FEMA Announces $1.35 Billion in BRIC, FMA Funding for FY2024

ByNews Editor

FEMA is making $1.35 billion available through two major Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs aimed at helping communities nationwide adapt to the growing challenges of extreme weather and natural hazards. 

For Fiscal Year 2024, the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program will distribute $750 million for projects that protect people and infrastructure from natural hazards and the effects of extreme weather events. The Flood Mitigation Assistance program will provide $600 million to projects that mitigate flood risks facing homes and communities across the nation.

The funding offered through these programs can be used by communities to better understand disaster risk and vulnerability, conduct community-driven resilience and hazard mitigation planning, and design and implement transformational projects to make communities safer and more resilient.

Reduced cost shares will remain in effect for certain entities. Non-federal cost share is typically 25%. However, disadvantaged communities and designated Community Disaster Resilience Zones may pay less for Flood Mitigation Assistance and BRIC.

While $1.35 billion is a substantial amount, it falls short of the $1.8 billion allocated in FY 2023. In recent years, demand for funding has vastly exceeded available resources. In March 2024, FEMA reported that communities applying in that cycle collectively requested nearly $8 billion — more than four times the funding available across the two programs.

Technical Assistance 

Last summer, FEMA announced 93 communities eligible to receive BRIC Direct Technical Assistance, bringing the total to 167 nationwide. This year, FEMA will continue offering Direct Technical Assistance that helps communities in need identify mitigation needs and develop tools to successfully apply for resilience funding through holistic hazard mitigation planning and project support. 

FEMA will continue providing tailored technical support to communities and Tribal Nations that may not have the resources to begin climate resilience planning and project solution design on their own. Communities interested in submitting a request for assistance may do so through April 18, 2025. FEMA will publish a new form online to streamline and simplify the submission process.

More Details on FY 2024 Funding Opportunities

All 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories are eligible to receive up to $4 million. The funding must be used for capability- and capacity-building activities, which includes creating or updating hazard mitigation plans and designing potential projects and building code activities.

To ensure a greater geographic distribution, FEMA is applying a 20% — or $150 million — funding cap per applicant on the total available BRIC funding. This should help to ensure a more diverse distribution of BRIC funds across the nation.

As in years past, FY 2024 Flood Mitigation Assistance grants will be targeted towards projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance Program.

FEMA has set-aside $50 million exclusively for federally recognized tribes in FY 2024. Tribal Nations can receive a maximum $2 million through this set-aside.

Each year FEMA holds a national competition through BRIC for large projects to enhance infrastructure resilience. Approximately $451 million is available through the FY 2024 national competition.

FEMA will continue the BRIC Building Codes Plus-Up funding that states, Tribal Nations, and territories can access for eligible building code activities. Eligible activities include enforcement and adoption of more modern, hazard-resistant building codes.

How to apply

The application period opened on Jan. 6, 2025. Eligible applicants must apply for funding using FEMA Grants Outcomes, FEMA’s grants management system. Applications must be submitted in the portal no later than 3 p.m. ET on April 18, 2025. The application deadlines are for applicants only. Local governments should consult with their state, tribal or territorial agencies to confirm deadlines to submit subapplications.

FEMA plans to host several webinars to educate state, local, tribal and territorial governments on the programmatic changes. More information will be shared as it becomes available on FEMA.gov.

BRIC Resources

BRIC provides funding to states, local, communities, tribes, and territories for hazard mitigation activities.

Program Priorities: 

  • Incorporate nature-based solutions, including those designed to reduce carbon emissions.  
  • Enhance climate resilience and adaptation.  
  • Increase funding to applicants that facilitate the adoption and enforcement of the latest published editions of building codes. 

Note: BRIC encourages hazard mitigation projects that meet multiple program priorities.  

FY 2024 BRIC Notice of Funding Opportunity

FY 2024 BRIC Notice of Funding Opportunity Fact Sheet

FMA Resources

The Flood Mitigation Assistance program seeks to reduce the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This application cycle has three funding priorities: 

  1. Capacity and Capability Building (C&CB) Activities that enhance the knowledge, skills, expertise, etc., of the current workforce to expand or improve the administration of the program. These activities may be used to develop future Localized Flood Risk Reduction Projects and/or Individual Flood Mitigation Projects that will subsequently reduce flood insurance claims submitted to the NFIP. 
  2. Localized Flood Risk Reduction Projects that address community flood risk for the purpose of reducing NFIP flood claim payments.  
  3. Individual Flood Mitigation Projects that mitigate the risk of repetitive and severe flooding to structures insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). 

FY 2024 Flood Mitigation Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity

FY 2024 Flood Mitigation Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity Fact Sheet

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