State Homeland Security Grant Program

The State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) is a federal preparedness grant administered in Kentucky by the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security (KOHS) using funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency. SHSGP is part of the broader Homeland Security Grant Program and supports implementation of risk-driven, capabilities-based state homeland security strategies. Its purpose is to strengthen the capacity of state, local, tribal, and territorial government agencies to prevent, prepare for, protect against, and respond to terrorism and other catastrophic events. Funding is intended to address capability gaps identified through the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment and Stakeholder Preparedness Review processes while directing resources toward high-impact security priorities and building national preparedness and resilience. Due to funding holds affecting Federal Fiscal Year 2025 SHSGP, KOHS is accepting a combined application pool for FFY 2025 and FFY 2026 and will determine the appropriate grant year for approved projects based on project timelines, budgets, and priority alignment. Projects must demonstrate a terrorism preparedness nexus, and terrorism must remain at the forefront even when a proposed project also improves preparedness for other disasters. Applicants must choose one applicable National Priority Area or State Enduring Need. Current areas identified in the Kentucky guidance include Supporting Border Crisis Response and Enforcement, Enhancing Cybersecurity, Enhancing the Protection of Soft Targets and Crowded Places, Enhancing Election Security, and the State Enduring Need for Emergency Communications. Examples include cybersecurity assessments and remediation, security improvements to critical infrastructure and public schools, CBRNE, bomb squad and SWAT equipment or training, election-site physical and cybersecurity measures, information-sharing and communications technology, and P-25 compliant mobile and portable radios. For the emergency communications priority, infrastructure equipment is not eligible because of the shortened period of performance. Certain projects, including physical security enhancements and unmanned aircraft systems, may require additional environmental, historic preservation, or FEMA review. Eligible Kentucky applicants are city or county governments, area development districts, local taxing districts, and public school districts. Applicants must have an active Unique Entity Identifier and complete SAM.gov registration, submit their project to the Kentucky eClearinghouse for review, comply with National Incident Management System requirements, follow the Kentucky Model Procurement Code, and agree to applicable DHS terms and conditions. The lead applicant is responsible for grant funds and grant administration, including assurances, audit requirements, maintenance, and records retention. The Authorized Official must be an appropriate chief official such as a mayor, judge executive, commissioner, director, or school superintendent as applicable. Applicants first complete the online SHSGP registration form to receive an Application Number by email. They then complete the application, place the Application Number on required documents, print the application pages, and obtain the signature of the Authorized Official. The completed application and required attachments are scanned into a PDF using the Application Number as the file name. Applicants then complete the Project Summary Questionnaire and upload the application and supporting documentation through the designated Smartsheet submission process. Required attachments include an eClearinghouse letter or evidence that the project was entered for review, a city, county, or district resolution, evidence of active SAM.gov entity registration, and one vendor quote for requested equipment or services. Communications projects also require a copy of the Kentucky Wireless Interoperability Executive Committee approval verification email and a Mutual Aid Agreement with the Kentucky State Police. The Project Narrative is a central part of the review. It must include an Investment Justification explaining how the project advances prevention, preparedness, protection, and response to terrorism and closes identified capability gaps; a Budget Narrative explaining how each budget item addresses those gaps, financial sustainability, and relevant federal grant management experience; a Collaboration narrative describing regional or statewide impact and cooperation with federal, state, and local partners; and an Impact and Outcomes narrative explaining what the project will accomplish, what procedures and capabilities will be improved, how identified threats and hazards will be mitigated, and how improvement will be measured or evaluated. Applicants must identify at least one Kentucky-recognized threat or hazard, such as Active Shooter, Cyber Attack, or CBRNE, and at least one applicable FEMA core capability. Review is therefore based on terrorism preparedness alignment, priority alignment, the ability to close identified preparedness gaps, collaboration, budget justification, and measurable project outcomes. The Kentucky solicitation identified a final submission deadline of July 31, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. That deadline has passed as of August 7, 2026. Because the underlying Homeland Security Grant Program is described as an annual federal grant, the opportunity is treated as recurring for data-entry purposes, although KOHS has not announced the dates of the next Kentucky application round in the supplied materials. Approved applicants will receive additional information from KOHS identifying whether their project is assigned to FFY 2025 or FFY 2026 and specifying the applicable period of performance. The current Kentucky materials do not state a subrecipient minimum award, maximum award, total amount available through this combined solicitation, number of subawards, or a required applicant cost share. Questions and requests for assistance are directed generally to the KOHS Grants Department, but the supplied solicitation materials do not provide a named grant contact, program email address, or program telephone number.

Keep terrorism at the forefront of the proposal even when the project also supports other hazards; align the project with exactly one current National Priority Area or State Enduring Need; identify at least one Kentucky Threat/Hazard and one FEMA Core Capability; explain specifically how the project closes identified capability gaps; tie each budget line item to gap closure and address financial sustainability; demonstrate federal, state, and local collaboration and regional or statewide impact where applicable; define measurable project outcomes; review all required attachments for completeness before upload; for emergency communications request only P-25 compliant mobile and portable radios and related equipment, not infrastructure equipment