Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)

The purpose of the HSGP is to support state and local efforts to prevent terrorism and other catastrophic events and to prepare the nation for the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk to the security of the United States. This grant has two separate funding streams.

Together, these grant programs fund a range of activities, including planning, organization, equipment purchase, training, exercises, and management and administration across all core capabilities and mission areas. All programs are based on risk-driven, capabilities-based strategic plans that outline high-priority needs relating to terrorism preparedness. In Illinois, projects are prioritized that support a regional and statewide preparedness effort to ensure standardization across the state. The Illinois Homeland Security Advisory Council (IL-HSAC), as the governor’s homeland security policy body and serving in the capacity of the grant-required Senior Advisory Committee (SAC), will ensure that efforts are made at the strategic level and funding decisions are made as a result of the gaps in and maintenance of the Illinois Homeland Security Strategy.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS) as the State Administrative Agency (SAA) for federal homeland security and emergency preparedness funds, is the designated recipient for the state of Illinois. IEMA-OHS works in cooperation with the IL-HSAC.

1. Eligibility Information
   
   

   1. Eligible Applicants
      
      

      Eligible applicants are units of government or intergovernmental agencies. For the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP), units of government or intergovernmental agencies that serve a statewide or regional capacity will be considered. For the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), the eligible applicants must serve a direct benefit to the city of Chicago and the county of Cook per pre-defined standards as accepted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
      
      

      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 www.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 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 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) is provided to the state of Illinois by FEMA, based on the cost sharing provisions outlined in the FEMA Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
      
      

   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. The indirect cost rate is limited to the category of management and administration (M&A), which is capped at 5 percent of the sub-award recipient total project costs.
      

   
   
2. Application and Submission Information
   
   

   1. To Request Grant Application Package
      
      

      All applicants must complete and submit the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) Application to be considered for funding. When funding becomes available, the Illinois Terrorism Task Force (ITTF) considers project requests that meet the following criteria:
      
      

      1. Primary core capability addressed.
         
         

      2. Primary homeland security strategy object and desired outcomes addressed.
         
         

      3. Project sustainability and capability as defined by outcomes and milestones.
         
         

      4. Project ability to be deployed and shared on a statewide basis.
         
         

      5. Project’s origin under a previously awarded Investment Justification.
         
         

      6. Linkage to addressing the Threat and Hazard Identification Risk Assessment (THIRA) and the State Preparedness Report (SPR).
         
         

   2. Content and Form of Application Submission
      
      The application package will include both budget and programmatic detail required to address the above-mentioned areas. The package will be announced through the Illinois Terrorism Task Force and submitted through the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) Grants Management System (GMS).
      
      

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

      Each applicant of the grant program must:
      

      
      
      1. Be registered in SAM before submitting its application at sam.gov
         
         
      2. Provide a valid DUNS number in its application; and
         
         
      3. Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active application under consideration by IEMA-OHS. IEMA-OHS 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-OHS is ready to make a federal pass-through award, IEMA-OHS may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal pass-through award.
         
         
   4. Submission Dates and Times
      
      The application package must be submitted through IEMA-OHS. Due dates are different each fiscal year, dependent upon the enactment of the appropriation and the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
      
      

   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 FEMA Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for this grant program in the categories of planning, organization, equipment, training, exercises, and management and administration. No pre-award costs, or costs incurred prior to the intended start date, are allowed.
      
   
   
3. Application Review Information
   
   

   1. Criteria
      
      

      IEMA will evaluate submitted grant applications based on the NOFO and CFR regulations.
      
      

   2. Review and Selection Process
      
      

      SHSP: The IL-HSAC membership will be presented with all submitted projects that meet the above standards. The IL-HSAC will accept or reject submitted projects that do not meet the above standards outlined in the Application section. Final funding allocations will be made in coordination with the Governor’s Homeland Security Advisor (GHSA) and IEMA-OHS as the State Administrative Agency (SAA).
      
      

      UASI: The Urban Area Working Group (UAWG) will determine the projects necessary for the Urban Area, in cooperation with IEMA-OHS as the SAA. 
      

      
      

   3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
      
      

      Award dates are contingent upon federal appropriations and FEMA approval of Illinois’ grant application. The timing of the awards and performance period are subject to change each year.
      

   
   
4. Award Administration Information
   
   

   1. State Award Notices
      
      

      Successful grant applicants will be notified by IEMA-OHS via e-mail, and the process of executing sub-award documents will occur from that point. 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
      
      
      • Recipients and sub-award recipients may not use more than 50 percent of their awards to pay for personnel activities.
        
        
      • Per section 2006 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended (6 U.S.C. § 607), DHS/FEMA is required to ensure that at least 25 percent of grant funding appropriated for grants awarded under HSGP’s authorizing statute are used for law enforcement terrorism prevention activities.
        
        
      • The SAA must pass through at least 80 percent of the funds awarded under SHSP and UASI to local units of government within 45 calendar days of receipt of the funds.
        
        

   3. Reporting
      
      

      Sub-award recipients are required to report quarterly on the progress of all the projects approved under their subgrant. The necessary documentation will be provided as it is obtained from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
      

      
      

5. State Awarding Agency Contact
   
   

   For more information on the Homeland Security Grant Program, applicants should contact the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security, Bureau of Preparedness and Grants Administration at (217) 557-4788 or EMA.ITTF.Grants@Illinois.gov.
   
   

6. Other Information
   
   N/A