In case you haven’t heard, FEMA has posted the Fiscal Year 2018 (FY2018) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcements for the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant programs on www.grants.gov. Per FEMA, these NOFOs provide an overview of the grant programs and details about the Agency’s funding priorities and review process. And, they’re so very important to your state, local or tribal government’s hazard mitigation efforts. Here’s why:
- In FY18, $160 million is available for FMA grants, and there is a set-aside of $70 million for community advance assistance and flood mitigation projects.
- The remainder of the FY18 FMA grants will continue to focus on reducing or eliminating the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings and structures, flood hazard mitigation planning, as well as technical assistance for applicants who were awarded FMA grant program funds totaling at least $1 million in FY17.
- $235.2 million is available for FY18 PDM grants.
- FEMA will provide allocations to states and territories which fulfill statutory requirements and will set aside $15 million for federally recognized tribes. The balance of funds will be for the competitive mitigation activities with a major focus on resilient infrastructure.
- In addition, Advance Assistance activities are eligible and the highest priority for FY18 traditional competitive sub-applications is multi-state/tribal mitigation initiatives. FEMA will select eligible planning and project sub-applications that limit duplication of other HMA programs by prioritizing funding in areas without post-disaster funding available through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).
To help prospective applicants along, FEMA will offer a series of webinars in August and September on how to use the Mitigation eGrants system that is utilized to process grant applications. These webinars are open to everyone, and will take place on the following dates:
NOFO Overview
- Wednesday, August 15 at 2 pm Eastern Time (1 pm Central, 12 pm Mountain, 11 am Pacific)
- Thursday, August 16 at 12 pm Eastern Time (11 am Central, 10 am Mountain, 9 am Pacific)
For the online portion, you can join via the Internet: https://fema.connectsolutions.com/nofo18/ and for audio, please call 1-800-320-4330 and enter conference code 338559.
E-Grants For Beginners
Primarily intended for sub-applicants and new users.
- Tuesday, August 21, 2018 at 2 pm Eastern Time (1 pm Central, 12 pm Mountain, 11 am Pacific
For the online portion, you can join via the Internet: https://fema.connectsolutions.com/beginnersegrants/ and for audio, please call 1-800-320-4330 and enter conference code 338559.
E-Grants For Advanced Users
Primarily intended for grant applicants, experience sub-applicants, and power users.
- Wednesday, August 22 at 2 pm Eastern Time (1 pm Central, 12 pm Mountain, 11 am Pacific)
- Thursday, August 23 at 12 pm Eastern Time (11 am Central, 10 am Mountain, 9 am Pacific)
For the online portion, you can join via the Internet: https://fema.connectsolutions.com/advancedegrants/ and for audio, please call 1-800-320-4330 and enter conference code 338559.
If these dates do not work with your schedule, you can view the complete webinar schedule here.
Also, mark your calendars. FEMA will open the FY18 application period on October 1, 2018. Eligible applicants must apply for funding through the Mitigation eGrants system on the FEMA Grants Portal accessible at https://portal.fema.gov. All applications must be submitted no later than 3 pm Eastern Time on January 31, 2019.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about FEMA’s FMA and PDM Funding Cycle for FY2018. Or, the deadline to apply for these precious federal dollars. Such information could make all the difference to your state, local or tribal government going forward.
