Building Effective Communication Strategies and Messaging | USDA FAS 10960 0200 10 20 0003

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0200 10 20 0003

Building Effective Communication Strategies and Messaging is a USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) grant opportunity designed to strengthen how governments and stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific region communicate about agricultural biotechnology. The program is rooted in the idea that biotechnology, including genetic engineering and newer techniques like gene editing, can help producers protect yields, improve plant and animal health, reduce environmental impacts, and expand consumer choice. Even when the science and potential benefits are strong, international trade in biotech-related products can be slowed or blocked by policy barriers such as formal or informal bans, lengthy approval processes, and regulations that are not grounded in science. Those obstacles can restrict trade, discourage innovation, and ultimately limit options for both farmers and consumers.

The central focus of the grant is improving communication about the science, benefits, sustainability, and practical use of agricultural biotechnologies at local, regional, and national levels. By building stronger communication capacity, the program aims to support a more favorable, evidence-based policy environment that enables trade and more timely regulatory decision-making. In practical terms, the project supports partner economies in becoming more proactive and effective in the way they explain biotechnology to policymakers, key stakeholders, and the general public, especially in situations where public understanding and trust play a major role in shaping regulations and market access.

This opportunity is led by the New Technologies and Production Methods Division (NTPMD) within USDA FAS as a continuation of engagement that began through the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) High Level Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Biotechnology (HLPDAB). The grant supports intersessional activities for participating APEC and ASEAN economies, meaning focused training and capacity-building sessions that take place between major dialogue meetings. These activities are meant to deepen and extend the work already underway by giving participating economies hands-on support in strategic communication and targeted messaging. Trainings are intentionally structured for either a single economy or small groups of two or three economies to keep the sessions practical, interactive, and tailored, rather than broad and purely theoretical. The recipient organization is expected to coordinate closely with FAS NTPMD to identify which economies will participate.

The program has two main objectives. First, it funds the design and delivery of communication and outreach training specifically related to agricultural biotechnologies, explicitly including both genetic engineering and gene editing. Second, it aims to ensure that participating APEC and ASEAN economies come away with concrete skills and tools: how to assess their own communication needs, draft a communications strategy, identify and segment target audiences, craft effective written and verbal messages, and engage different audiences successfully. The emphasis is on helping officials and stakeholders communicate clearly and credibly about the science behind biotechnology so that discussions and resulting decisions are more evidence-based.

Administratively, the grant (Funding Opportunity Number USDA FAS 10960 0200 10 20 0003) was posted under the Department of Agriculture, Trade Policy and Geographic Affairs. It is categorized as an "Other" opportunity using a grant funding instrument, within the Agriculture activity category, and listed under CFDA 10.960. Eligibility is limited to private institutions of higher education. The opportunity anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of $80,000. The original posting date was July 30, 2020, with an original closing date of August 14, 2020.

• The Department of Agriculture, Trade Policy and Geographic Affairs in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Building Effective Communication Strategies and Messaging" 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 Jul 30, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 14, 2020. (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 $80,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0200 10 20 0003

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