regulatory approaches.

• The Foreign Agricultural Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2024 Strengthening Bangladesh’s Trade Facilitative Phytosanitary Regulatory Systems" 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 2024-01-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-15. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 24 0003

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