4_FY22 EMBAG NOFO_draft_v5_clean_508c_05182022.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant Back to the Top

Department of Homeland Security Notice of Funding Opportunity Fiscal Year 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant

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 have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM).gov prior to April 4, the UEI has automatically been assigned and no action is necessary. For all entities filing a new registration in SAM.gov 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 funding notice.

Table of 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: $825,000

2. Projected Number of Awards: 2-4

3. Period of Performance: 12 Months

4. Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s): 09/01/2022

5. Projected Period of Performance End Date(s): 08/30/2023

6. Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Applicant Eligibility Criteria

5. Cost Share or Match

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Key Dates and Times

2. Agreeing to Terms and Conditions of the Award

3. Address to Request Application Package 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

Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant Back to the Top

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

7. How to Submit an Initial Application to FEMA via Grants.gov

8. Submitting the Final Application in ND Grants

9. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

10. Content and Form of Application Submission

11. Other Submission Requirements

12. Intergovernmental Review

13. Funding Restrictions and Allowable Costs

E. Application Review Information

1. Application Evaluation Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Notice of Award

3. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

4. Reporting

5. Monitoring and Oversight

G. DHS Awarding Agency Contact Information

1. Contact and Resource Information

2. Systems Information

H. Additional Information

1. Termination Provisions

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

8. Record Retention

9. Actions to Address Noncompliance

10. Audits

11. Payment Information

12. Whole Community Preparedness

13. Appendices Appendix A: FEMA Expectations for Standards Alignment and Assessment Review Appendix B: Detail on EMBAG Performance Measurement Appendix C: Detail of Allowable and Not Allowable Direct Costs Under EMBAG Appendix D: Project Narrative Template Appendix E: Evaluation and Scoring Criteria Appendix F: Budget Detail Worksheet Template Appendix G: Post-Award Requirements

Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant

1. Issued By A. Program Description

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)/ National Preparedness Directorate (NPD)/National Preparedness Assessment Division (NPAD)

2. Assistance Listings Number

97.131

3. Assistance Listings Title Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant

4. Funding Opportunity Title Fiscal Year 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant (EMBAG)

5. Funding Opportunity Number

DHS-22-NPD-131-00-01

6. Authorizing Authority for Program Section 503 (b)(2)(G) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended (6 U.S.C. Section 313 (b)(2)(G))

7. Appropriation Authority for Program

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. No. 117-103).

8. Announcement Type Initial

9. Program Category Preparedness: Emergency Management

10. Program Overview, Objectives and Priorities

a. Overview

The nation relies on emergency management programs and emergency managers to respond to a wide range of threats and hazards. The EMBAG program reinforces FEMA mission of advancing all-hazards preparedness, consistent with the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (PKEMRA) and Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD-8), National Preparedness. The EMBAG directly supports the DHS Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2020-2024, Goal 5: Strengthen Preparedness and Resilience, Objective 5.1: Build a National Culture of Preparedness and Objective 5.2: Respond During Incidents, by supporting efforts that can help ensure that state, tribal, territorial, and local communities have accredited emergency management programs and certified emergency managers in place in advance of an incident.

As the 2022-2026 FEMA Strategic Plan, Objective 3.1 states, “Investing in readiness at all levels enables emergency managers to leverage state, local, tribal, territorial, and national resources as they coordinate within their community to create a more efficient, effective, and unified response.” The EMBAG program supports the 2022-2026 FEMA Strategic Plan

Back to the Top https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/3721 https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/3721 https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/presidential-policy-directive-8-national-preparedness.pdf https://www.dhs.gov/publication/department-homeland-securitys-strategic-plan-fiscal-years-2020-2024 https://www.dhs.gov/publication/department-homeland-securitys-strategic-plan-fiscal-years-2020-2024 https://www.fema.gov/about/strategic-plan

Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant Back to the Top through its support of national-level standards and assessment processes that emergency management programs and emergency managers can use to improve their preparedness capabilities to prevent, protect against, mitigate the effects of, respond to and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk to the security of the nation. The full list of FEMA 2022-2026 FEMA Strategic Plan goals and objectives that the EMBAG supports are below:

Goal Name Objective Name

Goal 1 Instill Equity as a Foundation of Emergency Management

Objective 1.2 Remove barriers to FEMA programs through a people first approach

Objective 1.3 Achieve equitable outcomes for those we serve

Goal 2 Lead Whole of Community in Climate Resilience

Objective 2.1 Increase climate literacy among the emergency management community

Objective 2.3 Empower risk-informed decision making

Goal 3 Promote and Sustain a Ready FEMA and Prepared Nation

Objective 3.1 Strengthen the emergency management workforce

b. Objectives

The purpose of the FY 2022 EMBAG cooperative agreement is to develop, maintain, and update, and test national-level standards for emergency management that can help ensure that jurisdictions (state, local, tribal and territorial communities) have accredited emergency management programs and certified emergency managers in place in advance of an incident.

To achieve this purpose, the EMBAG supports voluntary national-level standards and peer review assessment processes that jurisdictions can use to identify the capacity and shortfalls of their emergency management programs and emergency managers and develop a path to compliance with these standards. These national-level standards fall under “other assistance” called out under Section 503 (b)(2)(G) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to “build tribal, local, State, regional, and national capabilities…necessary to respond to a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster.” See 6 U.S.C. § 313(b)(2)(G).

The EMBAG specifically supports:

1. The development, maintenance, update, revision, and enhancement of voluntary national-level standards and peer review assessment processes for emergency preparedness and response that are driven, established, validated and revised through consensus;

2. Related efforts to develop or update national-level accreditation for these standards;

and

3. The assessment of select state, local, tribal and territorial emergency management programs and emergency managers against these national-level standards.

Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant Back to the Top

The EMBAG program supports investment in national-level standards for emergency management that target critical functions necessary to prepare for and manage disasters, with the goal of supporting the following short and long-term outcomes:

• In the short-term (within two years), jurisdiction emergency management programs participating in the EMBAG achieve compliance with national-level standards for critical functions necessary to prepare for and manage disasters. Long-term (more than two years), these programs increase their preparedness to manage disasters.

• In the short-term, emergency managers tied to jurisdiction emergency management programs and participating in the EMBAG achieve compliance with national-level standards for critical functions necessary to manage emergency management programs. Long-term, these emergency managers increase their capability to manage these programs during disasters.

To achieve these outcomes, the FY 2022 EMBAG program provides funding for two objectives, which together include seven projects. These objectives, their projects, and detailed requirements for project activities are described in the table below. These objectives are described in further detail in Appendix G: Post-Award Requirements of this funding notice.

Objective 1: Supporting Emergency Management Program Accreditation Project Requirements for Activities Maintain and revise national-level standards used to accredit emergency management programs.

Standards must be voluntary, consensus-based, and accredited through a national-level accreditation body for standards and include a peer review assessment process using emergency managers from the emergency management community.

Efforts must include ongoing update of national-level standards used to accredit emergency management programs.

Standards must align with doctrinal documents noted in Appendix A or applicants should note steps to improve alignment.

Efforts must include developing, maintaining, updating, and improving systems, policy and processes necessary to complete EMBAG objectives.

Efforts should include operationalizing and/or validating these standards.

Maintain a peer review process to assess emergency management program adherence to the standards.

Efforts must include outreach and selection of a peer review team that consists of emergency management officials from other (peer) jurisdiction emergency management programs.

Conduct assessments on a volunteer basis for jurisdictions.

Efforts must include assessments used to accredit jurisdiction emergency management programs using the national-level standards.

Efforts can include assessments of jurisdiction emergency management programs using other capability assessment tools.

Engage with tribal and territorial emergency management programs.

Efforts must include capacity building, outreach on certification, and conducting baseline

Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant Back to the Top assessments with tribal and territorial emergency management programs.

Efforts must also include an analysis of any factors impacting tribal and territorial emergency management program participation in activities supported by the EMBAG.

Objective 2: Supporting Emergency Manager Certification Project Requirements for Activities Maintain and revise national-level standards and criteria used to certify emergency managers’ competence to manage emergency management programs.

Standards must be voluntary, consensus-based, and involve input from emergency managers from the emergency management community.

Efforts must include validating and accrediting standards and criteria through a national-level accreditation body for standards.

Standards must align with requirements noted in Appendix A or applicants should note remedial steps to improve alignment.

Efforts must include developing, maintaining, updating, and improving systems, policy and processes necessary to complete the EMBAG objectives.

Conduct assessments on a volunteer basis for state, local, tribal and territorial emergency managers against these standards and criteria.

Efforts must include assessments used to certify emergency managers using the national-level standards and criteria.

Engage with tribal and territorial emergency managers.

Efforts must include capacity building and outreach on certification for tribal and territorial emergency managers.

Efforts must also include an analysis of any factors impacting tribal and territorial emergency manager participation in EMBAG supported activities.

c. Priorities

The FY 2022 EMBAG cooperative agreement supports the continuing efforts to increase alignment between national level standards and assessment processes for emergency management and FEMA doctrine and policy. These efforts ensure that emergency management programs and emergency managers receive consistent tools to help them respond to and recover from disasters. To this end, requirements for assessment review and alignment are summarized below and noted in full in Appendix A: FEMA Expectations for Standards Alignment and Assessment Review.

• Any assessment process supported by the EMBAG must include a review of the areas within an emergency management program referenced in Appendix A: FEMA Expectations for Standards Alignment and Assessment Review.

• Applicants must propose and provide support for the inclusion of the key considerations and practices of the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) as part of the national-level standards for emergency management program accreditation.

Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant Back to the Top

• Applicants must also work to ensure these standards are aligned with FEMA doctrine and policy documents outlined and described in Appendix A: FEMA Expectations for Standards Alignment and Assessment Review.

• Applicants must propose remedial steps to improve alignment.

Please note that as part of application review, applications will be scored based on how they describe the existing alignment of their organization’s national level standards for emergency management and assessment processes used for accreditation and/or certification to FEMA doctrine and policy, and a remediation plan to improve alignment. Applicants can refer to Appendix A: FEMA Expectations for Standards Alignment and Assessment Review for additional detail on these requirements, and Appendix E: Evaluation and Scoring Criteria for additional detail on the specific scoring criteria related to these requirements.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to explore how EMBAG program-funded activities can, through assessment and accreditation, develop capability for emergency management programs and emergency managers to address the needs of underserved communities to help ensure consistent, systematic, fair, just and impartial treatment of all individuals before, during and after a disaster. To help ensure equity in all-hazards emergency preparedness, applicants are urged to consider the needs of socially vulnerable populations and involve representatives from the affected communities in the development and execution of proposed EMBAG program-funded projects to ensure their needs are sufficiently addressed, including through representation on panels to review and update standards.

Engaging the whole community requires all members of the community to be part of the emergency management team, including diverse community members, social and community service groups and institutions, faith-based and disability groups, academia, professional associations, the private and nonprofit sectors, and government agencies that may not traditionally have been directly involved in emergency management. The whole community is inclusive of, but not limited to, children; older adults; individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs; those from religious, racial and ethnically diverse backgrounds; people with limited English proficiency; and owners of animals including household pets, service and assistance animals.

11. Performance Measures The performance of the EMBAG is measured against the intended outcomes identified in the Objectives section of this funding notice. Applicants should refer to Appendix B: Detail on EMBAG Performance Measurement for additional information on these metrics, including guidance and a template for reporting.

FY 2022 EMBAG Performance Metrics Score Objective 1: Supporting Emergency Management Program Accreditation Metric 1: Number of tribal and territorial emergency management programs participating in trainings and assessments supported by the FY 2022 EMBAG.

Count

Metric 2: Percent of jurisdiction emergency management programs participating in assessments supported by the FY 2022 EMBAG that achieve national-level accreditation.

Percent

Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant Back to the Top

Metric 3: Percent of jurisdiction emergency management programs supported by the FY 2022 EMBAG that reported one or more aspects of their emergency management program improved as a result of the accreditation process and other support (training and assessments) received through the EMBAG.

Percent

Metric 4: Percent of national level standards for emergency management program accreditation supported by the FY 2022 EMBAG that align with FEMA policy and guidance documents described in FY 2022 EMBAG NOFO Section A and Appendix A.

Percent

Objective 2: Supporting Emergency Manager Certification Metric 5: Number of tribal and territorial emergency managers participating in trainings and certifications supported by the FY 2022 EMBAG.

Count

Metric 6: Percent of emergency managers with certification supported by the FY 2022 EMBAG that achieve national-level certification.

Percent

Metric 7: Percent of emergency managers supported by the FY 2022 EMBAG that reported one or more aspects of their competence to manage an emergency management program improved as a part of the certification process and other support (training and assessments) received through the EMBAG.

Percent

Metric 8: Percent of national level standards for emergency manager certification supported by the FY 2022 EMBAG that align with FEMA policy and guidance documents described in FY 2022 EMBAG NOFO Section A and Appendix A.

Percent

B. Federal Award Information

1. Available Funding for the NOFO: $825,000

EMBAG Objectives FY 2022 Allocation Objective 1: Supporting Emergency Management Program Accreditation

$695,000

Objective 2: Supporting Emergency Manager Certification

$130,000

Total $825,000

2. Projected Number of Awards: 2-4

3. Period of Performance: 12 Months

Extensions to the period of performance are allowed. For additional information on period of performance extensions, please refer to Section H of this funding notice.

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.”

4. Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s): 09/01/2022

5. Projected Period of Performance End Date(s): 08/30/2023

6. Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement

Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant Back to the Top

Program authority and responsibility under this cooperative agreement resides with FEMA for the purpose of carrying out a public purpose authorized by law and not to acquire property or services for the federal government or passthrough entity’s direct benefit or use as consistent with 2 C.F.R. §

200.1. FEMA retains the right to terminate all or part of the cooperative agreement in a manner consistent with 2 C.F.R. § 200.340 and may conduct site visits and monitoring throughout the period of performance.

FEMA will work with the recipient to develop and refine the details of executing this award, and provide technical assistance, including work plans, goals, objectives, performance metrics, timelines and objectives. In addition, FEMA may provide subject matter experts to plan, guide, or assist with projects. FEMA will define eligible and ineligible tasks to ensure that the program is effectively implemented. The recipient shall not develop or begin developing tasks not approved in the recipient’s application without FEMA prior approval and issuance of an award amendment.

Throughout the period of performance of this cooperative agreement, FEMA will be substantially involved in the program implementation. Such involvement includes, but is not limited to, the following roles and responsibilities:

1. Maintaining clear communications to ensure intended outcomes are achieved;

2. Jointly developing the program management plan and program spending plan;

3. Providing insight on data points that are of interest to FEMA in assessing and reporting on national preparedness;

4. Supporting alignment of standards with FEMA guidance and policy and determine remedial activities to improve alignment where necessary; and

5. Providing technical assistance on how to perform the work, report progress, and provide programmatic guidance.

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

The following are eligible applicants for this funding opportunity:

• Nonprofits as defined by 2 C.F.R. § 200.1; and

• Institutions of higher education as defined by 2 CFR § 200.1.

There is an additional criterion defining eligible nonprofit organizations and institutes of higher education which is based on demonstrating competence in emergency management program accreditation and/or emergency manager certification. This criterion is defined under the Applicant Eligibility Criteria header below.

2. Applicant Eligibility Criteria

The criteria that organizations must meet in order to be eligible for the EMBAG are defined below. Applicants that do not meet eligibility and application submission requirements will not be evaluated and scored by the review panel.

Eligible nonprofit organizations and institutes of higher education must be able to demonstrate, for either emergency management program accreditation AND/OR emergency manager certification, that they are qualified to develop, update, revise and enhance national-level standards for emergency management and implement assessments against them for emergency management programs AND/OR emergency managers, Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant Back to the Top

Any standard relating to emergency management program accreditation AND/OR emergency manager certification AND that has been accredited by a national-level accreditation body for standards can satisfy this eligibility criterion. Additional information is contained in according to questions defined in Appendix D: Project Narrative Template. Applicants will demonstrate their experience and expertise using the questions in Appendix D:

Project Narrative Template, and reviewers will use these questions as one set of criteria to score applications as outlined in Appendix E: Evaluation and Scoring Criteria.

Section E: Application Review Information, Appendix D:

Project Narrative Template, and Appendix E: Evaluation and Scoring Criteria.

5. Cost Share or Match A Cost Share or Match is not required; applications will not receive higher scores for Cost Share or Match.

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Key Dates and Times

a. Application Start Date: 05/23/2022

b. Application Submission Deadline: 07/07/2022 at 5:00 p.m. ET

All applications must be received by the established deadline.

The Non-Disaster (ND) Grants 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 funding notice.

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 funding notice, “DHS Awarding Agency Contact Information.” For additional assistance using the ND Grants System, please contact the ND Grants Service Desk at (800) 865-4076 or NDGrants@fema.dhs.gov. The ND Grants Service Desk is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET). For mailto:NDGrants@fema.dhs.gov

Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant Back to the Top 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 Funding Selection Date: No later than 08/01/2022

d. Anticipated Award Date: No later than 08/31/2022

e. Other Key Dates

2. Agreeing to Terms and Conditions of the Award By submitting an application, applicants agree to comply with the requirements of this notice and the terms and conditions of the award, should they receive an award.

3. Address to Request Application Package Initial applications are processed through the Grants.gov portal. Final applications are completed and submitted through FEMA Non-Disaster Grants (ND Grants) System.

Application forms and instructions are available at Grants.gov. To access these materials, go to http://www.grants.gov.

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

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.

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

Registering in Grants.gov Four weeks before actual submission deadline Registering in ND Grants Four weeks before actual submission deadline Starting application in Grants.gov One week before actual submission deadline Submitting the final application in ND Grants By the submission deadline mailto:askcsid@fema.dhs.gov https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/

Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant Back to the Top

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 from SAM.gov and Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service;

b. In the application, provide an 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. Create a Grants.gov account;

f. Add a profile to a Grants.gov account;

g. Establish an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) in Grants.gov;

h. Register in ND Grants

i. Submit an initial application in Grants.gov;

j. Submit the final application in ND Grants, including electronically signing applicable forms; and

k. 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 past three years, if applicable.

Specific instructions on how to apply for, update, or verify an UEI number or SAM registration or establish an AOR are included below in the steps for applying through Grants.gov.

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 obtaining an UEI number 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 an UEI https://www.login.gov/ mailto:askcsid@fema.dhs.gov

Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant Back to the Top 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 initial applications through Grants.gov and a final application through ND Grants.

6. How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

For information on how to register to apply through Grants.gov, please see the Preparedness Grants Manual.

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

Organizations must also have a Grants.gov account to apply for an award under this program.

Creating a Grants.gov account can be completed online in minutes, but UEI and SAM registrations may take several weeks. Therefore, an organization's registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact the entity's ability to meet required application submission deadlines. Complete organization instructions can be found on Grants.gov here:

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

If individual applicants are eligible to apply for this grant funding opportunity, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html.

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:

https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/178291 https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/178291 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html 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

Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant Back to the Top

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/step-2-register-with-sam.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 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 an UEI number 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 the FEMA 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/fsd-gov/home.do or call toll free (866) 606-8220.

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/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do

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f. Create a Grants.gov Account:

The next step in the registration process is to create an account with Grants.gov. If applicable, applicants must know their organization’s UEI number to complete this process.

For more information, follow the on-screen instructions or refer to:

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

See also Section D.8 in this funding notice, “Submitting the Final Application in ND Grants,” for instructions on how to register early in ND Grants.

g. Add a Profile to a Grants.gov Account:

A profile in Grants.gov corresponds to a single applicant organization the user represents (i.e., an applicant) or an individual applicant. If you work for or consult with multiple organizations and have a profile for each, you may log in to one Grants.gov account to access all of your grant applications. To add an organizational profile to your Grants.gov account, if applicable, enter the UEI number for the organization in the UEI field while adding a profile.

For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-profile.html

h. EBiz POC Authorized Profile Roles:

After you register with Grants.gov and create an Organization Applicant Profile, the organization applicant's request for Grants.gov roles and access is sent to the EBiz POC. The EBiz POC will then log in to Grants.gov and authorize the appropriate roles, which may include the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) role, thereby giving you permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the organization. You will be able to submit your application online any time after you have been assigned the AOR role.

For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html.

i. Track Role Status:

To track your role request, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html.

l. Electronic Signature:

When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization applicant with the AOR role that submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The EBiz POC must authorize individuals who are able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization as an AOR;

this step is often missed, and it is crucial for valid and timely submissions.

7. How to Submit an Initial Application to FEMA via Grants.gov Standard Form 424 (SF-424) is the initial application for this funding notice.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-profile.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html

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Grants.gov applicants can apply online using a workspace. A workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an application. For each Notice of Funding Opportunity, you can create individual instances of a workspace. Applicants are encouraged to submit their initial applications in Grants.gov at least seven days before the application deadline.

In Grants.gov, applicants need to submit the following forms:

SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance •

• Grants.gov Lobbying Form, Certification Regarding Lobbying

Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities using Workspace, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

a. Create a Workspace:

Creating a workspace allows you to complete it online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

b. Complete a Workspace:

Add participants to the workspace to work on the application together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for errors before submission.

c. Adobe Reader:

If you decide not to apply by filling out webforms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace so that they will appear similar to other Standard or DHS forms. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html.

d. Mandatory Fields in Forms:

In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color.

These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit your application.

e. Complete SF-424 Fields First:

The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address and UEI number. To trigger this feature, an applicant must complete the SF-424 information first. Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

f. Submit a Workspace:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant Back to the Top

An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the “Sign and Submit” button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

and the website at

g. Track a Workspace:

After successfully submitting a workspace package, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application. The number will be listed on the confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.

h. Additional Training and Applicant Support:

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html

Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 (except federal holidays) support via the toll-free number (800) 518-4726, email at support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/support.html. For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, contact the number listed in the application package of the grant for which you are applying for.

If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to call the Grants.gov Support Center and get a ticket number. The Support Center ticket number will assist FEMA with tracking your issue and understanding background information on the issue.

8. Submitting the Final Application in ND Grants After submitting the initial application in Grants.gov, eligible applicants will be notified by FEMA and asked to proceed with submitting their complete application package in ND Grants. Applicants can register early with ND Grants and are encouraged to begin their ND Grants registration at the time of this announcement or, at the latest, seven days before the application deadline. Early registration will allow applicants to have adequate time to start and complete their applications.

Applicants needing assistance registering for the ND Grants system should contact ndgrants@fema.dhs.gov or (800) 865-4076. For step-by-step directions on using the ND Grants system and other guides, please see https://www.fema.gov/grants/guidance-tools/non-disaster-grants-management-system.

In ND Grants, applicants will be prompted to submit the standard application information and any program-specific information required as described in Section D.10 of this notice, “Content and Form of Application Submission.” The Standard Forms (SF) are auto generated in ND Grants, but applicants may access these forms in advance through the Forms tab under the SF-424 family on Grants.gov. Applicants should review these forms before applying to ensure they have all the information required.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/support.html mailto:ndgrants@fema.dhs.gov https://www.fema.gov/grants/guidance-tools/non-disaster-grants-management-system https://www.fema.gov/grants/guidance-tools/non-disaster-grants-management-system https://www.grants.gov/forms/sf-424-family.html

Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 2022 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant Back to the Top

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 notice and Appendix D: Project Narrative Template of this notice.

9. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission As application submission is a two-step process, the applicant with the AOR role who submitted the application in Grants.gov will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of its initial application. This notification does not serve as proof of timely submission, as the application is not complete until it is submitted in ND Grants. Applicants can also view the ND Grants Agency Tracking Number by accessing the Details tab in the submitted workspace section in Grants.gov, under the Agency Tracking Number column. Should the Agency Tracking Number not appear, the application has not yet migrated from Grants.gov into the ND Grants System. Please allow 24 hours for your ND Grants application tracking number to migrate.

All applications must be received in ND Grants by 5:00 PM ET on the application deadline.

Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by ND Grants. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by ND Grants. Additionally, the applicant(s) listed as contacts on the application will receive a system-generated email to confirm receipt.

10. Content and Form of Application Submission

a. Standard Required Application Forms and Information

The following forms or information are required to be submitted in either Grants.gov or ND Grants. The Standard Forms (SF) are submitted either through Grants.gov, through forms generated in ND Grants, or as an attachment in ND Grants. Applicants may also access the SFs at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html

I. GRANTS.GOV

• SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, initial application submitted through

Grants.gov

• Grants.gov Lobbying Form, Certification Regarding Lobbying, submitted through

Grants.gov

II. ND GRANTS

• SF-424A, Budget Information (Non-Construction), submitted via the forms generated by ND Grants o For construction under an award, submit SF-424C, Budget Information

(Construction), submitted via the forms generated by ND Grants, in addition to or instead of SF-424A

•…