Call for Applications: Homeland Security Grant Program (US)

Deadline: 24/06/24
The US Department of Homeland Security is seeking applications for the Homeland Security Grant Program focused on enhancing the ability of state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as nonprofits, to prevent, protect against, and respond to terrorist attacks.

DHS is focused on the criticality of information sharing and collaboration to building a national culture of preparedness and protecting against terrorism and other threats to the national security. The threats to the nation have evolved during the past two decades. They now face continuous cyber threats by sophisticated actors, threats to soft targets and crowded places, and threats from domestic violent extremists, who represent one of the most persistent threats to the nation. Therefore, for FY 2024, DHS has identified six priority areas related to the most serious threats to the nation, as well as required minimum funding allocations.

These grant programs are part of a comprehensive set of measures authorized by Congress and implemented by DHS to help strengthen the Nation’s communities against potential terrorist attacks.

In FY 2024, there are three components of the HSGP:

State Homeland Security Program (SHSP): SHSP assists state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) efforts to build, sustain, and deliver the capabilities necessary to prevent, prepare for, protect against, and respond to acts of terrorism.
Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI): UASI assists high-threat, high-density Urban Area efforts to build, sustain, and deliver the capabilities necessary to prevent, prepare for, protect against, and respond to acts of terrorism.
Operation Stonegarden (OPSG): OPSG supports enhanced cooperation and coordination among Customs and Border Protection (CBP), United States Border Patrol (USBP), and federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies to improve overall border security. OPSG provides funding to support joint efforts to secure the United States’ borders along routes of ingress/egress to and from international borders, to include travel corridors in states bordering Mexico and Canada, as well as states and territories with international water borders. SLTT law enforcement agencies utilize their inherent law enforcement authorities to support the border security mission and do not receive any additional authority by participating in OPSG.

Goals

The HSGP will fund SLTT efforts and strengthen capabilities of SLTT governments to prevent, prepare for, protect against, and respond to terrorist attacks and other threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk to the security of the United States.

Objectives

HSGP provides resources that support eligible SLTT governments; high[1]density urban areas, and SLTT law enforcement along international land/water borders and travel corridors in meeting the following objectives:
- Build and sustain core capabilities, including Law Enforcement and Terrorism Prevention Activities and the National Priority Areas
- Address capability gaps identified in their Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) and Stakeholder Preparedness Review (SPR) process; and
- Implement a comprehensive and coordinated approach to address enduring security needs of communities that includes planning, training and awareness campaigns, equipment and capital projects, and exercises.

Priorities

SHSP and UASI Funding Priorities: Given the evolving national security threat landscape, DHS/FEMA has evaluated the national risk profile and set priorities that help inform appropriate allocation of scarce security dollars. In assessing the national risk profile for FY 2024, six National Priority Areas pose the most concern. Due to the unique threats that the nation faces in 2024, DHS/FEMA has determined that recipients should allocate a total of 30% of their SHSP and UASI award funds across these six priority areas. As indicated below, one of the priorities has a minimum spend requirement totaling 3% of SHSP and UASI awards. Recipients will have the flexibility to allocate the remaining 27% across the priorities. The following are the six priority areas for FY 2024, along with the minimum corresponding percentage of SHSP and UASI funds that each recipient will be required to allocate:
- Enhancing Cybersecurity
  - Cybersecurity
  - Intelligence and information sharing
  - Planning
  - Public information and warning
  - Operational coordination
  - Screening, search, and detection
  - Access control and identity verification
  - Supply chain integrity and security
  - Risk management for protection programs and activities
  - Long-term vulnerability reduction
  - Situational assessment
  - Infrastructure systems
  - Operational communications
- Enhancing the Protection of Soft Targets/ Crowded Places
  - Operational coordination
  - Public information and warning
  - Intelligence and information sharing
  - Interdiction and disruption
  - Screening, search, and detection
  - Access control and identity verification
  - Physical protective measures
  - Risk management for protection programs and activities
- Enhancing information and intelligence sharing and analysis
  - Intelligence and information sharing
  - Interdiction and disruption
  - Planning
  - Public information and warning
  - Operational coordination
  - Risk management for protection programs and activities
- Combating Domestic Violent Extremism
  - Interdiction and disruption
  - Intelligence and information sharing
  - Planning
  - Public information and warning
  - Operational coordination
  - Risk management for protection programs and activities
- Enhancing Community Preparedness and Resilience
  - Planning
  - Public Information and Warning
  - Community Resilience
  - Risk Management for Protection Programs and Activities
  - Mass Care Services
  - Intelligence and Information Sharing
  - Risk and Disaster Resilience Assessment
  - Long Term Vulnerability Reduction
- Enhancing Election Security
  - Cybersecurity
  - Intelligence and information sharing
  - Planning
  - Long-term vulnerability reduction
  - Situational assessment
  - Infrastructure systems
  - Operational coordination
  - Community resilience

Likewise, there are several enduring security needs that crosscut the homeland security enterprise to which recipients should consider allocating funding across core capability gaps and national priorities. The following are enduring needs that help recipients implement a comprehensive approach to securing communities:
- Planning
  - Risk management for protection programs and activities
  - Risk and disaster resilience assessment
  - Threats and hazards identification
  - Operational coordination
  - Community resilience
- Training and Awareness
  - Long-term vulnerability reduction
  - Public information and warning
  - Operational coordination
  - Situational assessment
  - Community resilience
- Equipment and Capital Projects
  - Long-term vulnerability reduction
  - Infrastructure systems
  - Operational communications
  - Interdiction and disruption
  - Screening, search and detection
  - Access control and identity verification
  - Physical protective measures
- Exercises
  - Long-term vulnerability reduction
  - Operational coordination
  - Operational communications
  - Community resilience

OPSG Funding Priorities:
- Enhancing information and intelligence sharing and analysis, and cooperation with federal agencies, including DHS
  - Intelligence and information sharing

Funding Information

Total $1,008,000,000
SHSP $373,500,000
UASI $553,500,000
OPSG $81,000,000
Total $1,008,000,000
Projected Number of Awards: 56
Period of Performance: 36 months

Eligibility Criteria

The SAA is the only entity eligible to submit HSGP applications to DHS/FEMA, including those applications submitted on behalf of UASI and OPSG applicants.
All 56 states and territories, including any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, are eligible to apply for SHSP funds.
Tribal governments may not apply directly for HSGP funding; however, funding may be available to tribes through the SAA.

Ineligibility Criteria

An application submitted by an otherwise eligible non-federal entity (i.e., the applicant) may be deemed ineligible when the person that submitted the application is not:
- a current employee, personnel, official, staff, or leadership of the non-federal entity; and
- duly authorized to apply for an award on behalf of the non-federal entity at the time of application.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.