Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP) - Region 5 | DHS 19 NPD 111 05 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for DHS 19 NPD 111 05 01

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP) for Region 5 is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) administered by FEMA. Its central aim is to strengthen state and local ability to manage truly large-scale disasters by deepening and expanding regional collaboration. In this context, the program is built around the idea that catastrophic events do not respect jurisdictional boundaries, and that effective preparedness, response, and recovery depend on neighboring communities and states planning and operating together rather than in isolation.

RCPGP is focused on catastrophic incidents as defined in the National Response Framework (3rd edition, 2016, or any later superseding edition). A catastrophic incident can be natural or human-caused, including terrorism, and is characterized by extraordinary mass casualties, widespread damage, or major disruption that severely affects people, infrastructure, the environment, the economy, national morale, or government functions. Because these events create cascading failures and complex interdependencies, FEMA emphasizes the need for a cohesive regional approach that connects Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery efforts across multiple jurisdictions and sectors.

The program objective is practical and capability-driven: close known gaps, promote innovative regional solutions, and build on existing regional initiatives rather than starting from scratch. Applicants are expected to propose projects that measurably improve capability levels tied to the Food, Water, and Sheltering Community Lifeline. FEMA indicates that these improvements should be reflected through the Housing or Logistics and Supply Chain Management core capabilities as reported in the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) and Stakeholder Preparedness Review (SPR). In other words, the grant is not just for general preparedness activities; it is meant to produce demonstrable gains in the region’s ability to sustain and restore essential lifelines related to feeding people, maintaining water access, and providing sheltering solutions under catastrophic conditions.

A key theme of this funding is that stabilizing and restoring lifelines during catastrophes requires more than simply scaling up existing plans. The program encourages applicants to use cross-sector coordination to develop solutions that reflect real-world regional complexity, while still respecting legal authorities and operational roles across all levels of government and the private sector. This includes acknowledging that many lifeline components, especially supply chains, warehousing, transportation, and certain sheltering resources, depend heavily on private industry and nongovernmental partners. As a result, competitive projects are expected to lean into regional partnerships that include the broader “whole community,” not only government agencies.

RCPGP also pushes applicants toward a continuous improvement model rather than one-time deliverables. FEMA highlights a cycle of planning, organizing, training, and exercising with regional partners to improve collective readiness over time. This implies that projects may include coordinated regional planning efforts, structured collaboration mechanisms, training programs that build shared operational understanding, and exercises that validate plans and identify remaining gaps. The overall intent is to produce sustained regional readiness for catastrophic scenarios, not just planning documents that sit on a shelf.

Eligibility for this opportunity includes a range of local government entities and related public organizations, including county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and other eligible applicants as further clarified in the program’s eligibility guidance. The opportunity is explicitly designed to be regional in nature and to benefit multiple states, reinforcing that proposals should be structured to deliver outcomes across a broader geographic and operational footprint than a single jurisdiction.

From an administrative standpoint, this funding opportunity is listed as DHS 19 NPD 111 05 01 under CFDA 97.111. It was posted on May 23, 2019, with an original application closing date of July 8, 2019. The award ceiling is $1,500,000, and FEMA anticipated making approximately 15 awards under this announcement. The funding activity categories associated with the program include disaster prevention and relief, community and regional development, and business and commerce, reflecting the program’s focus on lifelines and supply chains that directly affect community stability during catastrophic disruptions.

• The Department of Homeland Security, Department of Homeland Security - FEMA in the business and commerce, community development, disaster prevention and relief, regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP) - Region 5" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 97.111.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 23, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 08, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for DHS 19 NPD 111 05 01

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