FY 2023 Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program Frequently Asked Questions

Release Date:
February 27, 2023

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The Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program (THSGP) is one of three grant programs that constitute the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) focus on enhancing the ability of state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as nonprofit organizations, to prevent, prepare for, protect against, and respond to terrorist attacks. These grant programs are part of a comprehensive set of measures authorized by Congress and implemented by DHS to help strengthen the nation’s communities against potential terrorist attacks.

About the Program

  1. What is the purpose of the FY 2023 THSGP?

    The Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program (THSGP) is one of three grant programs that constitute the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) focus on enhancing the ability of state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as nonprofit organizations, to prevent, prepare for, protect against, and respond to terrorist attacks. These grant programs are part of a comprehensive set of measures authorized by Congress and implemented by DHS to help strengthen the nation’s communities against potential terrorist attacks.

  2. What legislation authorized funding for the FY 2023 THSGP?

    The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. No. 117-2103; and authorized by Section 2005 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Pub. L. No. 107-296), codified as amended (6 U.S.C. § 606).

  3. How much funding is available under the FY 2023 THSGP?

    The total amount of funds distributed under the FY 2023 THSGP will be $15 million.

  4. Are there changes in funding levels between FY 2022 and FY 2023?

    The FY 2023 funding level for the THSGP is the same as FY 2022.

  5. Where is the FY 2023 THSGP Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) located?

    The FY 2023 THSGP NOFO is located in the Preparedness section of www.fema.gov/grants.

  6. Who is eligible to apply for FY 2023 THSGP funds?

    Eligible tribes are federally recognized tribes that meet the criteria set forth in Section 2001 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended (6 U.S.C. § 601). Among these eligibility criteria, a tribe can qualify as a directly eligible tribe if it is located on or near an international border or a coastline bordering an ocean or international waters, along with meeting other required criteria. For FY 2023, tribes located within 100 miles of an international border or a coastline bordering an ocean or international waters satisfy the location criterion.

    Detailed eligibility information is provided in Section C of the FY 2023 THSGP NOFO.

  7. What types of security-related activities are allowable under the THSGP?

    Please refer to the FY 2023 Preparedness Grants Manual for detailed information on these allowable cost categories.

    Allowable activities and costs will generally fall under one of the following categories:

    • Planning;
    • Organization;
    • Equipment;
    • Training;
    • Exercise;
    • Personnel Activities;
    • Travel;
    • Construction and Renovation;
    • Operational Overtime;
    • Maintenance and Sustainment;
    • Critical Emergency Supplies; and
    • Secure Identification.
  8. What makes a strong Investment Justification (IJ)?
    • Clearly identified threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences;
    • Description of findings from a previously conducted vulnerability assessment;
    • Details of any incident(s) including description, dates, etc.;
      • A brief description of any supporting documentation (such as police reports or photographs) that is submitted as part of the application, if applicable;
    • Explanation of how the investments proposed will mitigate or address the vulnerabilities identified from a vulnerability assessment;
    • Clear linkage between investment(s) and core capabilities (See National Preparedness Goal);
    • Verification that all proposed activities are allowable costs per the FY 2023 THSGP NOFO;
    • Realistic milestones that consider the Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation (EHP) review process, if applicable; and
    • Description of the project manager(s) level of experience.
  9. How will the FY 2023 THSGP applications be submitted?

    Applying for an award under the THSGP is a multi-step process. Applicants are encouraged to register early as the registration process can take four weeks or more to complete. Therefore, registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact the ability to meet required submission deadlines. Please refer to Section D in the FY 2023 THSGP NOFO for detailed information and instructions.

    Eligible applicants should submit their initial application at least three days prior to the final application submission through the Grants.gov portal at www.grants.gov. Applicants needing Grants.gov support may contact the Grants.gov customer support hotline at (800) 518-4726, which is available 24 hours per day, seven days per week except federal holidays. 

    After the initial applications are submitted in Grants.gov, eligible applicants will be notified by FEMA within one to two business days and asked to proceed with submitting their complete application package in the Non-Disaster (ND) Grants System by May 18, 2023. Applicants needing technical support with the ND Grants System should contact ndgrants@fema.dhs.gov or (800) 865-4076, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).

    Completed applications must be submitted in the ND Grants system no later than 5 p.m. ET on May 18, 2023.

  10. What are the key dates associated with the FY 2023 THSGP?
    • February 27, 2023: Release date for the FY 2023 THSGP NOFO.
    • May 18, 2023: 5 p.m. ET: Applications for the FY 2023 THSGP due to FEMA.
  11. How will the FY 2022 THSGP funds be allocated?

    THSGP recipients will be selected for funding through a competitive review process as outlined in the FY 2022 THSGP NOFO. Applicants will receive a 20% increase to their scores for addressing one or more of the following six National Priority Areas in their Investment Justifications:
    1. Enhancing Cybersecurity;
    2. Enhancing the Protection of Soft Targets/Crowded Places;
    3. Combating Domestic Violent Extremism;
    4. Intelligence and Information Sharing;
    5. Community Preparedness and Resilience; and
    6. Election Security.
  12. What is the FY 2023 THSGP period of performance?

    The period of performance is 36 months.

  13. What other resources are available to address programmatic, technical, and financial questions?

    For additional program-specific information, please contact the FEMA Grants Information Desk at fema-grants-news@fema.dhs.gov OR at (800) 368-6498. Hours of operation are from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

    For support regarding financial grants management and budgetary technical assistance, applicants may contact the FEMA Award Administration Help Desk via e-mail at ASK-GMD@fema.dhs.gov.

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