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Grant funding is now available for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program. Maximum funding levels for this program range from $500,000 to $50 million with a total funding availability of $1 billion. Applications are due January 28, 2022.

What is the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program?

The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program makes federal funds available for pre-disaster mitigation activities. The BRIC program was issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, Mitigation Directorate, Hazard Mitigation Assistance Division and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA will provide financial assistance to eligible BRIC projects. 

Who is eligible to apply?

• States and territories, including the District of Columbia, that have had a major disaster declaration under the Stafford Act in the 7 years prior to the annual application period start date are eligible to apply as applicants. As a result of numerous major disaster declarations, all states, territories, and the District of Columbia are eligible to apply in FY2021.
  • Local governments are eligible to apply to eligible states and territories for federal assistance under BRIC (subapplicants). Individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations are not eligible to apply for grant funds; however, an eligible applicant or subapplicant may apply for funding on behalf of individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations.
• Federally recognized tribal governments that have had a major disaster declaration under the Stafford Act in the 7 years prior to the annual application period start date or are entirely or partially located in a state or territory that had a major disaster declaration in the 7 years prior to the annual application period start date are eligible to apply as applicants or subapplicants to eligible states and territories. As a result of numerous major disaster declarations, all federally recognized tribal governments are eligible to apply in FY2021.

Each state, territory, the District of Columbia, and federally recognized tribal government 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.

See a complete list of applicant and general eligibility criteria in this project’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) provided below, pages 9-12.

What are eligible project activities for this program? The following project activities are eligible:

1. Capability- and Capacity-Building (C&CB) – activities which enhance the knowledge, skills, expertise, etc., of the current workforce to expand or improve the administration of mitigation assistance. This includes activities in the following sub-categories: building codes activities, partnerships, project scoping, mitigation planning and planning-related activities, and other activities;
2. Mitigation Projects – cost-effective projects designed to increase resilience and public safety; reduce injuries and loss of life; and reduce damage and destruction to property, critical services, facilities, and infrastructure; and
3. Management Costs – financial assistance to reimburse the recipient and subrecipient for eligible and reasonable indirect costs, direct administrative costs, and other administrative expenses associated with a specific mitigation measure or project in an amount up to 15 percent of the total amount of the grant award, of which not more than 10 percent of the total award amount may be used by the recipient and 5 percent by the subrecipient for such costs.

FEMA will also provide non-financial Direct Technical Assistance to communities to build a community’s capacity and capability to improve its resiliency to natural hazards and to ensure stakeholders are capable of building and sustaining successful mitigation programs, submitting high-quality applications, and implementing new and innovative projects that reduce risk from a wide range of natural hazards.

What are the funding categories for BRIC? There are three funding categories for this grant: 1) State/Territory Allocation 2) Tribal Set-Aside, and 3) National Competition. Of the $1 billion available for the program $56 million is allocated for the State/Territory Allocation category, $25 million for the Tribal Set-Aside category, and $919 million allocated for the National Competition category. Any funds that are not awarded from the Tribal Set-Aside may be re-allocated to the non-financial Direct Technical Assistance for tribes or to the national competition.

1) State/Territory Maximum Allocation & Activity Caps – $1,000,000

• The maximum allocation for a state or territory under this category is $1,000,000, covering all activities/projects.
• Each state/territory may apply for up to $1,000,000 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 1,000,000 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 1,000,000 federal cost share.
• Up to $500,000 of the State/Territory Allocation may be used for mitigation planning and planning-related activities per applicant.
• Up to 10 percent 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.

2) Tribal Set-Aside Activity Caps – $1,000,000

• The combined cost for any C&CB activities under the Tribal Set-Aside must not exceed $1,000,000 federal cost share per applicant. Additionally, the applicant’s highest ranked subapplication (C&CB activity) for the Tribal Set-Aside must not exceed $1,000,000 federal cost share.
• Up to $500,000 of the Tribal Set-Aside may be used for mitigation planning and planning-related activities per applicant.
• Up to 10 percent 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 $25,000,000 in subapplications is submitted under the Tribal Set-Aside, the C&CB activities and highest-ranked mitigation project subapplications up to $25,000,000 will be selected. Once the $25,000,000 is selected, all remaining tribal mitigation project subapplications will be evaluated under the national competition.

3) 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 percent 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

Subapplicants may submit up to 5 percent of the total budget of the C&CB activity or mitigation project for subapplicant management costs. The total budget refers to the sum of non-federal and federal shares of the proposed C&CB activity or mitigation project. Subapplicants must use subapplicant management costs to manage their subaward activities.

Applicants may submit up to 10 percent of the application budget inclusive of subapplicant management costs for applicants to administer and manage award and subaward activities.

The subapplicant management costs (up to 5 percent) must be added to the subapplication total budget prior to the calculation of the applicant management costs (up to 10 percent).

If the applicant is also acting as the subapplicant, the applicant is allowed to claim subapplicant (up to 5 percent) and applicant management costs (up to 10 percent). Uses of the applicant management costs must be distinct from subapplicant management costs and must adhere to the stated uses, even if being used by the same entity. The total management cost still may not exceed 15 percent of the total award.

What is the project duration? The project period is 36 months, starting on the date of the applicant’s federal award (which will vary by award). Any subsequent amendments to the federal award will not extend the project period unless explicitly stated. The applicant may submit a request for a longer project duration in the application for FEMA to review and approve. A longer project duration must be requested, documented, reasonable, and justified.

Is there a cost-sharing requirement? Cost share is required for all subapplications funded under this program. Generally, the cost share for this program is 75 percent federal / 25 percent non-federal. This means federal funding is available for up to 75 percent of eligible costs. The remaining 25 percent of eligible costs must be derived from non-federal sources. FEMA will provide 100 percent federal funding for management costs.

The non-federal cost share may consist of cash, donated or third-party in-kind services, materials, or any combination thereof. Cash and third-party in-kind matches must consist of eligible costs (i.e., same eligibility as the federal share).

Economically Disadvantaged Rural Communities are eligible for an increase in cost share up to 90 percent federal / 10 percent non-federal. The definition of an economically disadvantaged rural communities 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 percent of the national per capita income, based on best available data.

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.

When are applications due? FEMA will begin to accept applications on September 30, 2021.

Applications must be submitted no later than January 28, 2022 at 3:00pm ET.

Successful applicants will receive notification of their grant award in the summer of 2022.

The full NOFO is available here.

For more information on this grant or how to apply with Morrison’s assistance, please contact the Morrison Grants Team by email at grants@morrisonco.net or call us at 530-893-4764.