Fiscal Year 2025 National Incident Management System (NIMS)

The Fiscal Year 2025 National Incident Management System (NIMS) Cooperative Agreement is a funding initiative led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This opportunity specifically supports the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a congressionally ratified mutual aid agreement that enables states to share resources across jurisdictional lines during emergencies. EMAC plays a crucial role in facilitating swift and effective disaster response by coordinating the movement of personnel, equipment, and commodities between states. FEMA, while not managing EMAC, provides doctrinal and financial support to ensure its functionality and integration with national response efforts. The FY25 NIMS Cooperative Agreement is designed to sustain and enhance the capabilities of EMAC by addressing critical funding gaps and ensuring its operational readiness. The grant supports EMAC’s objectives, including advancing national preparedness and enhancing mutual aid across federal, state, and territorial agencies. Funding under this program will aid in streamlining integration and coordination of resources, enabling quicker mobilization and improved collaboration between jurisdictions. The initiative aligns with the 2023 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR), particularly focusing on Mission 5 objectives: strengthening national resilience and enhancing first responder readiness. This cooperative agreement provides $2,250,000 in funding for a single recipient—the administrator of EMAC. The funding may be allocated to various activities such as national-level exercises, technical assistance engagements, development of Mission Ready Packages, data analysis to improve community lifeline stabilization, and increasing interoperability of the EMAC Operations System. Construction costs are explicitly unallowable. Indirect costs and up to 3% of the award for Management and Administration (M&A) expenses are permitted if compliant with applicable federal regulations. Pre-award costs are also allowable with FEMA's written approval. The eligibility for this opportunity is highly exclusive. Only the administrator of EMAC is eligible to apply directly. However, subapplicants and subawards are allowed if they are involved in administering EMAC. Subapplicants must not include foreign nationals unless they are properly vetted and comply with federal laws and FEMA security policies. Subapplicants must also provide resumes and organizational documentation, which are subject to FEMA approval. All applicants must demonstrate NIMS adoption and implementation throughout the period of performance and ensure compliance with all federal statutes and DHS directives. Applications must be submitted electronically through FEMA GO. The application opens on July 28, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. ET and closes on August 11, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET. FEMA plans to finalize funding selection by August 25, 2025, and issue awards no later than August 27, 2025. The performance period begins on September 4, 2025, and ends on September 3, 2026. Required application documents include several federal forms (SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, SF-LLL, and a lobbying certification), along with program-specific items such as a Program Management Plan, Risk Management Plan, Evaluation Plan, Work Breakdown Structure, Program Narrative, and detailed program budget. Contact for program-specific questions is Charles Evans, Program Officer at FEMA/National Integration Center, reachable at charles.evanssr@fema.dhs.gov or 202-655-8567. General grant inquiries can be directed to fema-grants-news@fema.dhs.gov or 800-368-6498. Financial and administrative support questions should be addressed to ASK-GMD@fema.dhs.gov. Technical assistance for FEMA GO is available through femago@fema.dhs.gov. The program is subject to extensive post-award requirements including quarterly performance and financial reporting, compliance with civil rights and environmental regulations, and participation in federal evaluations if selected.

Applicants should ensure FEMA GO registration is completed in advance. All documentation must meet formatting and detail requirements. FEMA encourages submission well ahead of the deadline due to potential technical delays.