Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP) - Region 4 | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the FY 2020 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP) for Region 4?

The FY 2020 RCPGP for Region 4 is a discretionary federal grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through FEMA. It is designed to strengthen how jurisdictions across a region plan and work together to prepare for, respond to, and recover from large-scale catastrophic disasters.

Which federal agencies are involved in administering this grant?

This grant opportunity is administered by DHS through FEMA.

What law funded this grant opportunity?

The program was funded under the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-93).

Why does the program emphasize regional preparedness instead of local planning?

The program is built on the idea that catastrophic events rarely stop at city or county lines. Because impacts can cross jurisdictions, preparedness needs to account for regional interdependencies, shared systems, and coordinated decision-making rather than isolated plans developed by individual jurisdictions.

What is the main purpose of this grant program?

The main purpose is to strengthen regional collaboration and close known preparedness capability gaps for catastrophic incidents, especially by improving cross-jurisdiction planning and coordination mechanisms that are needed when standard response systems are overwhelmed.

Which preparedness capability areas does the grant prioritize?

The opportunity specifically emphasizes two core capabilities: Housing and Logistics and Supply Chain Management.

What does the Housing core capability focus on in this grant?

In practical terms, the Housing focus supports projects that improve a region's ability to house displaced populations at scale following a major incident.

What does the Logistics and Supply Chain Management core capability focus on in this grant?

This focus supports efforts to improve how a region manages the movement, staging, and distribution of critical commodities and resources before, during, and after a catastrophic incident.

Does this program encourage new or innovative approaches?

Yes. The program encourages innovative regional solutions and aims to help communities develop and test approaches that address complex, catastrophic-scenario problems such as shortages, disrupted transportation networks, competing resource demands across jurisdictions, and long-term housing challenges after widespread destruction.

How does FEMA define a "catastrophic incident" for this program?

The opportunity uses FEMA's definition of a catastrophic incident from the National Response Framework (4th edition, 2019). Under that framework, a catastrophic incident can be natural or man-made (including terrorism) and involves extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption that severely affects the population, infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale, or government functions.

What kinds of disasters or incidents does the program consider catastrophic?

Based on the National Response Framework definition referenced in the opportunity, catastrophic incidents may be natural or man-made, including terrorism, and are characterized by extraordinary impacts such as severe disruption and damage across multiple domains (population, infrastructure, environment, economy, morale, or government functions).

What is the official funding opportunity title?

The listing is titled "Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP) - Region 4."

What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is DHS 20 GPD 111 04 01.

What is the CFDA number associated with this program?

The program is associated with CFDA number 97.111.

How is the assistance categorized?

The assistance is categorized under disaster prevention and relief.

What type of funding instrument is used?

The funding instrument is a grant.

Is this grant competitive or formula-based?

This is a discretionary opportunity, meaning awards are competitively determined based on the program's criteria rather than distributed by formula.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to governmental entities: state governments, county governments, and city or township governments.

When was this opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on May 20, 2020.

What was the original application closing date?

The original application closing date was July 15, 2020.

What is the maximum award amount?

The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $1,000,000.

How many awards did FEMA anticipate making?

FEMA anticipated making up to 20 awards.

What kinds of outcomes is the grant intended to support?

The grant is intended to reinforce and expand existing regional preparedness efforts by driving deeper collaboration and more cohesive planning for catastrophic incidents, particularly in mass housing solutions and resilient logistics and supply chain operations.

What problems or constraints does the program specifically aim to help regions address?

The program is positioned to support regional approaches to challenges that commonly arise during catastrophic incidents, including shortages, disrupted transportation networks, competing resource demands across jurisdictions, and long-term housing needs after widespread destruction.

How does this grant relate to cross-jurisdiction coordination?

The grant is centered on improving how jurisdictions plan and work together across a region. It supports the kind of coordinated mechanisms needed when consequences ripple across multiple communities and sectors simultaneously.