Fiscal Year 2023 National Incident Management System (NIMS) | DHS 23 NPD 107 00 99

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is the Fiscal Year 2023 National Incident Management System (NIMS) cooperative agreement, Funding Opportunity Number DHS 23 NPD 107 00 99 (CFDA 97.107). It is a FEMA funding opportunity under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

What is the purpose of the FY 2023 NIMS cooperative agreement?

The purpose is to support the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) by sustaining and improving the EMAC program. The focus is on strengthening how mutual aid resources are requested, deployed, used operationally, and demobilized/returned across state and territorial lines during emergencies and disasters.

What is EMAC?

EMAC (Emergency Management Assistance Compact) is a Congressionally ratified mutual aid compact (Public Law 104-321). It provides a formal, nationwide framework that enables states and territories to assist one another during emergencies and disasters that have been officially declared by a governor.

What kinds of incidents does EMAC cover?

The compact is intended to cover a broad range of incidents, including natural disasters, technological hazards, man-made events, and civil emergencies related to resource shortages or community disorder. It also contemplates extreme scenarios such as insurgency or enemy attack, reflecting the wide range of situations where interstate assistance may be needed.

Does the federal government manage EMAC?

No. While the federal government supports EMAC doctrinally and financially, it does not manage EMAC. EMAC operates through established relationships among states, regions, territories, and key federal partners.

Who are the key federal partners referenced for EMAC coordination?

The opportunity notes that EMAC works through relationships with key federal partners, including FEMA and the National Guard Bureau, alongside states, regions, and territories.

What does EMAC enable states and territories to do during a disaster?

EMAC facilitates the rapid movement of a wide variety of resources across jurisdictions to help stabilize critical community lifelines right after an incident. In practice, it supports states sending personnel, equipment, and commodities to other states when local capabilities are overwhelmed.

What is meant by the "full resource lifecycle" in this opportunity?

In this context, the full resource lifecycle refers to the end-to-end process mutual aid must support: requesting assistance, dispatching resources, using them during operations, and returning or demobilizing them afterward.

What types of improvements is the cooperative agreement trying to support?

The cooperative agreement targets EMAC program sustainment and improvement by helping maintain and further develop a consistent, reliable system that works across multiple jurisdictions, especially during large-scale, complex, or catastrophic incidents where coordination challenges increase.

How does this funding relate to national preparedness goals?

By improving interstate and regional coordination capabilities, the program supports building and delivering core emergency management capabilities aligned with the National Preparedness Goal, with the broader intent of strengthening national security and resilience.

What type of funding instrument is used?

The opportunity uses a cooperative agreement funding instrument. This indicates FEMA expects ongoing involvement or partnership elements typical of cooperative agreements, rather than a fully hands-off grant approach.

Is this opportunity considered an earmark?

Yes. The opportunity is categorized as an earmark.

Where are applications submitted?

Applications are submitted through FEMA Grants Outcomes (GO) at https://go.fema.gov/.

What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?

The posted award ceiling is $2,000,000.

When was the opportunity created, and what was the original application deadline?

The opportunity was created on June 8, 2023. The original application closing date was July 10, 2023.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is intentionally narrow. The National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), as the administrator of EMAC, is the only eligible applicant.

Are states, territories, local governments, nonprofits, or other entities eligible to apply directly?

No. This funding is structured to directly support EMAC through its designated national administrator (NEMA) rather than being open to states, local governments, nonprofits, or other entities.

How does this funding support mutual aid if only one organization can apply?

Based on the description provided, the cooperative agreement is designed to support EMAC program sustainment and improvement through its national administrator (NEMA), strengthening the systems and coordination mechanisms that enable states and territories to provide mutual aid to one another during declared emergencies and disasters.

What does it mean that EMAC assistance is tied to a governor-declared emergency or disaster?

The opportunity states that EMAC establishes a framework for assistance during emergencies and disasters that have been officially declared by a governor. This is the triggering condition described for interstate assistance under the compact.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 97.107.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is DHS 23 NPD 107 00 99.