How can municipalities access Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (“BRIC”) set-asides?

Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities ("BRIC") funds are awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) to eligible applicants, which include states, tribes, and territories. Other types of entities wishing to apply for BRIC funds must submit sub-applications to their respective state, tribe, or territory to receive “pass-through” funding. These states, tribes, and territories must review, prioritize, and approve each sub-application and include them in their grant application to FEMA.

Applicants often determine mitigation priorities, which are generally aligned with the program's visions and goals. Contacting the State Hazard Mitigation Officer (SHMO), or equivalent representative for a respective Tribal government (federally recognized) or territory can be helpful in choosing which hazards pose the greatest threat and determining the best strategy for mitigation. From these broad mitigation strategies, sub applicants weigh public interest while targeting specific mitigation projects beneficial to their communities.

...For local governments, please contact your State Hazard Mitigation Officer to learn about the applicant’s priorities, deadlines, and additional requirements.[1]

Depending on the grant year’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (“NOFO”), set-aside priorities may be ranked by FEMA or by each individual state, tribe, or territory. An applicant’s hazard mitigation priorities are sometimes outlined in their Hazard Mitigation Administrative Plan and typically influence how applicants allocate their set-aside funding. Funding may be extremely competitive depending on the desired project type and number of applications received.

BRIC NOFOs are typically posted on the www.grants.gov website during the fall of each year. FEMA may decide to utilize features from a past year’s NOFO or redesign any portion of the grant requirements not specified in the statute. For information on past year’s NOFOs, see BRIC Notice of Funding Opportunity | FEMA.gov.[2]

Last Updated: July 8, 2022