Ocean Freight Reimbursement Program (OFR)
Inactive
- Assistance listing
- 98.003
- Grant awards
- 642 $8,014,626,136 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Block Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) awards Ocean Freight Reimbursement Program grants (CFDA 98.003) to registered U.S. private voluntary organizations (PVOs) that ship commodities overseas for privately funded development and humanitarian assistance programs, with the most recent award made on October 1, 2023.
The program has sustained activity since 2002 across 642 awards. Award volume has been volatile in recent years, ranging from 16 awards in 2020 to 66 in 2023, with an average of approximately 39 awards per year over the past five years. Combined federal dollars obligated total $8.01 billion, with non-federal share contributing an additional $20 million. The portfolio is predominantly Project Grants (61% of awards) with meaningful shares of Block Grants (27%) and Cooperative Agreements (12%).
USAID funds the vast majority of activity, with the agency's general funding stream accounting for 394 awards totaling $6.28 billion federal dollars. USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, a subordinate funding entity, managed 60 awards worth $1.2 billion in federal dollars. The remaining activity spans other USAID internal bureaus in smaller volumes.
Recent awards show a bimodal distribution. Routine annual freight awards from USAID's general operations average $100,000 to $200,000; examples include $140,000 to CNFA for ocean freight and $150,000 to an unnamed recipient for fiscal year 2024 ocean freight operations. Larger awards, particularly from the Humanitarian Assistance Bureau, substantially exceed this range. Major recipients in the October 2023 award batch include World Food Programme's commodity shipping program at $81.3 million (project grant), $243 million (cooperative agreement), and $207.7 million (cooperative agreement); Mercy Corps freight awards totaling approximately $2.2 million across ocean and inland categories; and FHI360 awards exceeding $5.3 million combined for ocean and inland freight operations.
No open grant opportunities are currently posted. The most recent solicitation (TRN-21-031-OFR-RFA) closed on June 18, 2021. Historically, USAID has competed the program every two years with rolling recruitment. Prior solicitations indicated estimated funding of $5,000 to $150,000 for individual awards and competition open to registered U.S. PVOs only.
Objective and description
- Objective
Reimburses registered U.S. private voluntary organizations (PVOs) to ship commodities overseas for use in privately funded development and humanitarian assistance programs.
Grant opportunities
| Opportunity | Status | Posted | Applications due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Freight Reimbursement Program FY2022 and FY2023 | Closed | ||
| Ocean Freight Reimbursement Program FY2020 and FY2021 | Closed | ||
| Ocean Freight Reimbursement Program FY18 and FY19 | Closed |
Grant awards
| Award | Recipient | Federal obligations | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 new WFP/CSP ocean | United Nations World Food Programme | $81,344,965 | |
| 2024 new award WFP/cargo preference ocean | United Nations World Food Programme | $18,688,835 | |
| 2024 new WVI ocean award | World Vision Inc. | $7,757,982 | |
| 2024 new FHI ocean award | Food For The Hungry, Inc. | $3,514,950 | |
| 2024 new award for CRS ocean | Catholic Relief Services - United States Conference Of Catholic Bishops | $20,338,700 | |
| 2024 new award for CRS inland | Catholic Relief Services - United States Conference Of Catholic Bishops | $18,632,360 | |
| 2024 new award for WFP/CSP inland | United Nations World Food Programme | $54,666,758 | |
| 2024 new award for WVI ocean freight | World Vision Inc. | $19,815,592 | |
| 2024 new award for FHI inland | Food For The Hungry, Inc. | $1,795,000 | |
| New inland freight for mercy corps | Mercy Corps | $747,147 |
Latest 10 of 642 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Nations World Food Programme | $5,600,286,398 | 70% |
| 2 | Catholic Relief Services - United States Conference Of Catholic Bishops | $1,352,713,042 | 17% |
| 3 | World Vision Inc. | $254,679,738 | 3% |
| 4 | Cooperative For Assistance And Relief Everywhere, Inc. | $101,216,608 | 1% |
| 5 | Save The Children Federation, Inc. | $86,377,455 | 1% |
| 6 | Food For The Hungry, Inc. | $61,744,551 | 1% |
| 7 | Acdi / Voca | $56,780,674 | 1% |
| 8 | Adventist Development And Relief Agency International | $40,092,307 | 1% |
| 9 | Mercy Corps | $33,961,520 | <1% |
9 of 130 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2025 | -$19,834,323 |
| FY2024 | $684,180,318 |
| FY2023 | $1,047,676,334 |
| FY2022 | $994,401,166 |
| FY2021 | $355,190,168 |
| FY2020 | $291,678,115 |
| FY2019 | $238,462,803 |
| FY2018 | $88,570,531 |
| FY2017 | $255,234,383 |
| FY2016 | $835,795,504 |
| FY2015 | $715,692,808 |
| FY2014 | $226,578,007 |
| FY2013 | $168,379,879 |
| FY2012 | $523,808,603 |
| FY2011 | $263,111,663 |
| FY2010 | $254,983,851 |
| FY2009 | $401,839,995 |
| FY2008 | $185,204,133 |
| FY2007 | $6,714,686 |
Show all 19
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 98.003?
Assistance Listing 98.003 is Ocean Freight Reimbursement Program (OFR), a federal grant program run by US Agency for International Development. It is inactive.
What is the CFDA number for Ocean Freight Reimbursement Program (OFR)?
Its CFDA number is 98.003: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 98.003 awarded?
642 grant awards under 98.003 have obligated $8,014,626,136 in federal funds to 130 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 98.003?
The recipients obligated the most under Ocean Freight Reimbursement Program (OFR) are United Nations World Food Programme ($5,600,286,398), Catholic Relief Services - United States Conference Of Catholic Bishops ($1,352,713,042) and World Vision Inc. ($254,679,738).
How much did 98.003 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 98.003 obligated -$19,834,323 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 98.003?
No opportunity listed under 98.003 is open now. The latest, Ocean Freight Reimbursement Program FY2022 and FY2023, was posted on May 17, 2021.
On GovTribe
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