FEMA prioritizes assistance for:

• Incentivizing natural hazard risk reduction activities that mitigate risk to public infrastructure and disadvantaged communities as referenced in Executive Order 14008 – Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad;
• Incorporating nature-based solutions, including those designed to reduce carbon emissions;
• Enhancing climate resilience and adaptation; and
• Increasing funding for the adoption and enforcement of the latest published editions of building codes.

FEMA prioritizes assistance particularly for and in:

• Federally recognized tribes or tribal entities;
• Economically Disadvantaged Rural Communities, (as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 5133(a) as a small impoverished community);
• Community Disaster Resilience Zones (CDRZ)
• Disadvantaged communities as identified by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)

In order to incentivize requests that focus on nature-based solutions and building code adoption and/or enforcement, FEMA significantly increased the maximum total points for projects that incorporate nature-based solutions. FEMA released two guides — A Guide for Local Communities (2021) and Strategies for Success (2023) — to help enhance applicants’ understanding of the benefits of using nature-based solutions and equip communities to design and implement these projects to advance natural hazards mitigation and climate adaption.

Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s eligibility requirements.

The following threshold requirements must be met to be eligible for this funding opportunity:

• Be cost-effective.
• Be designed to increase resilience and reduce risk of injuries, loss of life, and damage and destruction of property.
• Meet either of the two latest published editions of relevant consensus-based codes, specifications and standards.
• Align with the applicable hazard mitigation plan (HMP).
• Meet all criteria found in the 2023 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program and Policy Guide (HMA Guide).
• Meet all applicable federal, state, tribal, and local floodplain and land use laws defined in the HMA Guide.
• Meet all Environmental and Historic Preservation (EHP) requirements.
• Have a FEMA-approved mitigation plan that has been adopted by the jurisdiction in accordance with 44 CFR Part 201 and applicable mitigation planning policies by the application deadline and at the time FEMA obligates funding for mitigation activities. For more information on applicable mitigation planning policies, refer to the FEMA “Hazard Mitigation Planning” webpage.

Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s matching requirements.

The cost share for the BRIC program is generally 75% federal and 25% non-federal. The other 25% can be any match of non-federal funds including cash, other non-federal grants, in-kind donations like community volunteer hours, or donated materials or services.

These cost share percentages may be adjusted depending on factors including:

• whether the community is in a Community Disaster Resilience Zone
• whether the community is an Economically Disadvantaged Rural Community

For more information on BRIC cost shares, please click here.

Click on the next section to learn more about the eligible costs for this funding opportunity.

Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) funds may be used for:

• Capability- and capacity-building activities
• Mitigation projects
• Management costs

Ineligible Costs include:

• Projects that don’t reduce risk to people, structures, or infrastructure
• Projects that are not stand-alone activities and depend on a contingent action to be effective and/or feasible
• Projects that involve open space acquisition of unimproved land.

For a full list of ineligible costs, please click here.

Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s project timeline.

The period of performance (POP) for BRIC funded projects is 36 months and starts on the date of the recipient’s federal award. Any subsequent amendments to the federal award will not extend the POP unless explicitly stated. Extensions to the POP are allowed. The applicant may submit a request for a longer POP if it is requested, documented, reasonable, and justified.

Click on next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s application deadline and forms.

BRIC grant applications must be submitted by Feb 29 2024, 3 p.m. Eastern Time.

BRIC does not accept paper applications. All eligible applicants and subapplicants must apply for funding using the grants management system FEMA GO. Learn more about the FEMA GO system by reading user guides and videos, or directly access the FEMA GO portal.

Click on the “Contact Information” section below to get in touch with this funding opportunity’s program officers.

For the Wisconsin State Contact:
Heather Thole, Wisconsin Emergency Management – Department of Military Affairs
Phone: (608) 282-5301

For the Michigan State Contact:
Matt Schnepp, Michigan State Police Department / Emergency Management & Homeland Security Division
Phone: (517) 284-3950
Fax: (517) 284-3857

For the Region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI), contact:
General – Phone: (312) 408-5500
Congressional/Intergovernmental – Phone: (312) 408-4427
News Desk – Phone: (312) 408-4455
Tribal Affairs – Phone: (312) 408-5286