Fiscal Year 2026 Cooperating Technical Partners (CTP) Program - Region 5

The Cooperating Technical Partners Program is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and serves as a collaborative mechanism to enhance the National Flood Insurance Program. Through this initiative, FEMA partners with eligible governmental and nonprofit entities to develop, maintain, and improve flood hazard data and mapping products. The program reflects FEMA’s broader mission to build resilience and strengthen local capacity for flood risk identification, mitigation planning, and informed decision-making. By leveraging partnerships, FEMA extends its technical capabilities while ensuring that communities have access to accurate and actionable flood risk information. The primary purpose of the program is to support the identification of flood-prone areas and improve public awareness of flood risks. Award recipients contribute to the development and maintenance of flood hazard maps and related data that guide insurance requirements, land-use planning, and infrastructure development. In the fiscal cycle described, the program prioritizes completion of ongoing mapping efforts rather than initiating new studies. Eligible project activities are limited to Flood Risk Projects, Letter of Map Revision review activities, and project management functions. Activities such as construction, community outreach mitigation strategies, and special project initiatives are explicitly excluded from funding. Funding is delivered through cooperative agreements, reflecting FEMA’s substantial involvement in project execution. FEMA collaborates closely with recipients to define scopes of work, review deliverables, and ensure compliance with national standards for flood risk analysis and mapping. The program imposes strict cost allowability rules, prohibiting expenditures such as equipment purchases, construction, lobbying, and international travel without prior approval. While management and administration costs are permitted, they are capped at a small percentage of the total award and must be clearly itemized. There is no cost-sharing requirement, but applicants that demonstrate strong partner contributions and resource leveraging may receive favorable consideration. Eligibility for the program is broad and includes state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education. Applicants must have an active Partnership Agreement with FEMA prior to applying, which serves as a prerequisite for participation in the program. Subawards are permitted, allowing pass-through entities to engage additional partners in project implementation. Applicants must also meet federal compliance standards, including maintaining active registrations in SAM.gov and Grants.gov, and submitting required organizational and personnel documentation. The application process is conducted through FEMA’s Grants Outcomes system and requires submission of standard federal forms along with program-specific documentation such as a Partnership Agreement and a Mapping Activity Statement or Scope of Work. Applications are evaluated based on eligibility, completeness, and alignment with program priorities, followed by a scoring process that considers past performance, technical capability, and partner contributions. FEMA staff conduct both programmatic and grants management reviews to ensure compliance with all requirements before making final award decisions. Key dates for the funding cycle include an application opening in early July and a closing deadline in mid-August, with award decisions anticipated in early September and awards issued by the end of that month. The period of performance spans approximately three years, allowing sufficient time for complex mapping and analysis activities. The program is offered annually, and future cycles are expected to follow a similar timeline. Applicants are encouraged to coordinate with FEMA regional offices in advance to align proposed activities with national priorities and maximize the effectiveness of their submissions.

Emphasize prior FEMA partnership performance demonstrate technical mapping capability and clearly align project scope with FEMA priorities