00_FY22 PDM NOFO_5.19.22_Final clean_508.pdf

FY 2022 PDM Grant Program NOFO Back to the Top

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Fiscal Year 2022 Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Grant Program

Effective April 4, 2022, the Federal Government transitioned from using the Data Universal Numbering System or DUNS number, to a new, non-proprietary identifier known as a Unique Entity Identifier or UEI. For entities that had an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) prior to this date, the UEI has automatically been assigned and no action is necessary. For all entities filing a new registration in SAM.gov on or after April 4, 2022, the UEI will be assigned to that entity as part of the SAM.gov registration process.

UEI registration information is available on GSA.gov at: Unique Entity Identifier Update |

GSA.

Grants.gov registration information can be found at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html. Detailed information regarding UEI and SAM is also provided in Section D of this NOFO.

Contents A. Program Description

1. Issued By

2. Assistance Listings Number

3. Assistance Listings Title

4. Funding Opportunity Title

5. Funding Opportunity Number

6. Authorizing Authority for Program

7. Appropriation Authority for Program

8. Announcement Type

9. Program Category

10. Program Overview, Objectives, and Priorities

11. Performance Measures

B. Federal Award Information

1. Available Funding for the NOFO: $153,922,408.00

2. Period of Performance: 36 months

3. Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s): Will vary by award; all awards must be made by September 30, 2022

4. Projected Period of Performance End Date(s): 36 months from date of the award unless otherwise approved by FEMA

5. Funding Instrument Type: Grant

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-systems-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-systems-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html

2. Applicant Eligibility Criteria

3. Other Eligibility Criteria

4. Cost Share or Match

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Key Dates and Times

a. Application Start Date: 05/25/2022

b. Application Submission Deadline: 06/24/2022 at 5:00 PM ET

c. Anticipated Award Date: No later than 09/30/202

d. Other Key Dates:

2. Agreeing to Terms and Conditions of the Award

3. Address to Request Application Package

4. Steps Required to Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier, Register in the System for Award

Management (SAM), and Submit an Application

5. Electronic Delivery

6. How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

a. General Instructions:

b. Obtain a UEI Number, if applicable:

c. Obtain Employer Identification Number

d. Create a login.gov account:

e. Register with SAM:

7. Register in Mitigation eGrants (MT)

8. Submitting the Application in MT eGrants

9. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

10. Content and Form of Application Submission

a. Standard Required Application Forms and Information

b. Program-Specific Required Forms and Information

11. Other Submission Requirements

a. Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) for Mitigation Projects

b. National Environmental Policy Act Requirements for Mitigation Projects

c. Acquisition Project Requirements

12. Intergovernmental Review

13. Funding Restrictions and Allowable Costs

a. Prohibitions on Expending FEMA Award Funds for Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services

b. Pre-Award Costs

c. Management and Administration (M&A) Costs

d. Indirect Costs and Administrative Costs

E. Application Review Information

1. Application Evaluation Criteria

a. Programmatic Criteria

b. Financial Integrity Criteria

c. Supplemental Financial Integrity Criteria and Review

2. Review and Selection Process F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Notice of Award

2. Pass-Through Requirements

3. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

a. DHS Standard Terms and Conditions

b. Ensuring the Protection of Civil Rights

c. Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation (EHP) Compliance

d. Construction Project Requirements

4. Reporting

a. Financial Reporting Requirements

b. Programmatic Performance Reporting Requirements

c. Closeout Reporting Requirements

d. Additional Reporting Requirements

5. Monitoring and Oversight G. DHS Awarding Agency Contact Information

1. Contact and Resource Information

a. Program Office Contact

b. FEMA Regional Offices

c. Equal Rights

d. Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation

2. Systems Information

a. Payment and Reporting System (PARS)

b. Mitigation eGrants (MT eGrants)

H. Additional Information

1. Termination Provisions

a. Noncompliance

b. With the Consent of the Recipient

c. Notification by the Recipient

2. Program Evaluation

3. Period of Performance Extensions

4. Disability Integration

5. Conflicts of Interest in the Administration of Federal Awards or Subawards

6. Procurement Integrity

a. Important Changes to Procurement Standards in 2 C.F.R. Part 200

c. Competition and Conflicts of Interest

d. Supply Schedules and Purchasing Programs

e. Procurement Documentation

7. Record Retention

a. Record Retention Period

b. Types of Records to Retain

8. Actions to Address Noncompliance

9. Audits

10. Payment Information

11. Whole Community Preparedness

12. Extraordinary Circumstances Appendix A – FY 2022 PDM Grant Program Project List

A. Program Description

1. Issued By

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)/Resilience/Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA)/Mitigation Directorate/Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Division

2. Assistance Listings Number 97.047

3. Assistance Listings Title

Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program

4. Funding Opportunity Title Fiscal Year 2022 Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program

5. Funding Opportunity Number

DHS-22-MT-047-00-99

6. Authorizing Authority for Program Section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), as amended (Pub. L. No. 93-288) (42 U.S.C. 5133)

7. Appropriation Authority for Program Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. No. 117-103)

8. Announcement Type

Initial

9. Program Category Mitigation: Natural Hazards

10. Program Overview, Objectives, and Priorities

a. Overview

The Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Grant Program makes federal funds available to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to plan for and implement sustainable cost-effective measures designed to reduce the risk to individuals and property from future natural hazards, while also reducing reliance on federal funding from future disasters. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 PDM Grant Program will provide $153,922,408 in funding to projects identified in the FY22 Consolidated Appropriations Act’s Joint Explanatory Statement for Division F in the table entitled Community Project Funding and Congressionally Directed Spending.

The PDM Grant Program aligns with the general goal of promoting resilience and adaptation in light of current risks and the 2020-2024 DHS Strategic Plan through pursuing Goal 5:

Strengthen Preparedness and Resilience. Specifically, Objective 5.1: Build a National Culture of Preparedness has several sub-objectives that the PDM Grant Program supports.

PDM serves primarily to bolster Sub-Objective 5.1.1: Incentivize investments that reduce risk and increase pre-disaster mitigation, including expanding the use of insurance to manage https://www.dhs.gov/publication/department-homeland-securitys-strategic-plan-fiscal-years-2020-2024 risk through funding mitigation projects, particularly ones that reduce risk to Community Lifelines and infrastructure. Additionally, project scoping activities that PDM funds also contribute to other sub-objectives. For example, planning, partnerships, and project scoping efforts help improve awareness initiatives to encourage public action to increase preparedness (Sub-Objective 5.1.2), use lessons from past disasters and exercises to inform community investment decisions and anticipate challenges that may emerge during future disasters (Sub-Objective 5.1.3), and coordinate and guide continuity of operations activities through partnerships with government and non-government stakeholders (Sub-Objective 5.1.5).

The 2022-2026 FEMA Strategic Plan outlines three bold, ambitious goals in order to position FEMA to address the increasing range and complexity of disasters, support the diversity of communities we serve, and complement the nation’s growing expectations of the emergency management community. The PDM Grant Program supports Goal 2: Lead Whole of Community in Climate Resilience and Goal 3: Promote and Sustain a Ready FEMA and a Prepared Nation.

b. Objectives The objective of the FY 2022 Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program is to fund Congressional Community Projects for state, local, tribal, and territorial government efforts to plan for and implement sustainable cost-effective measures designed to reduce the risk to individuals and property from future natural hazards, while also reducing reliance on federal funding from future disasters.

c. Priorities The priorities of the FY 2022 Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program are to fund projects identified in Appendix A of this NOFO.

11. Performance Measures Based on the statutory requirements of Section 203 and the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance (2015), FEMA has specified minimum project criteria including that Applicants must demonstrate mitigation projects are cost effective. Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) is the method by which the future benefits of a hazard mitigation project are determined and compared to its costs. The end result is a Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR), which is calculated by a project’s total of discounted benefits divided by its total of discounted costs. The BCR is a numerical expression of the "cost-effectiveness" of a project. A project is considered to be cost effective when the BCR is 1.0 or greater, indicating the benefits of a prospective hazard mitigation project are sufficient to justify the costs. Projects that are not cost-effective will not be eligible.

PDM aims to implement projects that reduce risks posed by natural hazards and reduce future losses, by funding priority projects and activities. Priorities include risk reduction of both acute events and chronic stressors, which are either observed or expected. To achieve these goals, for FY22 PDM, the 68 identified Congressional Community Projects prioritize the following types of activities: infrastructure projects, those that mitigate risk to lifelines, and projects proposed by applicants that reduce reliance on federal disaster funding. FEMA will https://www.fema.gov/about/strategic-plan measure the percent of dollars invested in these priorities, which will indicate that PDM projects expect to meet the goal of reducing both risks posed by natural hazards and future losses.

B. Federal Award Information

1. Available Funding for the NOFO: $153,922,408.00

2. Period of Performance: 36 months

Extensions to the period of performance are allowed. Additional information on period of performance extensions, please refer to Section H of this NOFO.

FEMA awards only include one budget period, so it will be same as the period of performance. See 2 C.F.R. § 200.1 for definitions of “budget period” and “period of performance.”

3. Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s): Will vary by award; all awards must be made by September 30, 2022

4. Projected Period of Performance End Date(s): 36 months from date of the award unless otherwise approved by FEMA

5. Funding Instrument Type: Grant

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Only states or federally recognized tribal governments with identified projects in Appendix A of this NOFO are eligible to apply.

Each state, territory, or federally recognized tribal government with a PDM project identified in Appendix A of this NOFO shall designate one agency to serve as the applicant for PDM funding. Each applicant’s designated agency may submit only one PDM grant application to

FEMA.

Local governments, including cities, townships, counties, special district governments, and tribal governments (including federally recognized tribes who choose to apply as subapplicants) that are identified in Appendix A of this NOFO are considered subapplicants and must submit subapplications to their state/territory applicant agency. Contact information for the State Hazard Mitigation Officers (SHMOs) is provided on the FEMA website at State Hazard Mitigation Officers. A federally recognized tribal government may apply as an applicant directly to FEMA or as a subapplicant.

2. Applicant Eligibility Criteria Eligible FY 2022 PDM grant projects were identified in the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the FY 2022 DHS Appropriations Act; only those associated PDM projects https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/state-contacts are eligible to receive funding under this grant program. Those PDM projects are identified in Appendix A of this NOFO.

• To be considered for funding, all applicants must submit their FY 2022 PDM grant application to FEMA via Mitigation (MT) eGrants.

• All applicants and subapplicants submitting subapplications must have a FEMA-approved mitigation plan by the application deadline and at the time of obligation in accordance with Title 44 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 201.

Subapplications submitted by applicants or subapplicants that do not have an approved and adopted mitigation plan as of the application deadline are ineligible.

3. Other Eligibility Criteria

• All mitigation projects submitted as part of a PDM grant application must be consistent with the goals and objectives identified in a) the current, FEMA-approved State or Tribal (Standard or Enhanced) Mitigation Plan and b) the local mitigation plan for the jurisdiction in which the project is located.

• All activities under PDM must be in conformance with all applicable environmental planning and historic preservation (EHP) laws, regulations, executive orders, and agency policies including 44 C.F.R. Part 9; DHS Directive 023-01 Rev 01, Implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (October 31, 2014), and Instruction Manual 023-01-001-01 Rev 01, Implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (November 6, 2014); FEMA Directive 108-1, Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation Responsibilities and Program Requirements (October 10, 2018); FEMA Instruction 108-1-1, Instruction on Implementation of the Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation Responsibilities and Program Requirements (October 10, 2018), accessible at https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/118323. EHP Job Aids and Supplements are available on the FEMA website at https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/job-aids.

• All activities under PDM must be in conformance with all applicable federal, state, tribal, and local floodplain and land use laws and regulations including 44 C.F.R. §

60.3 (floodplain management criteria).

o All non-critical structure elevation, dry floodproofing, and mitigation reconstruction projects in a Special Flood Hazard Area must apply, at a minimum, the flood elevations of the Federal Flood Risk Management Standards Freeboard Value Approach unless doing so would cause the project to be unable to meet applicable program cost-effectiveness requirements. All other types of projects may choose to apply the flood elevations of the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard’s Freeboard Value Approach. See Executive Order (EO) 14030, Climate-Related Financial Risk and FEMA Policy #-206-21-0003, Partial Implementation of the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard for Hazard Mitigation Assistance Programs (Interim).

o For critical actions in the Special Flood Hazard Area, the elevation requirements from 44 CFR § 9.11 continue to apply. For any new construction https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/job-aids https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/05/25/2021-11168/climate-related-financial-risk https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_policy-fp-206-21-0003-partial-mplementation-ffrms-hma-programs-interim.pdf https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_policy-fp-206-21-0003-partial-mplementation-ffrms-hma-programs-interim.pdf https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_policy-fp-206-21-0003-partial-mplementation-ffrms-hma-programs-interim.pdf or substantial improvement of structures, the lowest floor of the structure (including the basement) must be at or above the level of the 500-year flood.1

• PDM projects must not have duplicate activities that another federal agency or program has more specific authority to conduct.

• All PDM projects must be in conformance with any other criteria established by FEMA that is specific to the proposed activity.

• Construction activities for which ground disturbance has already been initiated or completed are not eligible for funding. Non-construction activities that have already started may not be considered for funding.

• Mitigation projects must, at a minimum, be in conformance with the latest published editions (meaning either of the two most recently published editions) of relevant consensus-based codes, specifications, and standards that incorporate the latest hazard-resistant designs.

• Mitigation projects must be technically feasible and effective.

• Mitigation projects must solve a problem independently or constitute a functional portion of a long-term solution for which there is assurance that the project as a whole will be completed or there is a reasonable plan and available funding for completion.

• Mitigation projects must be cost-effective and designed to increase resilience and reduce risk of injuries, loss of life, and damage and destruction of property, including critical services and facilities. This means the project, as documented by the applicant, achieves the following goals:

• Addresses a problem that has been repetitive or that poses a risk to public health and safety and improved property if left unresolved;

• Satisfies applicable cost-effectiveness requirements in compliance with OMB Circular A-94;

• Contributes, to the extent practicable, to a long-term solution to the problem it is intended to address; and

• Accounts for long-term changes to the areas and entities it protects and has manageable future maintenance and modification requirements.

• If the mitigation project is located in a Special Flood Hazard Area, it must meet both of the following conditions:

i. The project is in a jurisdiction participating in the National Flood Insurance Program that is not on probation, suspended, or withdrawn.

ii. The property owner obtains and maintains flood insurance for the life of the structure, regardless of transfer of ownership, in an amount at least equal to the project cost or to the maximum limit of coverage made available with respect to the mitigated property, whichever is less.

iii. The project complies with any FEMA directive or policy implementing the Federal Flood Risk Management Standards (FFRMS).

4. Cost Share or Match

1 In accordance with Section 2(a)(1) of Executive Order (EO) 11988, as amended by EO 13690, before taking an action, FEMA must determine whether a proposed action will occur in a floodplain.

Cost share is required under this program. Federal funding is available for up to 75 percent of the eligible activity costs. The remaining 25 percent of eligible activity costs must be derived from non-federal sources.

The non-federal cost share contribution is calculated based on the total cost of the proposed activity. For example, if the total cost is $400,000 and the non-federal cost share is 25 percent, then the non-federal contribution is $100,000: 25 percent of $400,000 is $100,000.

Small, impoverished communities are eligible for up to a 90 percent federal cost share for their mitigation planning and project subapplications in accordance with the Stafford Act. A small, impoverished community must meet all of the following qualifications:

• Be a community of 3,000 or fewer individuals identified by the state as a rural community that is not a remote area within the corporate boundaries of a larger city;

• Be economically disadvantaged, with residents having an average per capita annual income not exceeding 80 percent of the national per capita income, based on best available data. For the most current information, go to the Bureau of Economic Analysis website at http://www.bea.gov; and

• Meet other criteria required by the Applicant in which the community is located.

• Federally recognized tribes can identify themselves as small, impoverished communities if they meet the above criteria.

American Indian tribal governments meeting the definition of a small, impoverished community that apply to FEMA directly as Applicants are eligible for a 90 percent federal cost share for their planning, project, and management costs subapplications.

Applicants and subapplicants who apply as a small, impoverished community must request the federal cost share amount up to 90 percent in the Cost Share section of their planning, project, and management costs subapplication(s). Applicants must certify small, impoverished community status and provide documentation with the subapplication(s) to justify up to a 90 percent federal cost share. If documentation is not submitted with the subapplication, then FEMA will provide no more than 75 percent federal cost share of the total eligible costs.

More detailed information is provided in Part III, C, Cost Sharing, of the HMA Guidance, available on the FEMA website at Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance Feb 27, 2015 .

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Key Dates and Times

a. Application Start Date: 05/25/2022

b. Application Submission Deadline: 06/24/2022 at 5:00 PM ET

All applications must be received by the established deadline. Applicants with system-related issues must contact the eGrants Helpline by 3:00 pm on Friday, June 24.

http://www.bea.gov/ https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/fy15_HMA_Guidance.pdf

The MT eGrants System has a date stamp that indicates when an application is submitted.

Applicants will receive an electronic message confirming receipt of their submission. For additional information on how an applicant will be notified of application receipt, see the subsection titled “Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission” in Section D of this NOFO.

FEMA will not review applications that are received after the deadline or consider these late applications for funding. FEMA may, however, extend the application deadline on request for any applicant who can demonstrate that good cause exists to justify extending the deadline. Good cause for an extension may include technical problems outside of the applicant’s control that prevent submission of the application by the deadline, other exigent or emergency circumstances, or statutory requirements for FEMA to make an award.

Applicants experiencing technical problems outside of their control must notify FEMA as soon as possible and before the application deadline. Failure to timely notify FEMA of the issue that prevented the timely filing of the application may preclude consideration of the award. “Timely notification” of FEMA means: prior to the application deadline and within 48 hours after the applicant became aware of the issue.

A list of FEMA contacts can be found in Section G of this NOFO, “DHS Awarding Agency Contact Information.” For additional assistance using the MT eGrants System, please contact the MT eGrants Service Desk at (800) 865-4076 or NDGrants@fema.dhs.gov. The MT eGrants Service Desk is available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Eastern Time (ET). For programmatic or grants management questions, please contact your Program Analyst or Grants Specialist. If applicants do not know who to contact or if there are programmatic questions or concerns, please contact the Centralized Scheduling and Information Desk (CSID) by phone at (800) 368-6498 or by e-mail at askcsid@fema.dhs.gov, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET.

c. Anticipated Award Date: No later than 09/30/2022

To be considered timely, an FY22 PDM application must be submitted by the application deadline via FEMA’s MT eGrants, and the applicant must have received a confirmation message in MT eGrants that indicates successful FY22 PDM grant submission to FEMA. For additional information on how an applicant will be notified of application receipt, see the subsection titled “Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission” in Section D of this NOFO.

d. Other Key Dates:

Event Suggested Deadline for Completion Obtaining Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number

Four weeks before actual submission deadline

Obtaining a valid Employer Identification Number (EIN) Four weeks before actual submission deadline

Creating an account with login.gov Four weeks before actual submission deadline mailto:NDGrants@fema.dhs.gov mailto:askcsid@fema.dhs.gov

2. Agreeing to Terms and Conditions of the Award

By submitting an application, applicants agree to comply with the requirements of this NOFO and the terms and conditions of the award, should they receive an award.

3. Address to Request Application Package FEMA will only process applications received via MT eGrants.

Information, training and resources on MT eGrants are available on the FEMA website at https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/mitigation-egrants-system-resources (see section G, DHS Awarding Agency Contact Information, of this NOFO).

Hard copies of the NOFO can be downloaded at Grants.gov or obtained via email from the Awarding Office points of contact listed in Section G of this NOFO, “DHS Awarding Agency Contact Information” or by TTY (800) 462-7585.

For a hard copy of the full NOFO, please write a request to:

Angela Gladwell Director, Hazard Mitigation Assistance Division, Mitigation Directorate Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration Federal Emergency Management Agency 400 C Street, SW Washington, DC 20472

4. Steps Required to Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier, Register in the System for Award

Management (SAM), and Submit an Application Applying for an award under this program is a multi-step process and requires time to complete. Applicants are encouraged to register early as the registration process can take four weeks or more to complete. Therefore, registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact your ability to meet required submission deadlines.

Please review the table above for estimated deadlines to complete each of the steps listed. Failure of an applicant to comply with any of the required steps before the deadline for submitting an application may disqualify that application from funding.

To apply for an award under this program, all applicants must:

a. Apply for, update, or verify their Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number and

Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service;

Registering in SAM or updating SAM registration Four weeks before actual submission deadline

Registering in Grants.gov Four weeks before actual submission deadline Starting application in Grants.gov One week before actual submission deadline Registering in MT eGrants system Four weeks before actual submission deadline Submitting the final application in MT eGrants By the submission deadline https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/mitigation-egrants-system-resources https://www.grants.gov/

b. In the application, provide a UEI number;

c. Have an account with login.gov;

d. Register for, update, or verify their SAM account and ensure the account is active before submitting the application;

e. Register in MT eGrants;

f. Submit the complete application in MT eGrants; and

g. Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency. As part of this, applicants must also provide information on an applicant’s immediate and highest-level owner and subsidiaries, as well as on all predecessors that have been awarded federal contracts or federal financial assistance within the last three years, if applicable.

Applicants are advised that FEMA may not make a federal award until the applicant has complied with all applicable SAM requirements. Therefore, an applicant’s SAM registration must be active not only at the time of application, but also during the application review period and when FEMA is ready to make a federal award. Further, as noted above, an applicant’s or recipient’s SAM registration must remain active for the duration of an active federal award. If an applicant’s SAM registration is expired at the time of application, expires during application review, or expires any other time before award, FEMA may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

Per 2 C.F.R. § 25.110(c)(2)(iii), if an applicant is experiencing exigent circumstances that prevents it from receiving a UEI number, if applicable, and completing SAM registration prior to receiving a federal award, the applicant must notify FEMA as soon as possible by contacting askcsid@fema.dhs.gov and providing the details of the circumstances that prevent completion of these requirements. If FEMA determines that there are exigent circumstances and FEMA has decided to make an award, the applicant will be required to obtain a UEI number, if applicable, and complete SAM registration within 30 days of the federal award date.

5. Electronic Delivery DHS is participating in the Grants.gov initiative to provide the grant community with a single site to find and apply for grant funding opportunities. DHS encourages or requires applicants to submit their applications online through Grants.gov, depending on the funding opportunity.

For this funding opportunity, FEMA requires applicants to submit applications through MT eGrants.

6. How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

a. General Instructions:

Registering and applying for an award under this program is a multi-step process and requires time to complete. Read the instructions below about registering to apply for FEMA funds. Applicants should read the registration instructions carefully and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and assembling https://www.login.gov/ mailto:askcsid@fema.dhs.gov the required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last-minute searches for required information.

The registration process can take up to four weeks to complete. To ensure an application meets the deadline, applicants are advised to start the required steps well in advance of their submission.

Organizations must have a UEI number, an EIN, an active System for Award Management (SAM) registration, and Grants.gov account to apply for grants.

b. Obtain a UEI Number, if applicable:

All entities applying for funding, including renewal funding, prior to April 4, 2022, must have a UEI number. Applicants must enter the UEI number, if applicable, or UEI in the applicable data entry field on the SF-424 form.

For more detailed instructions for obtaining a UEI number, refer to: Sam.gov.

c. Obtain Employer Identification Number All entities applying for funding must provide an Employer Identification Number (EIN).

The EIN can be obtained from the IRS by visiting: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online.

d. Create a login.gov account:

Applicants must have a login.gov account in order to register with SAM or update their SAM registration. Applicants can create a login.gov account here:

https://secure.login.gov/sign_up/enter_email?request_id=34f19fa8-14a2-438c-8323-a62b99571fd3.

Applicants only have to create a login.gov account once. For applicants that are existing SAM users, use the same email address for the login.gov account as with SAM.gov so that the two accounts can be linked.

For more information on the login.gov requirements for SAM registration, refer to:

https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/loginFAQ.jsf.

e. Register with SAM:

All organizations applying online through Grants.gov must register with SAM. Failure to register with SAM will prevent your organization from applying through Grants.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually.

For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html.

Note: As a new requirement per 2 C.F.R. § 25.200, applicants must also provide the applicant’s immediate and highest-level owner, subsidiaries, and predecessors that have been awarded federal contracts or federal financial assistance within the last three years, if https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online https://secure.login.gov/sign_up/enter_email?request_id=34f19fa8-14a2-438c-8323-a62b99571fd3 https://secure.login.gov/sign_up/enter_email?request_id=34f19fa8-14a2-438c-8323-a62b99571fd3 https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/loginFAQ.jsf https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://sam.gov/content/duns-uei applicable.

I. ADDITIONAL SAM REMINDERS

Existing SAM.gov account holders should check their account to make sure it is “ACTIVE.”

SAM registration should be completed at the very beginning of the application period and should be renewed annually to avoid being “INACTIVE.” Please allow plenty of time before the grant application submission deadline to obtain a UEI number, if applicable, and then to register in SAM. It may be four weeks or more after an applicant submits the SAM registration before the registration is active in SAM, and then it may be an additional 24 hours before FEMA’s system recognizes the information.

It is imperative that the information applicants provide is correct and current. Please ensure that your organization’s name, address, and EIN are up to date in SAM and that the UEI number used in SAM is the same one used to apply for all other FEMA awards. Payment under any FEMA award is contingent on the recipient’s having a current SAM registration.

II. HELP WITH SAM

The SAM quick start guide for new recipient registration and SAM video tutorial for new applicants are tools created by the General Services Administration (GSA) to assist those registering with SAM. If applicants have questions or concerns about a SAM registration, please contact the Federal Support Desk at https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp or call toll free

(866) 606-8220.

7. Register in Mitigation eGrants (MT)

Applicants must register in MT eGrants. For more information, see https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/fema_mt-egrants-frequently-asked-questions_support_document_March_2018.pdf .

8. Submitting the Application in MT eGrants Subapplicants must create project subapplications and submit them to their applicant organization. Subapplicants should contact their applicant agency for information specific to their state’s application process. Contact information for the SHMOs is provided on the FEMA website at https://www.fema.gov/state-hazard-mitigation-officers. If a subapplicant does not use FEMA’s grant application system to submit project subapplications to the applicant, then the applicant must enter the subapplication(s) into MT eGrants on the subapplicant’s behalf.

Applicants must review and approve subapplications submitted by their subapplicants.

Applicants must create a PDM grant application and approve the subapplications. The approved project and management costs subapplications may then be submitted and added to the application by the applicant and/or subapplicants.

Applicants will be prompted to submit the standard application information and any program-specific information required as described in Section D.10 of this NOFO, “Content and Form of Application Submission.” The Standard Forms (SF) may be accessed in the Forms tab under the SF-424 family on Grants.gov. Applicants should https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/fema_mt-egrants-frequently-asked-questions_support_document_March_2018.pdf https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/fema_mt-egrants-frequently-asked-questions_support_document_March_2018.pdf https://www.fema.gov/state-hazard-mitigation-officers https://www.grants.gov/forms/sf-424-family.html review these forms before applying to ensure they have all the information required.

After submitting the final application, MT eGrants will provide either an error message or a successfully received transmission in the form of an email sent to the user that submitted the application. Applicants using slow internet connections, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that transmission can take some time before MT eGrants receives your application.

For additional application submission requirements, including program-specific requirements, please refer to the subsection titled “Content and Form of Application Submission” under Section D of this NOFO.

9. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

All applications must be completed in MT eGrants by the application deadline. MT eGrants automatically records proof of timely submission and the system generates an electronic date/time stamp when MT eGrants successfully receives the application. The Applicant who submitted the PDM grant applications prior to the submission deadline will receive a confirmation message, including the assigned PDM application number in FEMA’s grant application system (e.g., PDM-01-MA-2017). In addition, once FEMA receives and delegates the PDM grant application to begin the review process, FEMA’s grant application system will automatically send an email message to the Point(s) of Contact (POC) identified in the grant application.

Applicants with system-related issues must contact the eGrants Helpline by 3:00 PM ET on Wednesday, June 24. No new system-related issues will be addressed that arise after this deadline. All applications must be received by the application submission deadline.

10. Content and Form of Application Submission

a. Standard Required Application Forms and Information

The following forms or information are required to be submitted via MT eGrants. The Standard Forms (SF) are also available at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf- 424- family.html. Applicants may require their subapplicants to complete and attach the grant application and/or Assurance and Certifications forms to their subapplications in MT eGrants. Subapplicants should contact their applicant agency for information specific to their state/territory/tribe’s application process. Contact information for the SHMOs is provided on the FEMA website at https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/state-contacts.

• SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

• Grants.gov Lobbying Form, Certification Regarding Lobbying

• SF-424A, Budget Information (Non-Construction) o For construction under an award, submit SF-424C, Budget Information (Construction), in addition to or instead of SF-424A

• SF-424B, Standard Assurances (Non-Construction) o For construction under an award, submit SF-424D, Standard

Assurances (Construction), in addition to or instead of SF-424B

• SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html

• Indirect Cost Agreement or Proposal if the budget includes indirect costs and the applicant is required to have an indirect cost rate agreement or proposal. If the applicant does not have or is not required to have an indirect cost rate agreement or proposal, please see Section D.12 of this NOFO, “Funding Restrictions and Allowable Costs,” for further information regarding allowability of indirect costs and whether alternatives to an indirect cost rate agreement or proposal might be available or contact the relevant FEMA staff identified in Section G of this NOFO, “DHS Awarding Agency Contact Information” for further instructions.

Generally, applicants have to submit either the non-construction forms (i.e., SF-424A and SF-424B) or construction forms (i.e., SF-424C and SF-424D), meaning that applicants that only have construction work and do not have any non-construction work need only submit the construction forms (i.e., SF-424C and SF-424D) and not the non-construction forms (i.e., SF-424A and SF-424B), and vice versa. However, applicants who have both construction and non-construction work under this program need to submit both the construction and non- construction forms.

b. Program-Specific Required Forms and Information The following program-specific forms or information are required to be submitted in MT eGrants.

11. Other Submission Requirements

a. Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) for Mitigation Projects

Applicants and subapplicants applying for mitigation projects must provide a BCA or other documentation that validates cost-effectiveness. BCA is the method of estimating the future benefits of a project compared to its cost. The end result is a Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR), which is derived from a project’s total of discounted benefits divided by its total discounted project cost. The total benefits and costs must be entered in the Cost-Effectiveness section of the project subapplication and a FEMA-approved BCA must be attached as documentation, as applicable. Management costs subapplications do not require a BCA. FEMA has created software to ensure that the BCR is calculated in accordance with FEMA’s standardized methodologies and OMB Circular A-94. FEMA’s BCA Toolkit is available on the FEMA website at www.fema.gov/benefit-cost-analysis. Version 6.0 or newer are the only versions FEMA will accept as documentation for demonstrating cost-effectiveness. A non-FEMA BCA methodology may only be used if pre-approved by FEMA in writing. For more information, visit the BCA webpage at Benefit-Cost Analysis.

b. National Environmental Policy Act Requirements for Mitigation Projects

The required information is included in the subapplication in MT eGrants. Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation (EHP) Job Aids and Supplements are available on the FEMA website at https://www.fema.gov/grants/guidance-tools/environmental-historic. The required information is included in the subapplication in MT eGrants.

c. Acquisition Project Requirements

In undertaking a larger-scale migration or relocation effort that is intended to move structures out of high-risk areas, the subapplicant should consider how it can protect and sustain the https://www.fema.gov/grants/guidance-tools/benefit-cost-analysis https://www.fema.gov/grants/guidance-tools/environmental-historic impacted community and its assets. Accordingly, in undertaking a larger-scale migration or relocation effort, subapplicants must demonstrate to FEMA how they will resettle such areas in a way that mitigates future risk from natural hazards and increasing insurance costs resulting from continued occupation of high-risk areas, through mechanisms that can reduce risks and insurance costs, such as new land use development plans, building codes or construction requirements, protective infrastructure development, or restrictions on future disaster assistance to such properties.

Subrecipients must apply deed-restriction language to all acquired properties to ensure that the property is maintained in perpetuity as open space consistent with natural floodplain functions and allowable uses and structures authorized under 44 C.F.R. Part 80, as agreed to by their accepting FEMA mitigation award funding. Deed-restriction language is applied to acquired properties by recording the open space and deed restrictions with the deed for the property. Subrecipients, as well as recipients and FEMA, are responsible for enforcing open space restrictions.

12. Intergovernmental Review

An intergovernmental review may be required. Applicants must contact their state’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to comply with the state’s process under Executive Order 12372 (See https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html).

13. Funding Restrictions and Allowable Costs All costs charged to awards covered by this NOFO must comply with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, unless otherwise indicated in the NOFO, or the terms and conditions of the award. This includes, among other requirements, that costs must be incurred, and products and services must be delivered, within the period of performance of the award. See 2 C.F.R. § 200.403(h) (referring to budget periods, which for FEMA awards is the same as the period of performance).

In general, the Cost Principles establish standards for the allowability of costs, provide detailed guidance on the cost accounting treatment of costs as direct or administrative costs, and set forth allowability principles for selected items of cost. More specifically, except as otherwise stated in this NOFO, the terms and condition of an award, or other program materials, costs charged to awards covered by this NOFO must be consistent with the Cost Principles for Federal Awards located at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Subpart E. In order to be allowable, all costs charged to a FEMA award or applied to the cost share must be reasonable in nature and amount and allocable to the particular FEMA award.

Additionally, all costs charged to awards must comply with the grant program’s applicable statutes, policies, requirements in this NOFO as well as with the terms and conditions of the award. If FEMA staff identify costs that are inconsistent with any of these requirements, these costs may be disallowed, and FEMA may recover funds as appropriate, consistent with applicable laws, regulations, and policies.

https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html

As part of those requirements, grant recipients and subrecipients may only use federal funds or funds applied to a cost share for the purposes set forth in this NOFO and the terms and conditions of the award, and those costs must be consistent with the statutory authority for the award.

Grant funds may not be used for matching funds for other federal grants/cooperative agreements, lobbying, or intervention in federal regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. In addition, federal funds may not be used to sue the federal government or any other government entity.

a. Prohibitions on Expending FEMA Award Funds for Covered Telecommunications

Equipment or Services Recipients and subrecipients of FEMA federal financial assistance are subject to the prohibitions described in section 889 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (FY 2019 NDAA), Pub. L. No. 115-232 (2018) and 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.216, 200.327, 200.471, and Appendix II to 2 C.F.R. Part 200. Beginning August 13, 2020, the statute – as it applies to FEMA recipients, subrecipients, and their contractors and subcontractors – prohibits obligating or expending federal award funds on certain telecommunications and video surveillance products and contracting with certain entities for national security reasons.

Guidance is available at Prohibitions on Expending FEMA Award Funds for Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services (Interim) FEMA Policy #405-143-1, or superseding document.

Additional guidance is available Contract Provisions Guide: Navigating Appendix II to Part 200 - Contract Provisions for Non-Federal Entity Contracts Under Federal Awards (fema.gov).

Effective August 13, 2020, FEMA recipients and subrecipients may not use any FEMA funds under open or new awards to:

(1) Procure or obtain any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology of any system;

(2) Enter into, extend, or renew a contract to procure or obtain any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology of any system; or

(3) Enter into, extend, or renew contracts with entities that use covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system.

I. REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5515/text?format=txt https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5515/text?format=txt https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_policy-405-143-1-prohibition-covered-services-equipment-gpd.pdf https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_policy-405-143-1-prohibition-covered-services-equipment-gpd.pdf https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_contract-provisions-guide_6-14-2021.pdf https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_contract-provisions-guide_6-14-2021.pdf https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_contract-provisions-guide_6-14-2021.pdf https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_policy-405-143-1-prohibition-covered-services-equipment-gpd.pdf

FEMA grant funding may be permitted to procure replacement equipment and services impacted by this prohibition, provided the costs are otherwise consistent with the requirements of the NOFO.

II. DEFINITIONS

Per section 889(f)(2)-(3) of the FY 2019 NDAA and 2 C.F.R.