(TLP:CLEAR) FEMA Announces $1 Billion in Federal Funding to Help Critical Infrastructure Entities Mitigate Impact of Disasters

Summary: Last month, FEMA issued a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) under the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Through this funding opportunity, $1 billion in federal funding is available to states, local governments, territories, and tribal nations, enabling them to take proactive steps to protect their communities from potential disasters and strengthen operational resilience.

Analyst Note: Hazard mitigation projects are critical for helping water and wastewater utilities prepare for natural disasters and other emergencies, by enhancing their operational resilience. The BRIC program, established by Congress through the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018, is a pre-disaster grant program that funds hazard mitigation projects to reduce long-term risk.

Under this new funding opportunity, FEMA is prioritizing infrastructure resilience by funding construction projects that are ready to implement and incentivize the adoption of the latest hazard-resistant building codes. NOFO limits capability- and capacity-building activities to those directly tied to infrastructure resilience, such as building code adoption and enforcement.

FEMA’s notice also stated that previous applications submitted for the Fiscal Year 2024 BRIC funding opportunity published in January 2025 will not be reviewed. FEMA is asking all applicants to review, update, and resubmit in accordance with the new funding opportunity guidelines.

Applications are due July 23, 2026, water and wastewater utilities will need to coordinate their submission with the designated state agency, typically the homeland security or emergency management agency, which will have earlier deadlines. Utility owners and operators are encouraged to review the NOFO available on Grants.gov and begin coordinating with their state agency.

Original Source: https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20260325/fema-announces-1-billion-federal-funding-help-states-mitigate-impact

Additional Reading:

• Federal Funding for Water and Wastewater Utilities in National Disasters (Fed FUNDS)

Related WaterISAC PIRs: 16 & 17