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Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced more than $2 billion for eight preparedness grant programs. These programs provide critical funding to help state and local officials prepare for, prevent, protect against and respond to acts of terrorism and other hazards.
The Fiscal Year 2023 grant guidance will continue to focus on the nation’s highest risk areas, including urban areas that face the most significant threats and national priorities. This year the Urban Area Security Initiative will enhance regional preparedness and capabilities by funding 40 high-threat, high-density urban areas. This includes four additional urban areas that will receive funding to build and sustain capability based on an evolving threat environment. This represents Congressional intent to limit these funds to those urban areas that represent up to 85% of nationwide risk.
DHS has identified six national priority areas in the grant cycle: cybersecurity; soft targets and crowded places; intelligence and information sharing; domestic violent extremism; community preparedness and resilience; and election security. Grant recipients under the State Homeland Security Program and Urban Area Security Initiative will be required to dedicate a minimum of 30% of their awards across these six priority areas. Fifteen percent is required through minimum spend amounts for five priority areas and recipients have flexibility on how to allocate the remaining 15% across the six priority areas: cybersecurity (no minimum spend); soft target and crowded places (3%); information and intelligence sharing (3%); domestic violent extremism (3%); community preparedness and resilience (3%); and election security (3%). After extensive consultation with grantees leading up to this announcement, DHS is focused on balancing the need to invest in high priority areas with giving jurisdictions the flexibility to make prioritization decisions based on their own assessments of their needs.
As with previous years, new capabilities that are built using homeland security grant funding must be deployable if needed to support regional and national efforts. All capabilities being built or sustained must have a clear linkage to the core capabilities articulated in the National Preparedness Goal.
Preparedness Grant Program Allocations for Fiscal Year 2023
The following grants are non-competitive and awarded to recipients based on several factors:
Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP): State Homeland Security Program—provides $415 million to support the implementation of risk-driven, capabilities-based state homeland security strategies to address capability targets.
HSGP: Urban Area Security Initiative—provides $615 million to enhance regional preparedness and capabilities in 36 high-threat, high-density areas.
Intercity Passenger Rail—provides $10 million to Amtrak to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and increase the resilience of the Amtrak rail system.
Emergency Management Performance Grant Program –provides $355.1 million to assist state, local, tribal and territorial emergency management agencies in obtaining the resources required to support the National Preparedness Goal’s associated mission areas and core capabilities to build a culture of preparedness.
The following grants are competitive, and exact awards will be announced later this year:
HSGP: Operation Stonegarden—provides $90 million to enhance cooperation and coordination among state, local, tribal, territorial and federal law enforcement agencies to jointly enhance security along the United States land and water borders.
Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program —provides $15 million to eligible tribal nations to implement preparedness initiatives to help strengthen the nation against risk associated with potential terrorist attacks and other hazards.
Nonprofit Security Grant Program—provides $305 million to support target hardening and other physical security enhancements for nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack. This year, $152.5 million is provided to nonprofits in UASI-designated urban areas, and $152.5 million is provided to nonprofits outside of UASI-designated urban areas located in any state or territory.
Port Security Grant Program—provides $100 million to help protect critical port infrastructure from terrorism, enhance maritime domain awareness, improve port-wide maritime security risk management and maintain or re-establish maritime security mitigation protocols that support port recovery and resiliency capabilities.
Transit Security Grant Program —provides $93 million to owners and operators of public transit systems to protect critical surface transportation and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and to increase the resilience of transit infrastructure.
Intercity Bus Security Grant Program —provides $2 million to owners and operators of intercity bus systems to protect surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and to increase the resilience of transit infrastructure.
Before determining modifications and final allocations to the grant programs, DHS coordinated extensive engagements with local and state partners and worked with a wide range of stakeholders. All the funding notices can be found at www.grants.gov.
FEMA has engaged in a concerted effort to expand and enhance outreach related to the NSGP to reach potential new applicants, especially in underserved communities. Funding allocations for the NSGP announcement and for technical assistance in developing grant applications can be found on FEMA.gov. Final submissions must be made through the non-disaster grants system located at https://portal.fema.gov.
Further information on DHS’s preparedness grant programs is available at www.dhs.gov and http://www.fema.gov/grants.
FEMA invites nonprofit organizations to participate in upcoming webinars regarding the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. The program provides funding support through a competitive process for facility hardening and other security enhancements to nonprofit organizations at high risk of a terrorist or other extremist attack. Nonprofit security grants may be used to promote emergency preparedness coordination and collaboration between public and private community representatives, as well as state, local, tribal and territorial governments.
The Department of Homeland Security and FEMA are committed to providing quality customer service to all nonprofit organization stakeholders, including socially vulnerable, underserved and under-represented communities. With this goal in mind, FEMA is offering the following informational program webinars for all nonprofit organizations interested in learning more about the Nonprofit Security Grant Program priorities, eligibility and application process.
For all attendees, it is strongly recommended that you review the existing program resources available FEMA.gov. These resources are intended to assist readers in understanding the program and requirements in plain language. Familiarity with this material will improve attendees’ experience in the upcoming webinars.
All sessions will be the same and will cover:
- Program overview.
- Key changes from FY22 to FY23.
- Application process overview.
- Key tools and resources.
- Question and answer.
To attend a webinar, register in advance on FEMA.gov. Webinars will be held:
Additional information related to the program can be found on FEMA.gov. The vulnerability self-assessment tool, as well as other helpful safety and security information for nonprofit organizations, can be found on CISA.gov.
If you have any questions regarding these webinars or require special accommodations, email FEMA-NSGP@fema.dhs.gov.
People interested in kick starting their career in emergency management should consider joining FEMA Corps. This full-time service opportunity is for individuals ages 18 to 26 who are looking to gain valuable leadership skills through team-based service. Members serve alongside FEMA to help communities prepare for and respond to disasters.
The FEMA Corps Summer application deadline for members is March 14. If you know someone interested in preparedness and community service, encourage them to apply. For more information, visit AmeriCorps.gov or FEMA.gov.
Since 2012, more than 4,000 FEMA Corps members have served at FEMA, playing a key role in the agency’s success. From responding to disasters in the field or helping the agency serve our nation more effectively, the thousands of FEMA Corps alumni have contributed greatly in its mission to help people before, during and after disasters.
FEMA Seeks Leaders for Youth Preparedness Council
FEMA is accepting applications for the Youth Preparedness Council. The online application process is open, and students must complete their applications by midnight PT on March 6.
The agency will host a webinar to provide additional information on the council at 8 p.m. ET on Feb. 28. Register in advance.
If you know a teen interested in preparedness and community service, encourage them to apply. To learn more about the Youth Preparedness Council, visit FEMA.gov.
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‘Buy America’ Preferences for FEMA Grant Programs Webinar on March 1
FEMA will offer the final webinar at 3 p.m. ET on March 1 for all recipients and subrecipients under awards for 23 FEMA grant programs. These programs are now subject on the domestic preference requirements of the Build America, Buy America Act.
Most disaster financial assistance programs are not subject to requirements. For a list of FEMA financial assistance programs not subject to the requirements please visit FEMA.gov
Frequently Asked Questions, additional guidance, webinar information, resources and contact information can be found on FEMA’s “Buy America” webpage.
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FEMA is Accepting Revolving Loan Fund Applications
FEMA is accepting applications to the Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund grant program. Loans will be available to help local governments satisfy non-federal cost share requirements under FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs, update building codes adoption, and enforcement and make zoning and land use changes.
The program has been expanded to give 20 federally recognized tribal nations and insular areas the same eligibility to apply as states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. As defined by the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act, insular areas are American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands.
The funding notice is available at Grants.gov. Eligible entities must apply for funding using the Non-Disaster (ND) Grants Management System (ND Grants). Applications must be received by 3 p.m. ET on April 28.
Visit FEMA.gov for more information.
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FEMA Seeks Feedback on Hazard Mitigation Documents
FEMA is seeking public feedback on nine Hazard Mitigation resource typing documents. These resource typing documents include two National Incident Management System-typed Hazard Mitigation teams for operations and planning and seven positions that make up the teams. This 30-day national engagement period will conclude at 5 p.m. ET on March 16.
To provide comments on the draft documents, complete the feedback form and submit the form to FEMA-NIMS@fema.dhs.gov.
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FEMA Seeks Feedback on Achieving Equitable Recovery Guide
FEMA is seeking feedback on the draft “Achieving Equitable Recovery: A Post-Disaster Guide for Local Officials.” The open comment period will end on March 15.
The guide is organized around eight goals focused on approaches to engaging and identifying the needs of all community members and ensuring a more accessible, inclusive and equitable recovery planning process.
FEMA will host a 60-minute webinar session at 10 a.m. ET on March 13 to provide an overview of the draft guide and gather feedback from whole community partners. The sessions will include facilitated discussions with stakeholders to help improve the existing draft.
For more information about the webinars and to access the draft Equity Guide and related documents, visit FEMA.gov.
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