Website: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=328472
Funding: Total: $500,000,000. Maximum awards: $300K-$600K, depending on category.
Dates: Application Start Date: September 30, 2020. Application Submission Deadline: January 29, 2021 at 3:00 PM EST.
Summary:
The 2018–2022 FEMA Strategic Plan provides a framework for supporting the United States before, during, and after disasters and improving the Agency’s execution of its fundamental mission of helping people. BRIC also will support the National Mitigation Investment Strategy. One of BRIC’s purposes is to help achieve 2018–2022 FEMA Strategic Plan Objective 1.1: incentivize investments that reduce risk, including predisaster mitigation, and reduce disaster costs at all levels. The BRIC program is also an instrumental part of achieving other FEMA strategic objectives, including Objective 1.3, help people prepare for disasters, and Objective 1.4, better learn from past disasters, improve continuously, and innovate.
Project Topic Areas:
For FY2020, the priorities for the program are to incentivize public infrastructure projects; incentivize projects that mitigate risk to one or more lifelines; incentivize projects that incorporate nature-based solutions; and increase funding to Applicants that facilitate the adoption and enforcement of the latest published editions of building codes.
Mitigation Plan Integration
In addition, communities are encouraged, but not required, to pursue Plan Integration, which is a process in which communities look critically at their existing planning framework and align efforts. Integration of hazard mitigation principles into other local planning mechanisms (comprehensive plans, transportation plans, floodplain ordinances, etc.) and vice versa is vital to build a safer, more resilient community. This two-way exchange of information supports community-wide risk reduction, both before and after disasters occur. Not only will the community’s planning efforts be better integrated, but by going through this process there is a higher level of interagency coordination, which is just as important as the planning mechanisms themselves.
Funding:
Available Funding for the NOFO: $500,000,000. State/Territory Allocation Subtotal: $33,600,000. Tribal Set-Aside Subtotal: $20,000,000. National Competition Subtotal: $446,400,000. Any funds that are not awarded from the State/Territory Allocation or Tribal Set-Aside will be re-allocated to the national competition. Cost share is required for all subapplications funded under this program. Generally, the cost share for this program is 75% federal / 25% non-federal. Ultimately, the Recipient is responsible for ensuring that it contributes the proper cost share to its actual project costs. If actual total project costs exceed the projected total project costs stated in the federal award, the Recipient will not receive any additional federal funding and will be responsible for contributing additional funds above the required cost match. If actual total project costs are less than the projected total project costs stated in the federal award, the Recipient will be responsible for contributing a cost match calculated as a percentage of those actual project costs.
State/Territory Maximum Allocation & Activity Caps $600,000
The maximum allocation for a state or territory under this category is $600,000, covering all activities/projects. Each state/territory may apply for up to $600,000 in the State/Territory Allocation. The State/Territory Allocation may be used for C&CB activities and/or mitigation projects. The combined cost for any C&CB activities and/or mitigation projects under the State/Territory Allocation must not exceed $600,000 federal cost share per Applicant. Additionally, the Applicant’s highest ranked subapplication (C&CB activity or mitigation project) for the State/Territory Allocation must not exceed $600,000 federal cost share. Up to $300,000 of the State/Territory Allocation may be used for mitigation planning and planning-related activities per Applicant. Up to 10% of any subapplication may be used for information dissemination activities, including public awareness and education (brochures, workshops, videos, etc.) related to a proposed C&CB activity or mitigation project.
Tribal Set-Aside Activity Caps
The combined cost for any C&CB activities under the Tribal Set-Aside must not exceed $600,000 federal cost share per Applicant. Additionally, the Applicant’s highest ranked subapplication (C&CB activity) for the Tribal Set-Aside must not exceed $600,000 federal cost share. Up to $300,000 of the Tribal Set-Aside may be used for mitigation planning and planning-related activities per Applicant. Up to 10% of any subapplication may be used for information dissemination activities, including public awareness and education (brochures, workshops, videos, etc.) related to a proposed C&CB activity or mitigation project. In the event that more than $20,000,000 in subapplications is submitted under the Tribal Set-Aside, the C&CB activities and highest-ranked mitigation project subapplications up to $20,000,000 will be selected. Once the $20,000,000 is selected, all remaining tribal mitigation project subapplications will be evaluated under the national competition.
National Competition Cap $50,000,000
Applicants may submit an unlimited number of mitigation project subapplications each valued up to $50,000,000 federal share to the national competition. Up to 10% of any subapplication may be used for information dissemination activities, including public awareness and education (brochures, workshops, videos, etc.) related to a proposed mitigation project.
Management Costs
In addition to funding awarded under the State/Territory Allocation, Tribal Set-Aside, and national competition, Applicants may submit up to 10% of the Application budget for Applicant management costs for Applicants to administer and manage award and subaward activities; and 5% of C&CB activity and mitigation project subapplication budget for subapplicant management costs for subapplicants to manage their subaward activities.
Small Impoverished Communities
Small, impoverished communities are eligible for an increase in cost share up to 90% federal / 10% non-federal. The definition of a small impoverished community is a community of 3,000 or fewer individuals identified by the Applicant that is economically disadvantaged, with residents having an average per capita annual income not exceeding 80% of the national per capita income, based on best available data. Applicants and subapplicants who apply as a small impoverished community must request the increased federal cost share amount in the Cost Share section of their C&CB activity, mitigation project, and management costs subapplication(s). Applicants must certify subapplicants’ small impoverished community status and provide documentation with the subapplication(s) to justify the increased federal cost share. If documentation is not submitted with the subapplication, then FEMA will provide no more than 75% federal cost share of the total eligible costs. Indian tribal governments (federally recognized) meeting the definition of a small impoverished community that apply to FEMA directly as Applicants are eligible for a 90% federal cost share for their subapplications, which make up their overall BRIC grant Application.
Insular Areas
For insular areas, including American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, FEMA automatically waives the non-federal cost share for the Recipient when the non-federal cost share for the entire award is under $200,000. If the non-federal cost share for the entire award is $200,000 or greater, FEMA may waive all or part of the non-federal cost share at the request of the Recipient. The Recipient may request the waiver in its Application.
Project Requirements:
The Period of Performance (POP) is 36 months, starting on the date of the Recipient’s federal award. Any subsequent amendments to the federal award will not extend the POP unless explicitly stated. For highly complex projects, the Applicant may submit a request for a longer POP in the Application for FEMA to review and approve.
Applicant Eligibility Criteria
Applicants are required to have a FEMA-approved State or Tribal Hazard Mitigation Plan by the Application deadline and at the time of obligation of the award. Subapplicants are required to have a FEMA-approved Local or Tribal Hazard Mitigation Plan by the Application deadline and at the time of obligation of grant funds for mitigation projects and C&CB activities (with the exception of mitigation planning).
Other Eligibility Criteria
All activities under BRIC must be in conformance with all applicable environmental planning and historic preservation (EHP) laws, regulations, executive orders, and agency policies. All activities under BRIC must be in conformance with all applicable federal, state, tribal, and local floodplain and land use laws and regulations. Activities under BRIC must not duplicate activities that another federal agency or program has more specific authority to conduct. All activities under BRIC must be in conformance with any other criteria established by FEMA that is specific to the proposed activity. Construction activities for which ground disturbance has already been initiated or completed are not eligible for funding. Non-construction activities that have already started may not be considered for funding. C&CB activities must result in a resource, strategy, or tangible mitigation product that will reduce or eliminate risk and damage from future natural hazards, increase resiliency, and promote a culture of preparedness.
Mitigation projects must align with State Mitigation Plan and Local or Tribal Mitigation Plan, or for Indian tribal government (federally recognized) acting as Applicants, align with the Tribal Mitigation Plan. Applicants must identify in the BRIC Application where specifically the needs for the proposed project types are referenced or included in the State or Tribal Hazard Mitigation Plan (page number, section title, etc.). Mitigation projects must, at a minimum, be in conformance with the latest published editions (meaning either of the two most recently published editions) of relevant consensus-based codes, specifications, and standards that incorporate the latest hazard-resistant designs. Mitigation projects must be technically feasible and effective. Mitigation projects must solve a problem independently or constitute a functional portion of a long-term solution for which there is assurance that the project as a whole will be completed or there is a reasonable plan and available funding for completion.
Mitigation projects must be cost-effective and designed to increase resilience and reduce risk of injuries, loss of life, and damage and destruction of property, including critical services and facilities. This means the project, as documented by the Applicant, achieves the following goals: Addresses a problem that has been repetitive or that poses a risk to public health and safety and improved property if left unresolved; Satisfies applicable cost-effectiveness requirements through completion of a BCA conducted in compliance with OMB Circular A94; Contributes, to the extent practicable, to a long-term solution to the problem it is intended to address; and Accounts for long-term changes to the areas and entities it protects and has manageable future maintenance and modification requirements.
Non-financial Direct Technical Assistance must result in improvement of the community’s capacity and capability to conduct mitigation activities; increase of the community’s resiliency to natural hazards; or identification of projects that will holistically improve the community’s resiliency and risk reduction efforts.
Eligible Applicants:
Each state, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, and Indian tribal government (federally recognized) shall designate one agency to serve as the Applicant for BRIC funding. Each Applicant’s designated agency may submit only one BRIC grant Application to FEMA. Subapplications under which two or more entities would carry out the award are eligible, such as a multi-state or multi-tribal initiative; however, only one entity may be the Applicant with primary responsibility for carrying out the award. Local governments, including cities, townships, counties, special district governments, and Indian tribal governments (including federally recognized tribes who choose to apply as subapplicants) are considered subapplicants and must submit subapplications for financial assistance or letters of interest for non-financial Direct Technical Assistance to their state/territory/tribal Applicant agency.