Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG)

​The purpose of the Emergency Management Performance Grant Program is to provide federal funds to states to assist state, local, territorial and tribal governments in preparing for all hazards. The federal government, through the EMPG Program, provides necessary direction, coordination, guidance and assistance to support a comprehensive all hazards emergency preparedness system.

1. Program Description
   
   Title VI of the Stafford Act authorizes the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS/FEMA) to make grants for the purpose of providing a system of emergency preparedness for the protection of life and property in the United States from hazards and to vest responsibility for emergency preparedness jointly in the federal government, states and their political subdivisions. The federal government, through the EMPG Program, provides necessary direction, coordination and guidance, and provides necessary assistance, as authorized in this title, to support a comprehensive all hazards emergency preparedness system.
   
   The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) as the State Administrative Agency (SAA) for federal homeland security and emergency preparedness funds is the designated recipient for the state of Illinois.
   
   Per Illinois administrative rules, accredited emergency management agencies shall be eligible local subrecipients of the EMPG grant program. Refer to TITLE 29: EMERGENCY SERVICES, DISASTERS, AND CIVIL DEFENSE; CHAPTER I: EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY; SUBCHAPTER c: ADMINISTRATION AND ORGANIZATION OF POLITICAL SUBDIVISION EMERGENCY SERVICES AND DISASTER AGENCIES; PART 301 POLITICAL SUBDIVISION EMERGENCY SERVICES AND DISASTER AGENCIES; SUBPART G: REQUIREMENTS FOR THE EMERGENCY MANGEMENT ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. The local share of the EMPG grant program is commonly known and referred to as the Emergency Management Assistance (EMA) grant program. The program is intended to aid in the administration of effective emergency management programs to include the necessary and essential emergency preparedness personnel and administrative expenses.
   
   
2. Funding Information
   
   

   This award is utilizing federal pass-through funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The performance period of the grant program is intended to be Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 of each year. The director of IEMA determines the amount of funding available for the grant program. Grant allocations will be determined per Illinois administrative rule, which prescribes a base amount per each accredited emergency management agency plus population share—not to exceed 50 percent of the applicant’s total project costs. For additional information, see the administrative rule TITLE 29: EMERGENCY SERVICES, DISASTERS, AND CIVIL DEFENSE; CHAPTER I: EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY; SUBCHAPTER c: ADMINISTRATION AND ORGANIZATION OF POLITICAL SUBDIVISION EMERGENCY SERVICES AND DISASTER AGENCIES; PART 301 POLITICAL SUBDIVISION EMERGENCY SERVICES AND DISASTER AGENCIES; SECTION 301.740 ALLOCATION DETERMINATION.

   
   
   
3. Eligibility Information
   
   

   1. Eligible Applicants

      
      
      

      Eligible applicants are defined by Illinois administrative rule as accredited emergency management agencies as outlined above.

      
      
      

      An applicant may apply for a grant but will not be eligible for a grant award until the organization has pre-qualified through the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Grantee Portal at 

      http://grants.illinois.gov

      . During pre-qualification, Dun and Bradstreet verifications are performed, including a check of debarred and suspended status and good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State. The pre-qualification process also includes a financial and administrative risk assessment utilizing an internal controls questionnaire. The organization will be notified if it is ineligible for an award as a result of the Dun and Bradstreet verification and will be informed of corrective action needed to become eligible for a grant award.

   2. Cost Sharing or Matching

      
      
      

      The federal funding for the Emergency Management Assistance (EMA) program is provided to the state of Illinois by FEMA based on the cost sharing provisions outlined in the FEMA Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The federal share that is used towards the EMPG Program budget shall not exceed 50 percent of the total budget. The applicant must equally match (cash or in-kind) the federal contribution pursuant to Sections 611(j) and 613 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Pub. L. No. 93-288), as amended, (42 U.S.C. §§ 5121et seq.). Unless otherwise authorized by law, federal funds cannot be matched with other federal funds. FEMA administers cost matching requirements in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.306. To meet matching requirements, the recipient contributions must be verifiable, reasonable, allowable, allocable, and necessary under the grant program and must comply with all federal requirements and regulations.

      
      
      

   3. Indirect Cost Rate

      
      
      

      In order to charge indirect costs to the grant, the applicant must have an annually negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA). There are three types of NICRAs: a) federally negotiated rate – organizations that receive direct federal funding may have an indirect cost rate that was negotiated with the federal cognizant agency. Illinois will accept the federally negotiated rate. The organization must provide a copy of the federal NICRA. b) state negotiated rate – the organization must negotiate an indirect cost rate with the state of Illinois if they do not have a federally negotiated rate or elect to use the de minimis rate. The indirect cost rate proposal must be submitted to the state of Illinois within 90 days of the notice of award. c) de minimis rate – an organization that has never received a federally negotiated rate may elect a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct cost (MTDC). Once established, the de minimis rate may be used indefinitely. The state of Illinois must verify the calculation of the MTDC annually in order to accept the de minimis rate. There are no limitations for indirect costs under this grant program other than what it is outlined above.

      
      

   
   
4. Application and Submission Information
   
   

   1. To Request Grant Application Package

      
      
      

      All applicants must complete and submit the Emergency Management Assistance (EMA) Grant Program Application to be considered for funding. The application package will be provided via e-mail to each eligible applicant’s emergency management coordinator on or about July 1 of each year. Grant applications will only be accepted in the agency-approved format following the appropriate methodology prescribed for submission.

      
      
      

   2. Content and Form of Application Submission

      
      
      

      The application package will include both budget and programmatic detail required to implement an effective emergency management program during the performance period of the grant. The package will be submitted through IEMA’s Grants Management System (GMS) via a routing system. Some of the budget sections of the application may require additional information to be uploaded into IEMA’s GMS. The application package will specifically state such requirements.

      
      
      

   3. Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number and System for Award Management (SAM)

      
      
      

      Each applicant of the grant program must:

      
      
      

      (i) Be registered in SAM before submitting its application at sam.gov

      
      

      (ii) provide a valid DUNS number on its application; and 

      
      

      (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active application under consideration by IEMA. IEMA may not make a federal pass-through award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time IEMA is ready to make a federal pass-through award, IEMA may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal pass-through award.

      
      
      

   4. Submission Dates and Times

      
      
      

      All applicants will submit an IEMA grant application once notified by the eligible applicants’ IEMA Regional Office. Accepted applicants will then become subrecipients.

      
      
      

   5. Intergovernmental Review, if applicable

       

      Intergovernmental review is not required because the state of Illinois has chosen not to participate in the intergovernmental review process and, therefore, does not have a Single Point of Contact (SPOC).

      
      

      
      

   6. Funding Restrictions

      
      
      

      All funded projects must be consistent with the Emergency Management Assistance (EMA) Grant Handbook provided as part of the application package. Both eligible and ineligible activities are outlined in this handbook. No pre-award costs or costs incurred prior to the intended start date of Oct. 1 are allowed.

      
      

      
      
5. Award Administration Information
   
   

   1. State Award Notices 

      
      
      

      Eligible grant applicants will become subrecipients. Notice of such will be provided to the applicant upon feedback to the initial grant application submission. Grant applications may be conditionally approved or rejected based on evaluation of each submission. Grant applications are considered “living documents” throughout the performance period of the grant program and can be revised for approval at any point in time within the grant allowable categories.

      
      
      
      

   2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

      
      
      

      Training and Exercise Requirements: IEMA will release a separate policy on or near Oct. 1 that implements the FEMA requirement that all personnel funded under this grant program complete specified National Incident Management System (NIMS) courses as well as the FEMA Professional Development Series courses by Sept. 30 of each year. In additional, all personnel must participate in three exercises of specific type by Sept. 30 of each year. This policy will become part of the official grant award document as a special condition of the award.

      
      
      

   3. Reporting

      
      
      

      Subrecipients are required to report quarterly on the progress of all the projects approved under their subgrants. To satisfy this requirement, subrecipients will complete a grant program Quarterly Claims Form. This form will also route through IEMA’s Grants Management System (GMS), and sections will require additional documentation to verify expenses and activities. This form will be provided on or about Dec. 1 of each year.

      
      
      
6. State Awarding Agency Contact(s)
   
   

   For more information on the Emergency Management Assistance (EMA) grant program, applicants should contact their respective IEMA Regional Office. Information regarding the appropriate IEMA Regional Office can be located at: 

   
   https://iemaohs.illinois.gov/contacts/contacts-regional.html
   

   All information technology questions regarding the forms can be directed to

   iema.grants@illinois.gov.
   
   
7. Other Information
   
   N/A