FY 25 DHS Limited NOFO_BioWatch_FINAL.pdf

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

BioWatch Limited Competition 2026 Fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, and other criminal or noncriminal misconduct related to this program may be reported to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Hotline. The toll-free numbers to call are 1 (800) 323-8603 and TTY 1 (844) 889-4357.

Contents

1. Basic Information A. Agency Name B. NOFO Title C. Announcement Type D. Funding Opportunity Number E. Assistance Listing Number F. Expected Total Funding G. Anticipated Number of Awards H. Expected Award Range I. Projected Application Start Date J. Projected Application End Date K. Anticipated Funding Selection Date L. Anticipated Award Date M. Projected Period of Performance Start Date N. Projected Period of Performance End Date O. Executive Summary P. Agency Contact

2. Eligibility A. Eligible Entities/Entity Types B. Project Type Eligibility C. Requirements for Personnel, Partners, and Other Parties D. Maximum Number of Applications E. Additional Restrictions F. References for Eligibility Factors within the NOFO G. Cost Sharing Requirement H. Cost Share Description, Type and Restrictions I. Cost Sharing Calculation Example J. Required information for verifying Cost Share

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3. Program Description A. Background, Program Purpose, and Program History B. Goals and Objectives C. Program Rationale D. Program Objectives E. Federal Assistance Type F. Performance Measures and Targets G. Program-Specific Unallowable Costs H. General Funding Requirements I. Indirect Costs (Facilities and Administrative Costs) J. Management and Administration (M&A) Costs K. Pre-Award Costs L. Participant Eligibility M. Authorizing Authority N. Appropriation Authority O. Budget Period P. Prohibition on Covered Equipment or Services

4. Application Contents and Format A. Pre-Application, Letter of Intent, and Whitepapers B. Application Components C. Program-Specific Required Documents and Information D. Post-Application Requirements for Successful Applicants

5. Submission Requirements and Deadlines A. Address to Request Application Package B. UEI Requirement C. Submission Instructions D. Application Deadline E. Pre-Application Requirements Deadline F. Post-Application Requirements Deadline G. Effects of Missing the Deadline

6. Intergovernmental Review A. Requirement Description and State Single Point of Contact

7. Application Review Information A. Threshold Criteria B. Application Criteria C. Financial Integrity Criteria D. Supplemental Financial Integrity Criteria and Review E. Reviewers and Reviewer Selection F. Merit Review Process

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G. Final Selection

8. Award Notices A. Notice of Award B. Note Regarding Pre-Award Costs C. Obligation of Funds D. Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants

9. Post-Award Requirements and Administration A. Administrative and National Policy Requirements B. DHS Standard Terms and Conditions C. Financial Reporting Requirements D. Programmatic Performance Reporting Requirements E. Closeout Reporting Requirements F. Disclosing Information per 2 C.F.R. § 180.335 G. Reporting of Matters Related to Recipient Integrity and Performance H. Single Audit Report I. Monitoring and Oversight J. Program Evaluation K. Additional Performance Reporting Requirements

10. Other Information A. Period of Performance Extension B. Other Information

1. Basic Information A. Agency Name

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), BioWatch.

B. NOFO Title

Homeland Security BioWatch Program

C. Announcement Type

Initial

D. Funding Opportunity Number

DHS-26-CWMD-091-00001

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E. Assistance Listing Number

97.091

F. Expected Total Funding

Up to $10,000,000

G. Anticipated Number of Awards

Up to 20 awards

H. Expected Award Range

$150,000.00 – $2,000,000.00

I. Projected Application Start Date

04/16/2026 09:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET)

J. Projected Application End Date

04/30/2026 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)

K. Anticipated Funding Selection Date

05/01/2026

L. Anticipated Award Date

05/01/2026

M. Projected Period of Performance Start Date

05/01/2026

N. Projected Period of Performance End Date

07/31/2026

O. Executive Summary

The BioWatch Program’s mission is to deploy, sustain, and maintain 24x7x365 operational capability to detect and respond to bioterrorist events. The BioWatch Program is a Federally managed, locally operated early warning system designed to detect the release of select aerosolized biological agents to protect the population in select U.S.

cities. The BioWatch program operates in more than 30 metropolitan areas in the U.S. These areas may be composed of city, county, state, or other decision-making bodies. The term “BioWatch jurisdiction” or “jurisdiction” describes each of the BioWatch program metropolitan areas. The BioWatch program operates portable sampling units (PSUs, i.e., collectors) in select locations within a jurisdiction. These PSUs draw air through filters for 24 hours; operators collect and install Filter Holder Assemblies (FHAs) with the exposed and unexposed filter and

Contents and Format | Submission Requirements and Deadlines | Intergovernmental deliver the collected exposed filters to a local BioWatch laboratory for analysis via polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

P. Agency Contact

CDR Theresa Gallagher, DHS BioWatch Program Office.

Email: Theresa.Gallagher@hq.dhs.gov

2. Eligibility A. Eligible Entities/Entity Types

Only the following entities or entity types are eligible to apply.

a. Applicants

State

County

City or Township

Special District created by a municipality

Regional Organization: Examples - Airports Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), Railroads, Port Authorities

Other: Law enforcement, first response, or emergency management agencies that are part of the city, township, or county.

Eligibility for Federal Assistance (FA) contingent on verified documentation that:

1. Recipients will be located within the following jurisdictions:

• Phoenix, Arizona

• Bay Area/San Francisco, California

• Los Angeles, California

• San Diego, California

• Miami, Florida

• Tampa, Florida

• Detroit, Michigan

• St. Louis, Missouri

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• Cincinnati, Ohio

• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Milwaukee, Wisconsin

• Austin, Texas

• Dallas, Texas

• El Paso, Texas

• Fort Worth, Texas

• Galveston, Texas

• Houston, Texas

2. Applicants in the following jurisdictions are further limited as follows:

• Los Angeles, California – County of Los Angeles

Department of Public Health

• Los Angeles (South Coast), California – City of Long

Beach

• Austin, Texas – City of Austin, Austin Public Health

• Dallas, Texas – City of Fort Worth

• El Paso, Texas– City of El Paso

• Fort Worth, Texas– City of Fort Worth

• Galveston, Texas– Galveston County Health District, Air Pollution Program

• Houston, Texas– Houston Health Department, Bureau of Pollution Control and Prevention

Applications in the jurisdictions listed in number 2 above will only be accepted from the listed entities.

1. Recipients will be affiliated with Public Health departments, first responders, emergency management, safety, environmental health, risk management, law enforcement, fire departments, universities, or agencies with or without current air monitoring programs.

2. Ability to provide support 24/7/365 sample collection and delivery to a testing laboratory through staff or contract.

3. Recipients will satisfy the requirements outlined in subsection C. “Requirements for Personnel, Partners, and Other Parties”.

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b. Subapplicants

Subapplicants and subawards are allowed. Subawards are allowable provided awardee meets the same criteria in number 2 above.

Subapplicants should not have noncitizens included. If a subapplicant uses foreign nationals, the applicants will properly vet and adhere to all government statues, policies, and procedures including “staff American, stay in America” and security requirements.

B. Project Type Eligibility

a. Unallowable Project Types

Research and Development projects

b. Allowable Project Types

BioWatch Field Operations for biothreat detection.

C. Requirements for Personnel, Partners, and Other Parties

Interested applicants via the Pre-Application process and/or recipient and any subrecipient will sign a DHS Non-Disclosure Agreement

Non-Disclosure Agreements: Non-federal Government employees performing activities in connection with this cooperative agreement who may have access to Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) information (e.g., For Official Use Only) shall sign the latest DHS Non-Disclosure Agreement (DHS Form 11000-6 and shall safeguard such information in accordance with DHS Management Directive 11042.1 (Safeguarding SBU (For Official Use Only) Information).

Qualified Personnel

Each personnel performing field operation activities will:

1. Be a United States citizen.

2. Be able to work with an interim background check and adhere to any additional local clearances.

3. Complete a DHS suitability check, using DHS form 11000.25, and acquire clearance by DHS Security.

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4. Possess a valid U. S. driver’s license.

6. Be able to safely lift fifty pounds (OSH Act: Section 5(a)(1) limit is 51 pounds).

7. Receive specific training and certifications covering all aspects of field work, including but not limited to:

a. Equipment operation and maintenance;

b. Testing of the equipment for proper operation of the collectors;

c. Sample handling tasks to include proper bagging procedures, operation of collectors, and phone;

d. Receiving and cleaning exposed holder assemblies and filters for the collectors;

e. Assembly of filters and holders for collectors;

f. Chain of custody, decontamination procedures and contamination avoidance;

g. Inspecting, troubleshooting, repairing, and calibrating the collectors; and

h. Use of the Sample Tracking Tool (STT).

No foreign nationals as principal investigators and all resumes must be submitted and subject for approval

D. Maximum Number of Applications

One application per agency. The BioWatch Program Office will make the final determination

E. Additional Restrictions

Not Applicable

F. References for Eligibility Factors within the NOFO

Please see the following references provided below:

1. “Responsiveness Review Criteria” subsection for all applications.

2. “Financial Integrity Criteria” subsection.

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3. “Supplemental Financial Integrity Criteria and Review” subsection.

4. DHS may request financial information such as the Employer Identification Number (EIN) and bank information as part of the potential award selection. This will apply to everyone prospered, including subrecipients.

G. Cost Sharing Requirement

There is no cost share requirement.

H. Cost Share Description, Type and Restrictions

N/A

I. Cost Sharing Calculation Example

N/A

J. Required information for verifying Cost Share

N/A

3. Program Description

A. Background, Program Purpose, and Program History

Reference Material listed in Section 10.B. Other Information, below.

A bioterrorist attack against the United States is a constant threat with potentially devastating consequences, including mass casualties, economic instability, and damage to critical infrastructure. These attacks are characterized by the “deliberate release viruses, bacteria, toxins, or other agents to cause illness and death in people, animals, or plants.”i Bioterrorist attacks have a variety of damaging consequences to the public.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Bioterrorism and other high consequence biological events can result in mass causalities, epidemic illness, healthcare worker illness, environmental contamination, legal issues, and cause unease within the medical community and the community at large”ii In 1997, Kaufmann, Meltzer, and Schmid at the Centers of Disease Control created an economic model which compared the “three classic agents of biological warfare” when released in the suburb of a major U.S. city. The researchers found that the “impact of a bioterrorist attack can range from an estimated $477.7 million to

26.2 billion per 100,000 persons exposed.”iii Adjusting for inflation alone the cost estimate range becomes $890.4 million to $48.8 billion in 2023 money. If a bioterrorist attack where to

Contents and Format | Submission Requirements and Deadlines | Intergovernmental happen in the United States today the socio-economic impact would threaten homeland security.

Bioterrorism attacks remain a threat to the United States. In an analysis of global terrorist attacks from 1970 to 2019, researchers Tin, Sabeti, and Ciottone found that 21 out of the 33 biological attacks happened in the United States.iv Because these attacks remain a threat it is imperative the United States continues prevention and detection activities.

As terrorism evolves, inconsistent and insufficient early warning detection capability increases vulnerability and increases consequences of aerosolized biological attacks. For instance, according to the 2012 BioWatch Technical Analysis of Biodetection Architecture Performance, after an anthrax attack, it would take up to 2 days before many exposures become critically ill, thereby establishing the importance of early detection and strong communication and coordination efforts.

B. Goals and Objectives The BioWatch Program’s goal is to save lives and reduce illness through early detection of aerosolized biological attacks. More specifically, the goal of this program is to decrease the likelihood of future aerosolized biological incidents and attacks by enhancing jurisdictional preparedness of increasing the knowledge base amongst local stakeholders and operators in public health and emergency response.

The following specific objectives are the steps that the BioWatch program will accomplish towards achieving the overall goal:

• Providing and facilitating training and technical assistance for State, Local, Tribal and Territorial (SLTT) officials.

• Leading and/or assisting coordination efforts amongst federal partners.

• Mobilizing PSUs to events in non-program sites.

• Investigating and pursuing ongoing innovation opportunities, research and development regarding agents, countermeasures, attack pathways, etc.

• Acquiring of sampling equipment, retrieving samples, transport, lab analysis, and interpretation, supported by data integration/information technology, quality assurance, proficiency testing, and maintenance.

• Establishing and operating the BioWatch Advisory Committee (BAC). Identifying ongoing Biodetection needs across jurisdictions to better inform future investments in capability, infrastructure, and expertise.

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C. Program Rationale Combating the threat of aerosolized biological incidents requires a consistent and robust early-warning detection capability among local public health and emergency response organizations.

The BioWatch Program is a cornerstone of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) comprehensive strategy for countering biological terrorism. As a federally managed, locally operated early warning system designed to detect the release of select aerosolized biological agents, the BioWatch Program’s mission is to deploy, sustain, and maintain a national 24x7x365 operational ability to detect and respond to a bioterrorist event.

D. Program Objectives In accordance with PPD-8, The Department of Homeland Security has designed a policy to work with communities around the nation increasing the capabilities necessary to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards, and a series of frameworks and plans related to reaching the goal.

The BioWatch Program and PPD-8 share the following elements:

• First, in accordance with the National Preparedness Goal, the BioWatch Program provides a comprehensive strategy for countering biological terrorism; and

• Following the National Preparedness System and the BioWatch Program is a federally managed, locally operated early warning operational capability designed to enhance national preparedness. The program provides an early warning system that detects the release of a select biological agent that may pose a danger to the public health in select jurisdictions.

BioWatch, in accordance with the National Planning Frameworks and Federal Interagency Operational Plans, acts as an early warning system that enhances the security of jurisdictions by providing the needed time to execute their comprehensive concept of operations plans to counter biological terrorism. In addition, the BioWatch Program provides advice and guidance to jurisdictions to develop biological preparedness programs that properly addresses the needed mitigation plans that reduces the negative impacts to a biological attack.

The BioWatch Program is a critical part of an ongoing national effort to build and sustain Public Health preparedness. Through targeted jurisdictional planning and the identification of preventive actions, BioWatch helps the United States develop a capability for response and recovery from a biological agent release.

The BioWatch Cooperative Agreement relates to public safety as it advances or supports DHS mission to plan for, detect, and protect against the importation, possession, storage, Contents and Format | Submission Requirements and Deadlines | Intergovernmental transportation, development, or use of unauthorized WMDs and other related CBRN materials, devices, or agents in the United States, and to protect against an attack using such materials, devices, or agents against the people, territory, or interests of the United States.

E. Federal Assistance Type Cooperative Agreement

Substantial Involvement

Federal role will qualify as substantial involvement in that the BioWatch Program actively tracks the progress and status of awardees, reviews, and approves all program materials. The recipient will maintain close and regular interaction with the BioWatch Program, including, but not limited to:

A. DHS will provide technical assistance in reference to the most recent version of the Standard Operating Procedures (Field Operations SOP), including evaluating the technologies in the program (Sample Track Tool, HSIN, etc.), Recipient’s site security procedures, network design and collector siting;

B. DHS will provide technical guidance, assistance, and direction in the form of email and teleconferences (to include regularly scheduled teleconferences), as deemed necessary;

C. DHS will maintain the BioWatch Portal for recipient reporting and Program information;

D. DHS will review and provide a final determination for changes requested in collector network design and siting;

E. DHS will provide national guidance for notification protocols and post- BioWatch Actionable Result (BAR) activities;

F. DHS will notify the Recipient when National Special Security Events, (NSSEs), Special Event Assessment Rating Level I event, and/or when DHS requires increased sampling for periods of elevated security threat;

G. DHS will provide the Recipient the opportunity to comment on any proposed changes to the Field Operations SOP. If DHS revises these documents, the BioWatch Program Office will notify the Recipient by the DHS Grants Officer 60 days prior to the effective date of the implementation; and

H. DHS will review and provide approval or comments on any feedback from the applicant regarding findings of the bi-annual BioWatch Evaluation Program

(BWEP).

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F. Performance Measures and Targets Development and maintenance of a 24/7/365 operational ability to detect and respond to a bioterrorist event in accordance with PPD-8 including:

1. Participation within the BioWatch Advisory Committee.

2. Number of trainings and exercises.

3. Sampling equipment acquisition/sample retrieval/ transport, and lab analysis.

4. Proficiency testing and quality assurance.

5. Uptime for air monitoring.

6. Time for Laboratory Analysis.

Targets and other performance measures will be communicated by the program office.

The BioWatch field efforts do not produce analytical data, so there are no formal data quality objectives associated with the field component of the program. However, there are quality objectives associated with the sample collection process as stated in the BioWatch Field Operations Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). It is the responsibility of each jurisdiction to ensure that these objectives are being met. If the Local Field Office (LFO) does not meet the objectives, they will develop a Corrective Action Report to determine the root cause and how the LFO will monitor, update, and correct the deficiency.

DHS will conduct periodic reviews of Recipient compliance with the BioWatch Field Operations SOP via the BioWatch Evaluation Program (BWEP) and BioWatch Quality Assurance program audits.

G. Program-Specific Unallowable Costs H. Research projects are not allowed.General Funding Requirements Costs charged to federal awards (including federal and non-federal cost share funds) must comply with applicable statutes, rules and regulations, policies, this NOFO, and 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).

Recipients may not use federal funds or any cost share funds for the following activities:

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

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

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

C.F.R. § 200.435).

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRea20080eff2ea53/section-200.403 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRea20080eff2ea53/section-200.403 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-C/section-200.206 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72/section-200.450 https://www.dhs.gov/publication/dhs-standard-terms-and-conditions

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I. Indirect Costs (Facilities and Administrative Costs) Indirect costs are allowed for both: recipients and subrecipients.

Indirect costs (IDC) are costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefiting more than one cost objective and not readily assignable to specific cost objectives without disproportionate effort. Applicants with a current negotiated IDC rate agreement who desire to charge indirect costs to a federal award must provide a copy of their IDC rate agreement with their applications.

Not all applicants are required to have a current negotiated IDC rate agreement. Applicants that are not required to have a negotiated IDC rate agreement, but are required to develop an IDC rate proposal, must provide a copy of their proposal with their applications. Applicants without a current negotiated IDC rate agreement (including a provisional rate) and wish to charge the de minimis rate must reach out to DHS for further instructions. Applicants who wish to use a cost allocation plan in lieu of an IDC rate proposal must reach out to DHS for further instructions. As it relates to the IDC for subrecipients, a recipient must follow the requirements of 2 C.F.R. §§

200.332 and 200.414 in approving the IDC rate for subawards.

J. Management and Administration (M&A) Costs N/A

K. Pre-Award Costs Pre-award costs are not allowed.

Beneficiary Eligibility N/A

L. Participant Eligibility Participants must:

Satisfy the conditions set forth in “Requirements for Personnel, Partners, and Other Parties”.

This NOFO and any subsequent federal awards create no rights or causes of action for any participant.

M. Authorizing Authority 6 U.S.C. §§ 591 note (construing 6 U.S.C. §§ 592-596a to cover chemical and biological responsibilities), 592, 596(1).

N. Appropriation Authority

Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, Pub. L. No. 119-4, § 1101.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-180/subpart-C/subject-group-ECFRe1a8b70dfdc38be/section-180.350 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-180/subpart-C/subject-group-ECFRe1a8b70dfdc38be/section-180.350 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRd93f2a98b1f6455/section-200.414

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O. Budget Period This funding opportunity will have (1) budget period through 07/31/2026. Subject to funding availability, future funding for the BioWatch program may be announced via a separate Notice of Funding Opportunity.

P. Prohibition on Covered Equipment or Services Recipients, sub-recipients, and their contractors or subcontractors must comply with the prohibitions set forth in Section 889 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, which restrict the purchase of covered telecommunications and surveillance equipment and services. Please see 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.216, 200.327, 200.471, and Appendix II to 2 C.F.R. Part 200 for more information.

4. Application Contents and Format A. Pre-Application, Letter of Intent, and Whitepapers Interested applicants will reach out to the BioWatch Program for more detailed information regarding the scope of work and will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).

B. Application Content and Format

All applications will submit all required forms and required documents listed in this section.

Additional forms and documents may be required and will be communicated during the Pre- Application process. Applications missing any of the required forms or documents listed in this section or communicated during the Pre-Application process may not be considered for review.

Applications will not be accepted from entities who have not engaged in the Pre-Application process.

REQUIRED FORMS

1. Form SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance

Complete the SF-424 application form. This form may be completed on the Grants.gov website or it can be completed offline in its entirety.

NOTE: Applications submitted through Grants.gov must use the SF-424 provided by Grants.gov. The SF-424 application forms can only be viewed and downloaded once Adobe Reader has been installed. The SF-424 application form on Grants.gov is formatted so applicants are only required to complete fields that are indicated with an asterisk (*) and color coded. Once the application is complete, close the document (you will then be prompted to save changes or not).

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2. Form SF-424A – Budget Complete the budget in its entirety. Provide budget amounts by object class (e.g., salaries, fringe, travel, indirect). Funds may be requested as long as the item and amount are necessary to perform the proposed work and are not precluded by the cost principles or program funding restrictions. Additional guidance on how to complete the Form SF-424A can be found at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html.

3. Certifications/Assurances These forms must be completed within the application package on Grants.gov.

You must download and install Adobe Reader to view these forms. Applicants must submit:

a. Form SF-424B – Assurances – Non-Construction Programs; and

b. Certification Regarding Lobbying. If paragraph two of the certification applies, then complete and submit SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying which is provided as an optional form in the application package.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

1. Budget Narrative (Double-spaced, no page limit)

The Budget Narrative should detail the proposed use of project funds in achieving projected outcomes. The Budget Narrative should address how the funds allocated to each eligible activity will be spent and how costs were determined for each budget line item.

2. Program Narrative (Double-spaced, no page limit) For the proposed project, the application must include a program narrative that provides a detailed overview description of the proposed project and thoroughly addresses the objectives.

B. Application Components Applicants will reach out to the program office during the Pre-Application phase for information.

C. Program-Specific Required Documents and Information Contact the program office for instructions regarding additional required forms and disclosures.

D. Post-Application Requirements for Successful Applicants

Each applicant selected for funding will submit to the BioWatch Program Office a summary of the personnel required, space necessary to execute operation (Maintenance, Filter Holder https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html

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Assembly area, etc.), and operational plans to execute the BioWatch Field Operations’ Mission.

See Subsection C. “Requirements for Personnel, Partners, and Other Parties”. Additional requirements may be communicated during or after the Pre-Application phase.

5. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

A. Address to Request Application Package

Application forms and instructions are available at Grants.gov. To access these materials, go to http://www.grants.gov , select “Applicants” then “Apply for Grants.” In order to obtain the application package, select “Download a Grant Application Package.” Enter the Assistance Listings (formerly CFDA) and/or the funding opportunity number located on the cover of this NOFO, select “Download Package,” and then follow the prompts to download the application package.

For a hardcopy of the full NOFO, please email a request to: marsha.mathis@hq.dhs.gov

In addition, the following Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) and/or Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) number available for this Notice is: (866) 577-0771 (GrantSolutions Help Desk).

Applications will be processed through the GrantSolutions system.

Content and Form of Application Submission.

UEI Requirement

Applicants must register and maintain an active account with SAM.gov unless there is a valid exception per 2 C.F.R. § 25.110.

B. Submission Instructions

SAM/UEI may take several weeks to acquire. Registration instructions for a SAM.gov Account and an UEI can be found at: SAM.gov | Entity Registrations

Applications are submitted through grants.gov. Instructions for registering can be found at:

Register | Grants.gov

C. Application Deadline 04/30/2026 11:59 PM Eastern Time http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:marsha.mathis@hq.dhs.gov mailto:athis@hq.dhs.gov https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR031321e29ac5bbd/section-200.332

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D. Pre-Application Requirements Deadline Interested applicants and the recipient must follow requirements and complete by the deadlines given below:

1. Contact BioWatch@hq.dhs.gov by 04/30/2026 4:30 PM Eastern Time

E. Post-Application Requirements Deadline The recipient must follow requirements and complete by the deadlines given below:

1. To be communicated after the Pre-Application phase.

F. Effects of Missing the Deadline If the application deadline cannot be met, contact BioWatch@hq.dhs.gov to request additional time.

6. Intergovernmental Review A. Requirement Description and State Single Point of Contact An intergovernmental review may be required. Applicants must contact their state’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to comply with the state’s process under Executive Order 12372.

7. Application Review Information A. Threshold Criteria

DHS will review the applicants against the eligibility criteria for this funding opportunity. All applications and required forms must be submitted as detailed in this funding opportunity and as communicated during the Pre-Application process.

B. Application Criteria Will be communicated by the DHS BioWatch Program Office to the applicant as part of the Pre-Application process.

C. Financial Integrity Criteria Before making an award, DHS is required to review OMB-designated databases for applicants’ eligibility and financial integrity information. This is required by the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (Pub. L. No. 116-117, § 2 (2020)), 41 U.S.C. § 2313, and the “Do Not Pay Initiative” (31 U.S.C. 3354). For more details, please see 2 C.F.R. § 200.206.

Thus, the Financial Integrity Criteria may include the following risk-based considerations of the applicant:

1. Financial stability.

2. Quality of management systems and ability to meet management standards.

mailto:BioWatch@hq.dhs.gov mailto:BioWatch@hq.dhs.gov https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-F/subject-group-ECFRea73e47c9a286e6/section-200.514 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-F/subject-group-ECFRea73e47c9a286e6/section-200.514 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-F/subject-group-ECFRfd0932e473d10ba/section-200.507 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/31/3354 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/31/3354 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-A/subject-group-ECFR2a6a0087862fd2c/section-200.1

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3. History of performance in managing federal award.

4. Reports and findings from audits.

5. Ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements.

D. Supplemental Financial Integrity Criteria and Review Before making an award expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently a total federal share of $250,000) over the period of performance:

1. The DHS is required by 41 U.S.C. § 2313 to review or consider certain information found in SAM.gov. For details, please see 2 C.F.R. § 200.206(a)(2).

2. An applicant may review and comment on any information in the responsibility/qualification records available in SAM.gov.

3. Before making decisions in the risk review required by 2 C.F.R. § 200.206, the DHS will consider any comments by the applicant.

E. Reviewers and Reviewer Selection The DHS BioWatch Program Office and subject matter experts within DHS will review and rate applicants based on history, knowledge, skills, and experience regarding BioWatch.

F. Merit Review Process The DHS BioWatch Program Office will determine based off the application criteria conveyed during the Pre-Application process. The process will include a process to notify applicants who do not meet the review and selection process criteria.

G. Final Selection The DHS BioWatch Program Office will make recommendations and DHS leadership will approve the final selections. Policy, geographic, and other factors may be used to select a recipient out of score order.

8. Award Notices

A. Notice of Award The Authorized Organization Representative should carefully read the federal award package before accepting the federal award. The federal award package includes instructions on administering the federal award as well as terms and conditions for the award.

By applying, applicants agree to comply with the prerequisites stated in this NOFO and the material terms and conditions of the federal award, should they receive an award.

B. Note Regarding Pre-Award Costs https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-C/section-200.206 https://grants.gov/register

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Even if pre-award costs are allowed, beginning performance is at the applicant and/or sub-applicant’s own risk.

C. Obligation of Funds Successful applicants can expect to receive a cooperative agreement executed by a DHS Grants Officer authorized to obligate DHS funding. Award notices will be sent via email to the senior/key person identified in the application.

D. Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants Notification to unsuccessful applicants will occur via email within 30 days of the decision not to fund.

9. Post-Award Requirements and Administration

A. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Presidential Executive Orders

Recipients must comply with the requirements of Presidential Executive Orders related to grants (also known as federal assistance and financial assistance), the full text of which are incorporated by reference.

However, this requirement does not apply to any federal award under this funding opportunity to the extent their application is limited by the injunction in County of Santa Clara v. Noem, No. 25-cv-8330 (N.D. Cal.), City of Chicago v. Noem, No. 25-cv-12765 (N.D. Ill.), or any other litigation, so long as that injunction is in force. If the relevant injunction is stayed, vacated, or extinguished, the requirement to comply with Presidential Executive Orders will immediately become effective.

In accordance with Executive Order 14305, Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty (June 6, 2025), and to the extent allowed by law, eligible state, local, tribal, and territorial grant recipients under this NOFO are permitted to purchase unmanned aircraft systems, otherwise known as drones, or equipment or services for the detection, tracking, or identification of drones and drone signals, consistent with the legal authorities of state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies. Recipients must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, and adhere to any statutory requirements on the use of federal funds for such unmanned aircraft systems, equipment, or services.

Subrecipient Monitoring and Management Pass-through entities must comply with the requirements for subrecipient monitoring and management as set forth in 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.331-333.

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Termination of a Federal Award per 2 C.F.R. § 200.340

1. By DHS. DHS may terminate a federal award, in whole or in part, for the following reasons:

a. If the recipient fails to comply with the terms and conditions of the federal award;

b. With the consent of the recipient, in which case the parties must agree upon the termination conditions, including the effective date, and in the case of partial termination, the portion to be terminated;

c. Pursuant to the terms and conditions of the federal award; or

d. For convenience, pursuant to Executive Order 14332, Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking, including when the award no longer advances agency priorities or the national interest, but subject to appropriate exceptions, including agreements entered into in furtherance of international trade agreements or those awarded by the Department of Commerce under title XCIX of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283), the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-167), or Division F of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58).

2. By the Recipient. The recipient may terminate the federal award, in whole or in part, by sending written notification to DHS stating the reasons for such termination, the effective date, and in the case of partial termination, the portion to be terminated. However, if DHS determines that the remaining portion of the federal award will not accomplish the purposes for which the federal award was made, DHS may terminate the federal award in its entirety.

3. Notice. Either party will provide written notice of intent to terminate for any reason to the other party no less than 30 calendar days prior to the effective date of the termination.

4. Compliance with Closeout Requirements for Terminated Awards. The recipient must continue to comply with closeout requirements in 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.344 and 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.345 after an award is terminated.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR682eb6fbfabcde2/section-200.344 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFRbceb211a19344ce/section-200.345 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFRbceb211a19344ce/section-200.345

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B. DHS Standard Terms and Conditions A recipient under this funding opportunity must comply with the FY 2025DHS Standard Terms and Conditions, v. 3 (April 18, 2025), with the exception Paragraph C.IX (Communication and Cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration Officials) and paragraph C.XVII(2)(a)(iii) (Anti-Discrimination Grant Award Certification regarding immigration). Paragraphs C.IX and C.XVII(2)(a)(iii) do not apply to any federal award under this funding opportunity.. The DHS Standard Terms and Conditions are available online and can be found: DHS Standard Terms and Conditions | Homeland Security. For continuation awards, the terms and conditions for the initial federal award will apply unless otherwise specified in the terms and conditions of the continuation award. The specific version of the DHS Standard Terms and Conditions applicable to the federal award will be in the federal award package.

However, the provisions relating to DEI and DEIA do not apply to any federal award under this funding opportunity to the extent their application is limited by the injunction in County of Santa Clara v. Noem, No. 25-cv-8330 (N.D. Cal.), City of Chicago v. Noem, No. 25-cv- 12765 (N.D. Ill.), City of Seattle v. Trump, No. 2:25-cv-1435 (W.D. Wa.), or any other litigation, so long as that injunction is in force. If the relevant injunction is stayed, vacated, or extinguished, the requirement to comply with the DEI and DEIA terms will immediately become effective.

NOTE: While not a requirement in the DHS Standard Terms and Conditions, as a best practice: “Entities receiving funds through this program should ensure that cybersecurity is integrated into the design, development, operation, and maintenance of investments that impact information technology (IT) and/ or operational technology (OT) systems.”

C. Financial Reporting Requirements

1. Recipients must report obligations and expenditures through a federal financial report.

The Federal Financial Report (FFR) form, also known as Standard Form 425 (SF-425), is available online at: SF-425 OMB #4040-0014.

2. The final FFR is due within 120 calendar days after the end of the POP.

The DHS may withhold future federal awards and cash payments if FFRs are not timely, complete, detailed, and accurate. FFRs showing inadequate progress may also cause DHS to withhold future federal awards and cash payments.

D. Programmatic Performance Reporting Requirements

Annual Performance Progress Reporting (PPR) Requirements.

DHS requires an annual PPR due 30 days following the end of the budget period. The report should include references to the Sample Tracking Tool, if the Local Field Office filed any https://www.dhs.gov/publication/dhs-standard-terms-and-conditions https://www.dhs.gov/publication/dhs-standard-terms-and-conditions https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF425a_2_0-V2.0.pdf

Contents and Format | Submission Requirements and Deadlines | Intergovernmental exceptions during the year and a statement that daily/weekly/monthly reports the recipient will post.

Cooperative Agreement recipients will submit the following as required by the BioWatch Field Operations SOP:

List of field personnel Collector inventory Special events list Exception reports Maintenance logs Operations and Maintenance reports Quarterly repair parts purchased reports Annual program reports

In addition, Cooperative Agreement recipients will submit Corrective Action Plans in response to BWEPs and QA audits and as directed by the Director for BioWatch Field Operations.

E. Closeout Reporting Requirements Within 120 days after the end of the period of performance, or after an amendment has been issued to close out a federal award, recipients must submit the following:

5. The final request for payment, if applicable.

6. The final FFR.

7. The final progress report detailing all accomplishments.

8. A qualitative narrative summary of the impact of those accomplishments throughout the period of performance.

9. Other documents required by this NOFO, terms and conditions of the federal award, or other DHS Component guidance.

After DHS approves these reports, it will issue a closeout notice. The notice will indicate the period of performance as closed, list any remaining funds to be de-obligated, and address the record maintenance requirement. Unless a longer period applies, such as due to an audit or litigation, for equipment or real property used beyond the period of performance, or due to other circumstances outlined in 2 C.F.R. § 200.334, this maintenance requirement is three years from the date of the final FFR.

Also, pass-through entities are responsible for closing out those subawards as described in 2 C.F.R. § 200.344; subrecipients are still required to submit closeout materials within 90 calendar days of the subaward period of performance end date. When a subrecipient completes all

Contents and Format | Submission Requirements and Deadlines | Intergovernmental closeout requirements, pass-through entities must promptly complete all closeout actions in time for the recipient to submit all necessary documentation and information to DHS during the closeout of their prime award.

The recipient is responsible for returning any balances of unobligated or unliquidated funds that have been drawn down that are not authorized to be retained per 2 C.F.R. § 200.344(e).

Additional Reporting Requirements

F. Disclosing Information per 2 C.F.R. § 180.335 Before entering into a federal award, the applicant must notify DHS if it knows that the applicant or any of the principals (as defined at 2 C.F.R. § 180.995) for the federal award:

1. Are presently excluded or disqualified;

2. Have been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in §

180.800(a) or had a civil judgment rendered against you for one of those offenses within that time period;

3. Are presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State, or local) with the commission of any of the offenses listed in § 180.800(a); or

4. Have had one or more public transactions (Federal, State, or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause or default.

This is requirement is fully described in 2 CFR 180.335.

Additionally, 2 C.F.R. § 180.350 requires recipients to provide immediate notice to DHS at any time after entering a federal award if:

1. The recipient learns that either it failed to earlier disclose information as required by 2 C.F.R. § 180.335;

2. Due to changed circumstances, the applicant or any of the principals for the federal award now meet the criteria at 2 C.F.R. § 180.335 listed above.

G. Reporting of Matters Related to Recipient Integrity and Performance Appendix XII to 2 C.F.R. Part 200 states the terms and conditions for recipient integrity and performance matters used for this funding opportunity.

If the total value of all active federal grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts for a recipient exceeds $10,000,000 at any time during the period of performance:

1. The recipient must maintain the currency of information reported in SAM.gov about civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings described in paragraph 2 of Appendix XII;

2. The required reporting frequency is described in paragraph 4 of Appendix XII.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-180/subpart-I/section-180.995 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/41/2313 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-180/subpart-C/subject-group-ECFRe1a8b70dfdc38be/section-180.335 https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/M-21-27.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/appendix-Appendix%20XII%20to%20Part%20200

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H. Single Audit Report A recipient expending $1,000,000 or more in federal awards (as defined by 2 C.F.R. § 200.1) during its fiscal year must undergo an audit. This may be either a single audit complying with 2 C.F.R. § 200.514 or a program-specific audit complying with 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.501 and 200.507.

Audits must follow 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Subpart F, 2 C.F.R. § 200.501, and the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards.

I. Monitoring and Oversight Per 2 C.F.R. § 200.337, DHS and its authorized representatives have the right of access to any records of the recipient or subrecipient pertinent to a Federal award to perform audits, site visits, and any other official use.