January 2023 FEMA GO “Get Ready” Message for Stakeholders of the FEMA National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) State Assistance Grant Program 

Dear Earthquake Program Managers:   

Happy New Year! The FEMA National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Team is looking forward to continuing to work with all of our partners to advance the NEHRP mission through public education and awareness.  

This message is the second FEMA GO “Get Ready” communications intended for stakeholders of the FEMA NEHRP State Assistance Grant Program. To review the first FEMA GO “Get Ready” message sent in December 2022, please visit the NEHRP eBlast Archive section of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program’s State Assistance Program website. 

The FEMA Grants Management Modernization effort is well underway to improve the grants management experience for award recipients and applicants by transitioning to one unified grants management platform called FEMA Grants Outcomes (FEMA GO).   

FEMA is committed to keeping its stakeholders and users fully informed to ensure a smooth transition to the new grants management system. You now have access to register your organization in the new FEMA GO grants management system by logging into FEMAGO – Login. It is recommended that the registration steps are completed as soon as possible. Instructions for new users to register in FEMA GO are provided in the FEMA GO Start Up Guide.  

In order to apply for a grant, you must have an active System for Award Management (SAM.gov) account. We strongly recommend that your organization create an account with the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) or renew your registration and update your profile as it could take several weeks to process. FEMA GO will automatically import certain information from an organization’s active SAM.gov record, including the organization’s legal name, mailing and physical address, EIN, UEI, and the Electronic Business Point of Contact (eBIZ POC).  

The individual listed as the “Electronic Business” point of contact (eBiz POC) in SAM.gov is automatically recognized as the organization’s primary Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) in the new FEMA GO portal. The primary AOR can perform all functions in FEMA GO on behalf of an organization, as well as add additional users to an organization in FEMA GO.  

Resources:  

National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Website – Find more information about NEHRP and Earthquake Risk, including training and guidance resources for recipients and applicants.  

FEMA Grants Outcomes (FEMA GO) Website – Find more information about the transition to FEMA GO including training resources for recipients and applicants and contact information for the FEMA GO Help Desk.  

FEMA Grants Outcomes (FEMA GO) Help Desk – If you experience any technical issues creating an account in FEMA GO, please contact the FEMA GO Help Desk by phone at 1-877-585-3242 or by email at femago@fema.dhs.gov.  

System for Award Management (SAM) Website - Find more information about  the System for Award Management (SAM) and how to register your entity or get a Unique Entity ID to get started doing business with the federal government. Start now to create an account with  SAM.gov or renew your registration and update your profile as it could take up to several weeks to process.  

SAM.gov, Integrated Award Environment (IAE) Stakeholder Forum -  On December 6, 2022, the U.S. General Services Administration’s Integrated Award Environment hosted an online stakeholder forum for state or local governments seeking to register for federal assistance awards (grants, loans, etc.) in SAM.gov. The presentation included a  walk-through of each step of the validation and registration process. Download the presentation slide deck, view a recording of the program, and check out the helpful guide for state and local governments here.  

As always, if you have any questions specific to the FEMA NEHRP State Assistance Grant Program, please contact either Jon Foster, NEHRP Program Manager, at jonathon.foster@fema.dhs.gov, or Maigen Lawson, NEHRP Program Specialist, at maigen.lawson@fema.dhs.gov.