FEMA EMBAG NOFO FY 2024 (final 508).pdf

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

Fiscal Year 2024 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant

(EMBAG)

All entities wishing to do business with the federal government must have a unique entity identifier (UEI). The UEI number is issued by the system. Requesting a UEI using Sam.gov can be found at: https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration.

Grants.gov registration information can be found at: https://www.grants.gov/register

Updates in Grant Application Forms:

The Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number was replaced by a new, non-proprietary identifier requested in, and assigned by SAM.gov. This new identifier is the Unique Entity Identifier.

Additional Information can be found on Grants.gov: https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-development/planned-uei-updates

Table of Contents

Updates in Grant Application Forms:

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

a. Overview

b. Goals, Objectives, and Priorities

c. Alignment to Program Purpose and the DHS and FEMA Strategic Plan

11. Performance Measures B. Federal Award Information

1. Available Funding for the NOFO: $575,000

2. Projected Number of Awards 2-4

3. Period of Performance: 12 Months

4. Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s): 09/30/2024

5. Projected Period of Performance End Date(s): 09/29/2025

6. Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.grants.gov/register https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-development/planned-uei-updates https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-development/planned-uei-updates

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C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Applicant Eligibility Criteria

3. Subawards or Beneficiaries

4. Cost Share or Match

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Key Dates and Times

a. Application Start Date: 08/15/2024 at 09:00:00 AM ET

b. Application Submission Deadline: 09/16/2024 at 05:00:00 PM ET

c. Other Key Dates

2. Agreeing to Terms and Conditions of the Award

3. Address to Request Application Package

4. Requirements: Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and Register in the System for

Award Management (SAM.gov)

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

Management (SAM), and Submit an Application

6. Electronic Delivery

7. How to Register to Apply

a. General Instructions:

b. Obtain an UEI Number:

c. Obtain Employer Identification Number

d. Create a login.gov account:

e. Register with SAM:

f. Register in FEMA GO, Add the Organization to the System, and Establish the AOR:

8. Submitting the Application

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

12. 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 Facilities & Administrative (F&A) Costs

e. Evaluation Costs

f. Other Direct 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

a. Required Application Contents

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b. Initial Eligibility Review

c. Review Panel

d. Application Selection Process

F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Notice of Award

2. 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

3. Reporting

a. Financial Reporting Requirements

b. Programmatic Performance Reporting Requirements

c. Closeout Reporting Requirements

d. Additional Reporting Requirements

e. Mandatory Disclosures

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

1. Contact and Resource Information

a. Program Office Contact

b. FEMA Grants News

c. Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) Award Administration Division

d. Civil Rights

e. Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation

2. Systems Information

a. FEMA GO

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

b. Competition and Conflicts of Interest

c. Supply Schedules and Purchasing Programs

d. 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

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12. Report issues of fraud, waste, abuse

13. Hazard-Resistant Building Codes

14. 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 Instructions Appendix E: Evaluation and Scoring Criteria Appendix F: Budget Detail Worksheet Template Appendix G: Post-Award Requirements

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A. Program Description

1. Issued By U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) / Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) / Resilience / Office of Resilience Strategy (ORS) / Strategic Communications and Partnerships Division (SCPD)

2. Assistance Listings Number 97.131

3. Assistance Listings Title Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant

4. Funding Opportunity Title Fiscal Year 2024 Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant

5. Funding Opportunity Number

DHS-24-NPD-131-00-99

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, 2024, Pub. L. No. 118-47, Division C, Title III, Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery

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. Emergency management programs and emergency managers play an important role in leading state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) communities in an effective and unified manner before, during, and after a disaster. Emergency management programs and professionals also play an important role in supporting the National Preparedness Goal of a secure and resilient Nation by coordinating with the whole community to build and sustain the capabilities to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk. The EMBAG program reinforces the FEMA mission of advancing all-hazards preparedness, consistent with the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/national_preparedness_goal_2nd_edition.pdf https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/3721

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Act of 2006 (PKEMRA) and Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD-8), National Preparedness.

EMBAG funds the maintenance, validation, and revision of voluntary national-level standards and peer-review assessment processes for SLTT emergency management programs1 and professionals2; peer assessment against these standards for SLTT emergency management program accreditation and professional certification; and outreach and training to increase awareness of national standards3 and understanding of functions of effective programs and professionals. Over FY 2018-2020, the EMBAG helped 22 SLTT emergency management programs achieve accreditation and 60 SLTT emergency managers achieve certification.

The 9/11 Commission Report published in 2004 described efforts led by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to come to a consensus regarding a national standard for preparedness for the private sector. As a result of these efforts, ANSI recommended that the 9/11 Commission endorse a voluntary National Preparedness Standard.

According to stakeholders noted in the report, “the experience of the private sector in the World Trade Center emergency demonstrated the need for these standards.”

Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial and whole community partners in the emergency management community worked with each other and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish standards for emergency management both before and after 9/11, including for both emergency management programs and emergency managers.

b. Goals, Objectives, and Priorities The purpose of the FY 2024 EMBAG cooperative agreement is to support the use of national-level standards for emergency management to help ensure that SLTT communities have accredited emergency management programs and certified emergency managers in place before an incident occurs. To achieve this purpose, the EMBAG supports voluntary national-level standards and peer review assessment processes that communities 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

1 Prior award recipient emergency management program standard: Emergency Management Standard. Emergency Management Accreditation Program, EMAP EMS 5-2022. https://emap.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/EMAP-EMS-5-2022-Emergency-Management-Standard.pdf. (Additional information available online at https://emap.org/emergency-management-standard/.)

2 Prior award recipient emergency management professional standard: Associate Emergency Manager (AEM) or Certified Emergency Manager. International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM). (Additional information available online at Certification Intro, Certification Brochure, and Certification Resource Center.)

3 FEMA guidance: National-level standards must align with the nine FEMA guidance resources identified in Appendix A: FEMA Expectations for Standards Alignment and Assessment Review.

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/xlibrary/assets/presidential-policy-directive-8-national-preparedness.pdf https://emap.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/EMAP-EMS-5-2022-Emergency-Management-Standard.pdf https://emap.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/EMAP-EMS-5-2022-Emergency-Management-Standard.pdf https://emap.org/emergency-management-standard/ https://www.iaem.org/certification/intro https://www.iaem.org/Portals/25/documents/2024/CEM-Brochure-3-2024.pdf?ver=PqCL43DS63W9lJh09-5_nw%3d%3d https://www.iaem.org/Certification/Resource-Center

FY 2024 EMBAG NOFO Back to the Top Page 7 of 72 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 the following objectives and outcomes:

1. Validate and revise voluntary national-level standards and peer review assessment processes for emergency preparedness and response through consensus to reflect current FEMA standards and guidance, and further professionalize the field of emergency management.

2. Facilitate the assessment of SLTT emergency management programs and professionals against national-level standards that result in:

a. increased awareness of national-level standards for participating programs,

b. improved emergency management program staff understanding of functions of an effective program, and

c. reduced gaps in staff knowledge, capabilities, and performance through support;

leading to

d. increased numbers of emergency management programs receiving accreditation and emergency managers receiving certification.

3. Conduct outreach and training to emergency management programs and professionals participating in EMBAG-funded activities that increases awareness of national standards across participating programs and improves emergency management program staff understanding of functions of an effective program.

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, intermediate and long-term outcomes:

For state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency management program accreditation:

• In the short term (within two years), increased awareness of national-level standards and improved emergency management program staff understanding of functions of an effective program.

• In the intermediate term (two to four years), increased number of qualified programs in place before incidents occur; improved plans, policies and procedures; increased accreditations and first-time accreditations.

• In the long term (more than four years), increased capability of programs; improved national-level standards for program accreditation; and increased national preparedness.

For state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency manager certification:

• In the short term (within two years), increased awareness of national-level standards and improved emergency managers’ understanding of how to effectively manage an emergency management program.

• In the intermediate term (two to four years), increased number of qualified emergency managers in place before incidents occur, increased certifications and first-time certifications.

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• In the long term (more than four years), increased capability of emergency managers;

improved national-level standards for emergency manager certification; and increased national preparedness.

To achieve these outcomes, the FY 2024 EMBAG program provides funding for two objectives, which together include two projects. These objectives, their projects, and detailed requirements for project activities are described in the table below. These objective projects 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

Conduct assessments on a voluntary basis for SLTT emergency management programs against national-level standards for emergency management.

Efforts may include:

• Conducting assessments against national-level standards for emergency management to accredit SLTT emergency management programs.

• Maintaining and revising national-level standards used to accredit emergency management programs.

• Maintaining a peer-review process and team of assessors to assess emergency management program adherence to the standards, including providing training for assessors for assessments supported by the EMBAG.

Any national-level standards used to conduct assessments must align with the nine FEMA guidance resources identified in Appendix A.

Objective 2: Supporting Emergency Manager Certification

Project Requirements for Activities

Conduct assessments on a voluntary basis for state, local, tribal and territorial emergency managers against national-level standards and criteria.

Efforts may include:

• Conducting assessments against national-level standards for emergency management to certify SLTT emergency management professionals.

• Maintaining and revising national-level standards and criteria used to certify emergency managers’ competence to manage emergency management programs.

• Developing, maintaining, updating, and improving systems, policy and processes necessary to complete the objectives of the EMBAG, including maintaining systems, tools, and processes for certification candidate selection and records for certifications supported by the FY 2024 EMBAG.

Any national-level standards used to conduct assessments must align with the nine FEMA guidance resources identified in Appendix A.

The FY 2024 EMBAG program supports continuing efforts to increase alignment between national-level standards and assessment processes for emergency management

FY 2024 EMBAG NOFO Back to the Top Page 9 of 72 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.

• 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.

• Applicants must also work to ensure these standards are aligned with the nine FEMA guidance resources identified in Appendix A.

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, under-resourced and under-represented communities to help ensure consistent, systematic, fair, just and impartial treatment of all individuals before, during and after a disaster, consistent with applicable law. To help ensure equity in all-hazards emergency preparedness, applicants are urged to collaborate with and consider the needs of disadvantaged 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. Applicants are encouraged to consider activities engaging students who have a demonstrated interest in SLTT emergency management – including but not limited to those who are members or established representatives of the above referenced populations or communities – in order to address barriers and build a pipeline to help SLTT communities have accredited emergency management programs and certified emergency managers in place before an incident occurs.

Applicants are encouraged to leverage publicly available data to understand the differing needs of communities considered under-served, under-resourced, and/or under-represented, and inform equitable approaches to program activities (such as program outreach, standards committee membership, and peer review cadres). Resources to consider include:

• FEMA’s Grant Equity Threshold Tool (GETT), which consolidates information from the following three resources;

• Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) (see CEJST Map and CEJST

Instructions), from the Council on Environmental Quality, Executive Office of the President;

• FEMA’s Community Disaster Resilience Zones (CDRZ); and

• FEMA’s Community Resilience Challenges Index (CRCI), part of the Resilience

Analysis and Planning Tool (RAPT).

https://fema.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d1f3c8801ac2403781fd44160e18aa6f https://toolkit.climate.gov/tool/climate-and-economic-justice-screening-tool https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/#5.77/36.341/-110.683 https://static-data-screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/data-versions/1.0/data/score/downloadable/CEQ-CEJST-Instructions.pdf https://static-data-screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/data-versions/1.0/data/score/downloadable/CEQ-CEJST-Instructions.pdf https://www.fema.gov/partnerships/community-disaster-resilience-zones https://rapt-fema.hub.arcgis.com/pages/indicator-analysis https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/resilience-analysis-planning-tool https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/resilience-analysis-planning-tool

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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 organizations, academia, students, 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. Also see “Ensuring the Protection of Civil Rights,” in Section D of this NOFO.

c. Alignment to Program Purpose and the DHS and FEMA Strategic Plan

The EMBAG directly supports DHS’ Strategic Plan for 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 before an incident occurs.

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 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:

FEMA Strategic Plan Goal Name

FEMA Strategic Plan 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 https://www.dhs.gov/publication/department-homeland-securitys-strategic-plan-fiscal-years-2020-2024 https://www.fema.gov/about/strategic-plan https://www.fema.gov/about/strategic-plan

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Goal 3 Promote and Sustain a Ready FEMA and Prepared Nation

Objective 3.1 Strengthen the emergency management workforce

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 2024 EMBAG Performance Metrics Score

Objective 1: Supporting Emergency Management Program Accreditation

Metric 1: Percent of jurisdiction emergency management programs participating in program assessments supported by the FY 2024 EMBAG that achieve national-level accreditation.

Percent

Metric 2: Percent of jurisdiction emergency management programs supported by the FY 2024 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

Objective 2: Supporting Emergency Manager Certification

Metric 3: Percent of emergency managers participating in professional certifications supported by the FY 2024 EMBAG that achieve national-level certification.

Percent

Metric 4: Percent of emergency managers supported by the FY 2024 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

B. Federal Award Information

1. Available Funding for the NOFO: $575,000

EMBAG Objectives FY24 Allocation

Objective 1: Supporting Emergency Management Program Accreditation $ 445,000

Objective 2: Supporting Emergency Manager Certification $ 130,000

Total $ 575,000

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.3 Period of Performance Extensions.

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FEMA awards under most programs, including this program, 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): 09/30/2024

5. Projected Period of Performance End Date(s): 09/29/2025

6. Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement

Program authority and responsibility under this non-competitive 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 selected recipient(s) 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:

• Maintaining clear communications to ensure intended outcomes are achieved;

• Jointly developing the program management plan and program spending plan;

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

• Supporting alignment of standards with FEMA guidance and policy and monitoring activities to improve alignment where necessary; and

• 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.

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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 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 institutions 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, according to questions defined in Appendix D: Project Narrative Instructions. Applicants will demonstrate their experience and expertise using the questions in Appendix D, and reviewers will use these questions as one set of criteria to score applications as outlined in Appendix E: Evaluation and Scoring Criteria.

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 Section E: Application Review Information, Appendix D: Project Narrative Template, and Appendix E: Evaluation and Scoring Criteria.

3. Subawards or Beneficiaries No subawards or subrecipients are allowed under this NOFO.

4. 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:

b. Application Submission Deadline:

08/15/2024 at 09:00:00 AM ET

09/16/2024 at 05:00:00 PM ET

All applications must be received by the established deadline.

FEMA’s Grants Outcomes System (FEMA GO) automatically records proof of timely submission and the system generates an electronic date/time stamp when FEMA GO successfully receives the application. The individual with the Authorized Organization

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Representative role that submitted the application will also receive the official date/time stamp and a FEMA GO tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely 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 nor 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 the following: 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 technical assistance with the FEMA GO system, please contact the FEMA GO Helpdesk at femago@fema.dhs.gov or (877) 585-3242, 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 Management Specialist. If applicants do not know who to contact or if there are programmatic questions or concerns, please contact the fema-grants-news@fema.dhs.gov, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET.

c. 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

Registering in SAM or updating SAM registration

Four weeks before actual submission deadline

Registering Organization in FEMA GO Prior to beginning application

Submitting complete application in

FEMA GO

One week before actual submission deadline mailto:femago@fema.dhs.gov mailto:fema-grants-news@fema.dhs.gov mailto:fema-grants-news@fema.dhs.gov

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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 Applications are processed through the FEMA GO system. To access the system, go to https://go.fema.gov/.

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.

4. Requirements: Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and Register in the System for

Award Management (SAM.gov) Each applicant, unless they have a valid exception under 2 CFR §25.110, must:

a. Be registered in Sam.Gov before application submission.

b. Provide a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) in its application.

c. Continue to always maintain an active SAM registration with current information during the federal award process. Note: Per 2 C.F.R. § 25.300, subrecipients are NOT required to go through the full SAM registration process. First-tier subrecipients (meaning entities receiving funds directly from the recipient) are only required to obtain a UEI through SAM, but they are not required to complete the full SAM registration in order to obtain a UEI. Recipients may not make subawards unless the subrecipient has obtained and provided the UEI.

Lower-tier subrecipients (meaning entities receiving funds passed through by a higher-tier subrecipient) are not required to have a UEI and are not required to register in SAM.

Applicants are also not permitted to require subrecipients to register in SAM.

5. 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;

b. In the application, provide an UEI number;

c. Have an account with login.gov;

https://go.fema.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://sam.gov/content/home https://www.login.gov/

FY 2024 EMBAG NOFO Back to the Top Page 16 of 72

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

e. Register in FEMA GO, add the organization to the system, and establish the AOR. The organization’s electronic business point of contact (EBiz POC) from the SAM registration may need to be involved in this step. For step-by-step instructions, see https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/181607;

f. Submit the complete application in FEMA GO; 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 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 number, if applicable, and complete SAM registration within 30 days of the federal award date.

6. 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

FEMA GO.

https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/181607 mailto:askcsid@fema.dhs.gov

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7. How to Register to Apply

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 a federal award under this funding opportunity.

b. Obtain an UEI Number:

All entities applying for funding, including renewal funding, must have a UEI number.

Applicants must enter the UEI number 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 applicants applying online through FEMA GO must register with SAM. Failure to register with SAM will prevent an applicant from applying through Grants.gov. SAM 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

FY 2024 EMBAG NOFO Back to the Top Page 18 of 72 registration must be renewed annually. Organizations will be issued a UEI number with the completed SAM registration.

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: 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 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/fsd-gov/home.do or call toll free (866) 606-8220.

f. Register in FEMA GO, Add the Organization to the System, and Establish the AOR:

Applicants must register in FEMA GO and add their organization to the system. The organization’s electronic business point of contact (EBiz POC) from the SAM registration may need to be involved in this step. For step-by-step instructions, see https://www.fema.gov/grants/guidance-tools/fema-go/startup.

Note: FEMA GO will support only the most recent major release of the following browsers:

• Google Chrome

• Internet Explorer

• Mozilla Firefox

• Apple Safari 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 https://www.fema.gov/grants/guidance-tools/fema-go/startup

FY 2024 EMBAG NOFO Back to the Top Page 19 of 72

• Microsoft Edge

Users who attempt to use tablet type devices or other browsers may encounter issues with using FEMA GO.

8. Submitting the Application 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 https://grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family. Applicants should review these forms before applying to ensure they have all the information required.

After submitting the final application, FEMA GO will provide either an error message or a successfully received transmission in the form of an email sent to the AOR that submitted the application. Applicants using slow internet connections, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that transmission can take some time before FEMA GO 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 and Appendix D: Project Narrative Instructions.

9. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission All applications must be completed in FEMA GO by the application deadline. FEMA GO automatically records proof of timely submission and the system generates an electronic date/time stamp when FEMA GO successfully receives the application. The individual with the AOR role that submitted the application will also receive the official date/time stamp and a FEMA GO tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission on the date and time that FEMA GO received the application.

Applicants who experience system-related issues will be addressed until 3:00 PM ET on the date applications are due. No new system-related issues will be addressed after this deadline. Applications not received by the application submission deadline will not be accepted.

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 FEMA GO. The Standard Forms (SF) are also available at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf- 424-family.html.

• SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

• Grants.gov Lobbying Form, Certification Regarding Lobbying

• SF-424A, Budget Information (Non-Construction)

• SF-424B, Standard Assurances (Non-Construction)

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

FY 2024 EMBAG NOFO Back to the Top Page 20 of 72

• 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 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.

b. Program-Specific Required Forms and Information

The program-specific forms or information required to be submitted in FEMA GO are included in Appendix D: Project Narrative Instructions.

11. Other Submission Requirements None.

12. Funding Restrictions and Allowable Costs

All costs charged to federal awards (including both federal funding and any non-federal matching or cost sharing funds) must comply with applicable statutes, rules and regulations, and policies, this NOFO, and the terms and conditions of the federal award. They must also 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 federal award. This includes, among other requirements, that costs must be incurred and products and services must be delivered within the budget period. 2 C.F.R. § 200.403(h). The following identifies a list of activities for which a recipient may not use federal funds and any cost sharing or matching funds under federal awards:

• Matching or cost sharing requirements for other federal grants and cooperative agreements (see 2 C.F.R. § 200.306)

• Lobbying or other prohibited activities under 18 U.S.C. § 1913 or 2 C.F.R. § 200.450

• Prosecuting claims against the federal government or any other government entity (see 2

C.F.R. § 200.435) See subsections below for information on any other funding restrictions.

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.

Recipients are also expected to conform, as applicable, with accepted engineering…