FY2025 NGWS NOFO_20250806_FINAL_508.pdf

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Fiscal Year 2025 Next Generation Warning System Grant Program

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

3. Program Description A. Background, Program Purpose, and Program History B. Goals and Objectives C. Program Rationale D. Federal Assistance Type E. Performance Measures and Targets

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F. Program-Specific Unallowable Costs G. General Funding Requirements H. Indirect Costs (Facilities and Administrative Costs) I. Management and Administration (M&A) Costs J. Pre-Award Costs K. Beneficiary Eligibility 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 Content and Format C. Application Components D. Program-Specific Required Documents and Information E. Post-Application Requirements for Successful Applicants

5. Submission Requirements and Deadlines A. Address to Request Application Package B. Application Deadline C. Pre-Application Requirements Deadline D. Post-Application Requirements Deadline E. 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 G. Final Selection

8. Award Notices A. Notice of Award B. Pass-Through Requirements C. Note Regarding Pre-Award Costs D. Obligation of Funds E. 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

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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 L. Termination of Federal Award

3. Termination of a Subaward by the Pass-Through Entity

4. Termination by the Recipient or Subrecipient

5. Impacts of Termination

6. Notification requirements

7. Opportunities to Object and Appeals

8. Effects of Suspension and Termination M. Best Practices N. Payment Information Instructions to Grant Recipients Pursuing Payments Processing and Payment Timeline

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

1. Basic Information A. Agency Name

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

B. NOFO Title

Fiscal Year 2025 Next Generation Warning System Grant Program

C. Announcement Type

Initial

D. Funding Opportunity Number

DHS-25-IPAWS-138-00-99

E. Assistance Listing Number

97.138

F. Expected Total Funding

$40 million

G. Anticipated Number of Awards

5 awards

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H. Expected Award Range

$8,000,000.00

I. Projected Application Start Date

08/06/2025 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)

J. Projected Application End Date

08/15/2025 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)

K. Anticipated Funding Selection Date

09/20/2025

L. Anticipated Award Date

No later than September 29, 2025

M. Projected Period of Performance Start Date

10/01/2025

N. Projected Period of Performance End Date

09/30/2028

O. Executive Summary

This grant will fund projects to identify capability gaps and implement solutions for alert and warning to deliver timely public warning and emergency information and to protect critical infrastructure. There are rapid changes in technology, cybersecurity threats, and public preferences for consuming content, recipients will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to explore currently available, flexible, innovative, and forward-looking capabilities to disseminate emergency alerts and warnings across existing and new distribution pathways, including streaming services, sirens, giant-voice systems, satellites, internet-connected devices, and other solutions.

P. Agency Contact

a. Program Office Contact Name: Office of National Continuity Programs Email Address: fema-ipaws-ngwsgp@fema.dhs.gov Business Phone: (202) 646-2500 Business Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

b. FEMA Grants News This channel provides general information on all FEMA grant programs and maintains a comprehensive database containing key personnel contact information at the federal, state, and local levels.

FEMA Grants News Team is reachable at fema-grants-news@fema.dhs.gov OR (800) 368-6498, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET.

https://usfema.sharepoint.com/teams/TRESIPAWSPMO2/Shared%20Documents/Next%20Generation%20Warning%20System%20Grant/FY%202025%20NGWS%20Grant/NOFO/fema-ipaws-ngwsgp@fema.dhs.gov mailto:fema-grants-news@fema.dhs.gov

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c. Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) Award Administration Division GPD’s Award Administration Division (AAD) provides support regarding financial matters and budgetary technical assistance. AAD can be contacted at ASK-GMD@fema.dhs.gov.

d. FEMA Regional Offices FEMA Regional Offices also may provide fiscal support, including pre- and post-award administration and technical assistance. FEMA Regional Office contact information is available at https://www.fema.gov/fema-regional-contacts.

e. Civil Rights Consistent with Executive Order 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination & Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, the FEMA Office of Civil Rights is responsible for ensuring compliance with and enforcement of federal civil rights obligations in connection with programs and services conducted by FEMA. They are reachable at FEMA- CivilRightsOffice@fema.dhs.gov.

f. Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation The FEMA Office of Environmental Planning and Historic Planning (OEHP) provides guidance and information about the EHP review process to FEMA programs and recipients and subrecipients. Send any inquiries regarding compliance for FEMA grant projects under this NOFO to FEMA-OEHP-NOFOQuestions@fema.dhs.gov.

g. Payment and Reporting System FEMA uses the Payment and Reporting System (PARS) for financial reporting, invoicing, and tracking payments. The Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer (DD/EFT) method of payment is used for recipients. For any questions about the system, contact the Customer Service Center at (866) 927-5646 or ask- GMD@fema.dhs.gov.

h. FEMA GO FEMA uses the Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer (DD/EFT) method of payment to recipients. Payment requests are submitted through FEMA GO.

i. FEMA Preparedness Toolkit The FEMA Preparedness Toolkit (PrepToolkit) provides access to tools and resources needed to implement the National Preparedness System and provide a collaborative space for communities completing the Unified Reporting Tool (URT). Recipients complete and submit their Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) and Stakeholder Preparedness Review (SPR), and other required mailto:ASK-GMD@fema.dhs.gov https://www.fema.gov/fema-regional-contacts mailto:FEMA-OEHP-NOFOQuestions@fema.dhs.gov https://isource.fema.gov/sf269/execute/LogIn?sawContentMessage=true mailto:GMD@fema.dhs.gov https://preptoolkit.fema.gov/

6 | P a g e assessments using the PrepToolkit. For assistance, contact support@preptoolkit.fema.dhs.gov.

2. Eligibility A. Eligible Entities/Entity Types

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

a. Applicants States or Indian Tribes as defined in 2 CFR 200.1

b. Subapplicants

Subapplicants and subawards are allowed.

Subapplicants should not have foreign nationals or noncitizens included. If a subapplicant has foreign nationals, they must be properly vetted and must adhere to all government statues, polices, and procedures including “staff American, stay in America” and security requirements.

B. Project Type Eligibility

a. Unallowable Project Types

Grant funds may NOT be used for purchases and services that are not directly related to advancing public alert and warning capabilities.

b. Allowable Project Types

The NGWSGP will support states, territories, and tribal nations in enhancing emergency alerting and warning capabilities.

Project activities are limited to the following:

1. Installation of IPAWS-compatible sirens and/or “giant-voice systems;

2. Coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to enhance signals and availability for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radios;

3. Integration and deployment of emergency alert datacasting technology;

4. Deployment of systems and technologies that enable the dissemination of advanced visual and audio alerts, such as to digital billboards, signage, and kiosks;

5. Integration of IPAWS alerts in internet of things (IoT) devices;

6. Integration of satellite-based alert and warning technologies, automated message origination and distribution capabilities, and other emerging capabilities. For example, jurisdictions could incorporate advanced warning lexicons informed by mailto:support@preptoolkit.fema.dhs.gov

7 | P a g e behavioral science for more timely and effective public warning.

7. Development of alert and warning state and local field testing, training, and exercise programming in collaboration with FEMA and federal, state, and local alert and warning partners.

8. Deploy capabilities to increase alert and warning coverage to rural areas and other locations across the state with limited communications access.

C. Requirements for Personnel, Partners, and Other Parties

Subapplicants should not have foreign nationals or noncitizens included. If a subapplicant has foreign nationals, they must be properly vetted and must adhere to all government statues, polices, and procedures including “staff American, stay in America” and security requirements.

Subapplicants/subrecipients must submit short bios and resumes. This should include the type of entity, organizational leadership, and board members along with the both the names and addresses of the individuals. Resumes are subject to approval.

D. Maximum Number of Applications

The maximum number of applications that can be submitted is:

1. One application per state, tribal, or territorial emergency management agency E. Additional Restrictions

Applicants and subapplicants are required to certify their compliance with federal statutes, DHS directives, polices, and procedures.

F. References for Eligibility Factors within the NOFO

Please see the following references provided below:

1. “Responsiveness Review Criteria” subsection

2. “Financial Integrity Criteria” subsection

3. “Supplemental Financial Integrity Criteria and Review” subsection

4. FEMA may/will request financial information such as

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

Not applicable

I. Cost Sharing Calculation Example

Not applicable

J. Required information for verifying Cost Share

Not applicable

3. Program Description

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A. Background, Program Purpose, and Program History

Our nation’s emergency preparedness depends on having in place a secure and effective system for warning and informing the public of impending natural and man-made disasters. FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) is the national system for local alerting that provides authenticated emergency and life-saving information to the public. Local radio and television stations, along with cable television, wireless carrier, direct broadcast satellite, other distribution providers and pathways disseminate the public safety messages they receive from

IPAWS.

The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Modernization Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-143) charged FEMA with upgrading and reinforcing the nation’s public alert and warning system to withstand disruptive events and adapt to advancements in technology and methods of communication. This grant supports projects that aid in creating and maintaining a resilient public alert and warning system that provides timely and effective warnings. The IPAWS public alert and warning system is built on the Common Alerting Protocol standard (CAP) that permits a single CAP compatible message to activate multiple compliant warning systems.

The Next Generation Warning System (NGWS) will help support a reliable, resilient, and consistent capability for local, state, territorial, tribal, and federal public safety officials to deliver timely public warning and emergency information.

This grant will identify capability gaps and implement solutions for alert and warning to deliver timely warning and emergency information to the public and to protect critical infrastructure. There are rapid changes in technology, cybersecurity threats, and public preferences for consuming content, recipients will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to explore available, flexible, innovative, and forward-looking capabilities to disseminate emergency alerts and warnings across existing and new distribution pathways, including streaming services, sirens, giant-voice systems, satellites, internet-connected devices, and other solutions.

The recipient and the subrecipients shall comply with applicable Federal Communications Commission rules, includes, 47 Code of Federal Regulations Part 11, FEMA IPAWS best-practices, and telecommunications prohibitions set forth in Section 889 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019.

B. Goals and Objectives

Goal: The goal of this grant is to enhance alert and warning capabilities and improve resiliency of emergency alert and warning systems through effective services, solutions, and technology to improve the timely delivery of public safety information. The grant will explore and embrace currently available and emerging technology with audio and visual capabilities across all platforms to enable interactive and actionable emergency communications to the public.

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Objectives: In coordination with the FEMA Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Division, the grant recipients will pursue the following objectives:

1. Integrate effective, reliable, available, and timely alert and warning capabilities to enhance public emergency communications;

2. Test and deploy proven common-sense tools, pathways, and technologies that support advanced visual and audio alerts; and

3. Coordinate and execute whole-community public warning field training, testing, exercise, and evaluation in collaboration with IPAWS, federal, state, local, tribal, and private sector partners, including broadcasters and wireless carriers, to support the development of alert and warning governance, policies, plans, and procedures while improving cross-jurisdictional coordination before, during, and after incidents.

C. Program Rationale

The NGWS Grant Program makes federal funds available to explore available, flexible, innovative, and forward-looking capabilities to disseminate emergency alerts and warnings across existing and new distribution pathways and to fill gaps in current emergency alert and warning capabilities. The goals of the NGWSP align with and support the FY23 DHS Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR).

D. Federal Assistance Type

Cooperative Agreement

This award will provide rapid support to the awardees to help improve public safety in future disasters while enabling FEMA and the awardees to learn from practical application of proven emergency technology solutions, and methods that can inform future IPAWS development and support across the country. FEMA’s involvement in selecting projects and evaluating successful performance is critical in helping FEMA to determine whether new technologies or approaches can be effectively applied to similar needs across the country and to make any necessary adjustments to national alerting policies, processes, or infrastructure.

E. Performance Measures and Targets

Performance measures for this award are:

1. Number of IPAWS-compatible sirens or “giant-voice” systems installed, with an emphasis on rural, tribal, and other areas with limited communications;

2. Population covered by newly integrated systems and technologies;

3. Number of new capabilities evaluated and deployed, with documented assessments of their potential value and feasibility to support emergency alerting and warning;

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4. Number of public alert and warning tests and/or exercises;

5. Number of state and local public safety officials trained in alert and warning technology and capabilities;

6. The number of projects initiated and the percentage of projects that are on-track based on their individual milestone schedules; and

7. Percentage of on-time accomplishments of the overall milestone schedule below.

In addition to the above performance metrics, the awardees must meet certain award milestones.

• Within 90 days of receiving the award, each recipient must identify high-priority alert and warning capability gaps.

• By no later than December 31, 2025, each recipient identifies additional alert and warning capability gaps and develop a comprehensive plan to close those gaps, particularly in rural, tribal, and communities that lack communications infrastructure.

• By no later than June 1, 2026, each recipient must execute coordinated regional alert and warning test(s) for capabilities that have been deployed to date, The recipient must evaluate findings and share the results no later than 60 days after the test(s) are performed.

• By no later than February 28, 2027, each recipient must have executed at least 50% of their plan to close the capability gaps identified and share a report on enhancements to alert and warning through technology adoption, training, testing, and exercise.

• By no later than June 15, 2028, each recipient must have executed 100% of their plan to close the capability gaps identified and share a report on enhancements to alert and warning through technology adoption, training, testing, and exercise.

• By no later than the end of the period of performance, each recipient must submit a report sharing insights and lessons learned from the development and implementation of innovative, forward-looking capabilities to support effective alert and warning and identify potential future deployments to other states.

F. Program-Specific Unallowable Costs

This applies to the recipients and any potential subapplicants. Grant funds may NOT be used for purchases and services that are not directly related to advancing public alert and warning capabilities. The award recipient and potential subapplicants must provide procurement and funds management plans for FEMA approval.

G. 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

11 | P a g e 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).

H. Indirect Costs (Facilities and Administrative Costs)

Indirect costs are NOT allowed.

I. Management and Administration (M&A) Costs

M&A costs are allowed. M&A costs are activities directly related to implementing the award.

FEMA will allow recipients to use up to 5% of the amount of the award for their M&A and sub recipients may use up to 5% of the amount they receive for M&A. Funding levels for these costs must be negotiated on a per-project basis with the appropriate awarding office and should include an itemized listing of specific costs associated with M&A.

M&A costs include direct charges to the grant related to the administration aspects of implementing the award, such as salaries and benefits of human resources, administrative or finance personnel who support the execution of the grant but are not completing specific project activities.

Costs such as travel, meeting-related expenses, and salaries in direct support of the administration of the award are also examples of typically allowable M&A costs. Other M&A costs might include general operating costs when direct billed. However, M&A costs are not allowable as direct charges to the award when these costs are included in a recipient’s negotiated indirect cost rate agreement.

Certain administrative costs are not considered to be M&A costs and are not subject to the M&A cap of 5% when those costs are directly related to a specific award activity.

M&A are not overhead costs but are necessary direct costs incurred in direct support of the federal award or as a consequence of it, such as travel, meeting-related expenses, and salaries of full/part-time staff in direct support of the program. As such, M&A costs can be itemized in financial reports.

J. Pre-Award Costs 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-D/section-200.306 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-1999-title18-section1913&num=0&edition=1999 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72/section-200.450 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72/section-200.435

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Pre-award costs are not allowed.

K. Beneficiary Eligibility

The public may be third-party beneficiaries of the program if subapplicants purchase and distribute consumer devices that can receive emergency alerts (e.g., radios and other devices).

The subrecipient assesses the needs of their communities and submits an application stating how the devices would benefit their communities.

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

L. Participant Eligibility

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

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

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

O. Budget Period

There will be only a single budget period with the same start and end dates as the period of performance.

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, and FEMA Policy #405-143-1 - Prohibitions on Expending FEMA Award Funds for Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services for more information.

4. Application Contents and Format

A. Pre-Application, Letter of Intent, and Whitepapers

The NGWSGP does not require nor will staff review pre-applications, letters of intent, and whitepapers.

B. Application Content and Format https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5515/text https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5515/text https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_policy-405-143-1-prohibition-covered-services-equipment-gpd.pdf https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_policy-405-143-1-prohibition-covered-services-equipment-gpd.pdf

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There are no content or format requirements.

C. Application Components

The following forms or information are required to be submitted via FEMA GO. The Standard Forms (SF) are also available at Forms | Grants.gov.

• SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

• Grants.gov Lobbying Form, Certification Regarding Lobbying

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

• SF-424B, Standard Assurances (Non-Construction) o For construction under an award, submit SF-424D, Standard Assurances (Construction), in addition to or instead of SF-424B

• SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

D. Program-Specific Required Documents and Information The following program-specific forms or information are required to be submitted in FEMA GO:

• Work Plan Narrative. A summary (narrative) of an applicant’s Work Plan for the grant funding that identifies the proposed Allowable Activities, tasks, schedule, deliverables, and project management strategy for effectively leveraging the grant, if awarded, to achieve the stated goals of NGWS. The narrative should be informed by the review criteria described in Section 7, B. Application Criteria.

• Budget. The applicant must provide a budget for the funds requested.

• Master Schedule/Deliverable Table. This document will combine a schedule of planned activities with milestones and expected dates for completion, along with their associated deliverables (e.g., people trained, publications distributed, conferences/workshops/drills held, policies made, website improvements, etc.)

• Competitive Subaward Process Description. If applicable, a description, including a planned schedule and evaluation criteria, of how the awardee plans to solicit and review applicants and issue subawards with funding focused on the areas of greatest need and greatest likely benefit to communities

• Milestone Schedule. How the recipient plans to manage approval and distribution of funds over the period of performance and meet all milestones in Section 3.E.

• Overall approach for managing the purchase and redistribution of consumer devices that can receive emergency alerts, if the applicant intends to use the grant to procure such devices. The applicant shall describe how they intend to evaluate subaward applications https://www.grants.gov/forms

14 | P a g e that include consumer receivers. FEMA understands that innovative uses and applications may be proposed by subapplicants, so this section should describe the general evaluation approach rather than trying to account for all approaches for the use of consumer receivers. Transparency and frequent program reporting helps FEMA assess performance of the subaward process and of subrecipients effective use of funds.

E. Post-Application Requirements for Successful Applicants

There are no post-application requirements.

5. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

A. Address to Request Application Package Applications are processed through the FEMA GO system. To access the system, go to https://go.fema.gov/.

Steps Required to Apply For An Award Under This Program and Submit an Application:

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

a. Apply for, update, or verify their Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number and EIN from the Internal Revenue Service;

b. In the application, provide an UEI number;

c. Have an account with login.gov;

d. Register for, update, or verify their System for Award Management (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 Authorized

Organizational Representative (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.

Per 2 C.F.R. § 25.110(a)(2)(iv), 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. Contact fema-grants-news@fema.dhs.gov and provide the details of the exigent circumstances.

How to Register to Apply:

https://go.fema.gov/ https://www.login.gov/ https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/181607 https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/181607 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25/subpart-A/section-25.110

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General Instructions:

Registering and applying for an award under this program is a multi-step process and requires time to complete. Below are instructions for registering to apply for FEMA funds. Read the instructions carefully and prepare the requested information before beginning the registration process. Gathering the required information before starting the process will alleviate last-minute searches for required information.

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

Organizations must have a UEI number, EIN, and an active SAM registration.

Obtain a 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.

Obtain Employer Identification Number:

In addition to having a UEI number, all entities applying for funding must provide an 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.

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 at:

https://secure.login.gov/sign_up/enter_email?request_id=34f19fa8-14a2-438c-8323-a62b99571fd.

Applicants only have to create a login.gov account once. For existing SAM users, use the same email address for both login.gov and 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.

Register with SAM:

In addition to having a UEI number, all organizations must register with SAM. Failure to register with SAM will prevent your organization from applying through FEMA GO. SAM registration must be renewed annually and must remain active throughout the entire grant life cycle.

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

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 past three years, if applicable.

https://sam.gov/content/home 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-a62b99571fd https://secure.login.gov/sign_up/enter_email?request_id=34f19fa8-14a2-438c-8323-a62b99571fd https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/loginFAQ.jsf https://apply07.grants.gov/help/html/help/Register/RegisterWithSAM.htm https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25/subpart-B/section-25.200

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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: FEMA GO Startup Guide

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

Google Chrome;

Mozilla Firefox;

Apple Safari; and

Microsoft Edge.

Applicants using tablet type devices or other browsers may encounter issues with using FEMA

GO.

Submitting the Final Application:

Applicants will be prompted to submit the standard application information, and any program-specific information required. Standard Forms (SF) may be accessed in the Forms tab under the:

SF-424 Family | Grants.gov.

Applicants should review these forms before applying to ensure they are providing all required information.

After submitting the final application, FEMA GO will provide either an error message, or an email to the submitting AOR confirming the transmission was successfully received.

B. Application Deadline

08/15/2025 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)

C. Pre-Application Requirements Deadline

Not Applicable

D. Post-Application Requirements Deadline

Not Applicable

E. Effects of Missing the Deadline

All applications must be completed in FEMA GO by the application deadline. FEMA GO automatically records proof of submission and generates an electronic date/time stamp when FEMA GO successfully receives an application. The submitting AOR will receive via email the official date/time stamp and a FEMA GO tracking number to serve as proof of timely submission prior to the application deadline.

https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema-go_startup-guide.pdf https://grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family

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

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

FEMA conducts reviews of all applications received to compare them for duplication including the narrative statements and statistical data. Therefore, all elements of the narrative statements must be specific and unique to the applying entity, and all statistical data must be accurate.

Applications with narrative statements that have substantial duplication of statements, sentences, or paragraphs to other submitted applications, or inaccurate data that may mislead reviewers may be disqualified. Discovery of falsification, fabrication, or plagiarism of other grant proposals will disqualify the application(s).

Note: FEMA evaluates each application on its merit, veracity, and accuracy to ascertain how the narrative statement(s) outlined within the application depicts the applicant’s and their jurisdiction’s uniqueness, their particular risks, and how selecting them over a similarly situated applicant advances the objectives of the NGWSGP.

B. Application Criteria First, IPAWS will screen applicants for eligibility and compliance. An applicant that does not meet eligibility or application submission requirements will be removed from consideration

IPAWS will then evaluate remaining applications through a review process for completeness, adherence to programmatic guidelines, and anticipated effectiveness of the proposed investments. Applicants can score a maximum of 100 points in this evaluation process. IPAWS will evaluate and score each application based on the evaluation criteria outlined in the following criteria:

Vulnerability Addressed: 0-25 points How does this project address critical vulnerabilities in alert and warning?

Information reviewed includes:

• Description of need based on presence or history of hazards

• Population threatened

• Critical infrastructure threatened https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SPOC-list-as-of-August-2024.pdf https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SPOC-list-as-of-August-2024.pdf

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Capability Gap: 0-25 points How significant is the existing capability gap that this project addresses?

• Description of gaps based on history of alert and warning efforts

• Gaps in current alert and warning system coverage

• Gaps in high-need areas with limited communications access or few sources of emergency information available, such as rural communities

Solution (Ability to Improve Alert and Warning): 0-25 points How well does this project support the NGWS program goals and objectives?

• Alignment of solutions with NOFO goals

• Assessed appropriateness of solutions relative to the need

Cost, Complexity, and Implementation Management: 0-15 points How confident can FEMA be that this project will be completed as planned?

• Confidence in successful and transparent implementation within the specified timeline

• Confidence in cost reasonableness relative to the scope of the solution

Learning Opportunities: 0-10 points How will this project enhance capabilities and share lessons learned?

• Proposal of proven alert and warning capabilities or innovative solutions with focus on increased effectiveness

• Capability for the applicant, FEMA, and other stakeholders to share lessons learned

DHS/FEMA Headquarters (HQ) Grants Management Specialists will also conduct a financial review using the following criteria:

• Allowability, allocability, and financial reasonableness of the proposed budget and investment information; and

• Whether a recipient meets the financial and legal requirements listed in 2 C.F.R. Part 200.

C. Financial Integrity Criteria Before making an award, FEMA 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.

https://www.govinfo.gov/link/plaw/116/public/117 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/plaw/116/public/117 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/41/2313 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-C/section-200.206

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

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:

FEMA 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).

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

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

E. Reviewers and Reviewer Selection FEMA Office of National Continuity Programs (ONCP) Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) program staff will review the recipient applications to ensure compliance with program eligibility criteria and the program priorities detailed in Section 3 in this notice.

Applications are also reviewed by qualified FEMA grants management staff to ensure compliance with grants management principles, such as administrative requirements and cost principles. If the applicant/application does not meet eligibility or submission requirements, they are removed from consideration.

F. Merit Review Process FEMA ONCP IPAWS program staff will review the applications received against the criteria described in 7. Application Review Information and assign scores based on those criteria. The scores will be used to inform final selection of award recipients, as well as to inform the funding amount granted.

G. Final Selection Final selection is made by the IPAWS program staff and FEMA grants management staff.

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 submitting an application, 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.

FEMA will provide the federal award package to the applicant electronically via FEMA GO.

Award packages include an Award Letter, Summary Award Memo, Agreement Articles, and https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title41-section2313&num=0&edition=prelim

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Obligating Document. An award package notification email is sent via the grant application system to the submitting AOR.

Recipients must accept their awards no later than 60 days from the award date. Recipients shall notify FEMA of their intent to accept the award and proceed with work via the FEMA GO system.

Funds will remain on hold until the recipient accepts the award via FEMA GO and all other conditions of the award have been satisfied, or until the award is otherwise rescinded. Failure to accept a grant award within the specified timeframe may result in a loss of funds.

B. Pass-Through Requirements There are no pass-through obligations for this award.

C. Note Regarding Pre-Award Costs

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

D. Obligation of Funds

FEMA will provide the federal award package to the applicant electronically via FEMA GO.

Award packages include an Award Letter, Summary Award Memo, Agreement Articles, and Obligating Document. An award package notification email is sent via the grant application system to the submitting AOR.

E. Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants

Unsuccessful Applicants will be notified through the FEMA GO system after all successful awards have been made, but not sooner than October 1st of the FY 2025 award cycle. Applicants may contact the program office for additional feedback

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.

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 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/06/11/2025-10803/restoring-american-airspace-sovereignty https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/06/11/2025-10803/restoring-american-airspace-sovereignty

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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.

B. DHS Standard Terms and Conditions A recipient under this funding opportunity must comply with the DHS Standard Terms and Conditions in effect as of the date of the federal award. The DHS Standard Terms and Conditions are available online: 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.

A recipient under this funding opportunity must comply with the FY 2025 Department of Homeland Security Standard Terms and Conditions, v. 3 (Apr. 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 FY 2025 Department of Homeland Security Standard Terms and Conditions, v. 3 (Apr. 18, 2025) are available at www.dhs.gov/publication/dhs-standard-terms-and-conditions.

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. Recipients must submit the FFR quarterly throughout the period of performance (POP) as detailed below:

Reporting Period Report Due Date Oct. 1 – Dec. 31 Jan. 30 Jan. 1 – March 31 April 30 April 1 – June 30 July 30 July 1 – Sept. 30 Oct. 30

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

https://www.dhs.gov/publication/dhs-standard-terms-and-conditions http://www.dhs.gov/publication/dhs-standard-terms-and-conditions https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF425a_2_0-V2.0.pdf

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FEMA may withhold future federal awards and cash payments if the recipient does not submit timely financial reports, or the financial reports submitted demonstrate lack of progress or provide insufficient detail.

D. Programmatic Performance Reporting Requirements

1. The recipients will submit an informal, monthly progress reports to FEMA IPAWS.

IPAWS and the awardees will review the level of detail for monthly reporting as needed.

2. A Performance Report must be submitted quarterly throughout the POP.

3. A Performance Report must include:

a. A narrative description of overall project(s) status in support of the priorities listed in this NOFO, particularly how the recipients implement solutions for alert and warning to deliver timely warning and emergency information to the public and to protect critical infrastructure;

b. A summary of overall program expenditures by budget line item such as Management and Administration and Direct Costs to subawards, technical assistance (if applicable), and training;

c. Brief descriptions of new subawards, including awardee, amount, and focus;

d. The number of consumer devices purchased and distributed (if applicable);

e. A high-level dashboard of in-progress projects that depicts status and risk of subawards with the project name, funding committed, funds drawn down to date, project status, and target subaward closeout date;

f. A description of any issues, risks, or other concerns;

g. A detailed report on progress against key schedule milestones; and

h. A summary of performance measures for this period and total for the program:

i. Number of IPAWS-compatible sirens or “giant-voice” systems installed, with an emphasis on rural, tribal, and other areas with limited communications;

ii. Population covered by newly integrated systems and technologies;

iii. Number of new capabilities evaluated and deployed, with documented assessments of their potential value and feasibility to support emergency alerting and warning;

iv.…