FEMA recently posted its fiscal year 2023 funding opportunities for two of its Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs—the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program and the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. The application period is open now and closes at 3:00 PM Eastern Time on February 29, 2024. Applications must be submitted through the FEMA GO portal.
These two competitive mitigation grant programs provide states, local communities, tribes, and territories with funding to address the threat of natural disasters such as wildfires, drought, hurricanes, earthquakes, extreme heat, and increased flooding, and aim to foster greater community resilience and reduce disaster suffering.
The Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program
FEMA publishes an annual funding opportunity for the Flood Mitigation Assistance grant program. Its purpose is to reduce the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings and structures insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and within NFIP-participating communities.
For this cycle, $800 million is available, funded, in whole or in part, with funds appropriated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). All applications must be submitted via the FEMA GO portal and received by the deadline—3:00 PM. Eastern Time on February 29, 2024.
Available Funding
FEMA will distribute the $800 million allocated for FMA as follows:
- Capability and Capacity Building (C&CB) Activities—up to $60 million >
- Localized Flood Risk Reduction Projects—up to $520 million
- Individual Flood Mitigation Projects—at least $220 million
Eligibility
States, the District of Columbia, US territories, and federally recognized tribal governments are eligible to apply for FMA grants, providing that:
- Applicant has a FEMA-approved state or tribal hazard mitigation plan
- Applicant is a NFIP participant in good standing
Local governments, cities, townships, counties, special district governments, and tribal governments (including federally recognized tribes who choose to apply as subapplicants) that are considered subapplicants must submit subapplications to their state/territory/tribal applicant agency, according to the following eligibility criteria:
- Subapplicant has a FEMA-approved local or tribal hazard mitigation plan
- Subapplicant is a NFIP participant in good standing
- The structures subapplicant identifies in the subapplication have an NFIP policy in effect
Further information about Flood Mitigation Assistance
FEMA’s FY 2023 Flood Mitigation Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity Fact Sheet provides additional details about funding allocations (including funding caps and cost share requirements), eligibility, grant program changes, and application and funding deadlines, and additional resources to assist with application development.
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program
In addition to its FMA program, FEMA also provides annual funding opportunities for the Building Resilient Infrastructures and Communities (BRIC) grant program.
The BRIC program’s goals are to:
- Mitigate risk to public infrastructure by incentivizing natural hazard risk reduction activities
- Incorporate nature-based strategies for reducing carbon emissions
- Bolster climate resilience and adaptability
- Prioritize disadvantaged communities and promote equity
- Support applicants that adopt and enforce up-to-date building codes
FEMA will distribute up to $1 billion for the BRIC program for fiscal year 2023, and all applications must be submitted via the FEMA GO portal and received by the deadline—3:00 PM Eastern Time on February 29, 2024.
Available Funding
FEMA will distribute the $1 billion allocated for BRIC as follows:
- State/Territory Allocation—$112 million (up to $2 million per applicant)
- Building Codes Plus Up—$112 million (up to $2 million per state/territory and up to $25 million for tribes)
- Tribal Set-Aside—$50 million
- National Competition for Hazard Mitigation Projects—estimated $701 million
Eligibility
States, the District of Columbia, US territories, and federally recognized tribal governments may apply for BRIC grants, and can submit applications on behalf of subapplicants.
Business operators, nonprofit organizations, and homeowners cannot directly apply to FEMA, but can be included in a subapplication submitted by an eligible subapplicant.
Further information about BRIC grants
FEMA’s FY 2023 BRIC Notice of Funding Opportunity Fact Sheet provides additional details about programmatic changes that reduce complexity and increase access to funding, involving:
- Building Code Plus-Up
- Community Disaster Resilience Zones
- Evaluation Criteria Rescoring
- Equity Data Measures
- Benefitting Area Mapping
- Revised streamlined cost-effectiveness determination methods
- BCA assistance
- BCA Discount Rate Changes
The fact sheet also discusses details about funding, BRIC direct technical assistance, and additional resources to assist with application development.
Prepare FMA and BRIC applications now
Potential applicants and subapplicants should act now to ensure that their applications are completed and received by the deadline. Nixon Peabody can help you assess your eligibility, navigate the application process, and apply funds received in accordance with program rules and other regulations.
