Opportunity Information: Apply for DHS 26 CWMD 091 00001
Apply for DHS 26 CWMD 091 00001
- The Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Homeland Security BioWatch Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 97.091.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-04-16.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-05-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Others.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Homeland Security BioWatch Program grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DHS 26 CWMD 091 00001; CFDA 97.091) supports a federally managed but locally operated early warning capability intended to strengthen national preparedness for biological threats. The core purpose of the program is to maintain an operational system that can detect the release of certain high-concern biological agents in the air and provide early warning to protect public health. In practice, this means eligible local partners help run day-to-day activities tied to environmental sampling, coordination, and operational readiness so that a jurisdiction can rapidly identify and respond to a potential biological incident.
Funding is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement, meaning the federal government expects substantial involvement in program execution and oversight rather than issuing a hands-off pass-through award. The opportunity anticipates up to 20 awards, with an award ceiling of $2,000,000. The posting indicates the opportunity was created on 2026-04-16 and has an original closing date of 2026-05-06. Eligible applicant types include county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and other eligible entities, as long as all location and documentation requirements are met.
Eligibility is tightly tied to geography and verification of documentation. Applicants must be located within specific BioWatch jurisdictions: Phoenix, Arizona; Bay Area/San Francisco, California; Los Angeles, California; San Diego, California; Miami, Florida; Tampa, Florida; Detroit, Michigan; St. Louis, Missouri; Cincinnati, Ohio; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and multiple Texas jurisdictions including Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Galveston, and Houston. Beyond that general list, several jurisdictions have additional restrictions where only a named entity may apply. Those limited-eligibility jurisdictions and designated applicants are: Los Angeles, California - County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health; Los Angeles (South Coast), California - City of Long Beach; Austin, Texas - City of Austin, Austin Public Health; Dallas, Texas - City of Fort Worth; El Paso, Texas - City of El Paso; Fort Worth, Texas - City of Fort Worth; Galveston, Texas - Galveston County Health District, Air Pollution Program; and Houston, Texas - Houston Health Department, Bureau of Pollution Control and Prevention. Applications from those jurisdictions are only accepted if submitted by the specified entity, which effectively prevents other organizations in the same area from competing under this announcement.
The program is designed to be operated through local and regional partners that can support complex, around-the-clock operations. The opportunity highlights that recipients are expected to be affiliated with public health departments or closely aligned operational partners such as first responders, emergency management, safety and environmental health offices, risk management, law enforcement, fire departments, universities, or related agencies. It also explicitly notes that applicants may be agencies with or without existing air monitoring programs, indicating the emphasis is on operational capability and coordination rather than requiring a pre-existing monitoring infrastructure in every case.
A major operational requirement is continuous coverage: recipients must be able to support 24/7/365 sample collection and delivery to a testing laboratory, either using their own staff or through contracted support. This requirement is central to the BioWatch concept, since early warning only works if sampling and logistics are reliable every day, including nights, weekends, and holidays. The notice also states recipients must meet the requirements described in a referenced subsection, "Requirements for Personnel, Partners, and Other Parties," which suggests additional expectations around staffing qualifications, partner coordination, roles and responsibilities, and possibly training or readiness standards that must be met to maintain an operational detection posture.
Finally, the opportunity description provides examples of the kinds of regional organizations that may be involved in local implementation, such as airports, metropolitan transit authorities, railroads, and port authorities, alongside law enforcement, first response, and emergency management agencies that are part of a city, township, or county structure. Taken together, the grant supports a jurisdiction-level network of operational partners who can run the local pieces of a nationally coordinated biological detection and early warning system.
BioWatch Program Grant (DHS 26 CWMD 091 00001) - Frequently Asked Questions
1) What is the BioWatch Program grant opportunity?
The Homeland Security BioWatch Program grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DHS 26 CWMD 091 00001; CFDA 97.091) supports a federally managed but locally operated early warning capability intended to strengthen national preparedness for biological threats.
2) What is the main purpose of this funding?
The core purpose is to maintain an operational system that can detect the release of certain high-concern biological agents in the air and provide early warning to protect public health. In practice, funding supports local day-to-day activities such as environmental sampling, coordination, and operational readiness so a jurisdiction can rapidly identify and respond to a potential biological incident.
3) What type of award is being offered?
Funding is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement. This means the federal government expects substantial involvement in program execution and oversight, rather than providing a hands-off award.
4) How many awards are anticipated?
The opportunity anticipates up to 20 awards.
5) What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $2,000,000.
6) When was this opportunity created and when does it close?
The posting indicates the opportunity was created on 2026-04-16 and has an original closing date of 2026-05-06.
7) Who can apply (eligible applicant types)?
Eligible applicant types include county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and other eligible entities, as long as all location and documentation requirements are met.
8) Is eligibility limited to certain locations?
Yes. Applicants must be located within specific BioWatch jurisdictions listed in the opportunity. Eligibility is described as tightly tied to geography and verification of documentation.
9) Which BioWatch jurisdictions are listed as eligible?
The eligible BioWatch jurisdictions listed are: Phoenix, Arizona; Bay Area/San Francisco, California; Los Angeles, California; San Diego, California; Miami, Florida; Tampa, Florida; Detroit, Michigan; St. Louis, Missouri; Cincinnati, Ohio; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and multiple Texas jurisdictions including Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Galveston, and Houston.
10) Are any jurisdictions restricted so that only a specific entity may apply?
Yes. Several jurisdictions have additional restrictions where only a named entity may apply. Applications from those jurisdictions are only accepted if submitted by the specified entity.
11) Which jurisdictions have limited eligibility, and who is the designated applicant for each?
The limited-eligibility jurisdictions and designated applicants listed are:
- Los Angeles, California - County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health
- Los Angeles (South Coast), California - City of Long Beach
- Austin, Texas - City of Austin, Austin Public Health
- Dallas, Texas - City of Fort Worth
- El Paso, Texas - City of El Paso
- Fort Worth, Texas - City of Fort Worth
- Galveston, Texas - Galveston County Health District, Air Pollution Program
- Houston, Texas - Houston Health Department, Bureau of Pollution Control and Prevention
12) If we are located in a limited-eligibility jurisdiction but are not the named entity, can we apply?
No. The notice states applications from those jurisdictions are only accepted if submitted by the specified entity, which effectively prevents other organizations in the same area from competing under this announcement.
13) What kinds of organizations are expected to operate the program locally?
The program is designed to be operated through local and regional partners that can support complex, around-the-clock operations. The opportunity highlights recipients are expected to be affiliated with public health departments or closely aligned operational partners.
14) What examples of "closely aligned operational partners" are mentioned?
Examples listed include first responders, emergency management, safety and environmental health offices, risk management, law enforcement, fire departments, universities, or related agencies.
15) Do applicants need to already have an air monitoring program?
Not necessarily. The opportunity explicitly notes applicants may be agencies with or without existing air monitoring programs, indicating the emphasis is on operational capability and coordination rather than requiring pre-existing monitoring infrastructure in every case.
16) What is the key operational requirement for coverage and continuity?
A major operational requirement is continuous coverage. Recipients must be able to support 24/7/365 sample collection and delivery to a testing laboratory, either using their own staff or through contracted support.
17) Why does the opportunity emphasize 24/7/365 operations?
The notice explains this requirement is central to the BioWatch concept because early warning only works if sampling and logistics are reliable every day, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
18) Can sample collection and delivery be performed by contractors?
Yes. The notice states recipients may meet the 24/7/365 sample collection and delivery requirement using their own staff or through contracted support.
19) Are there additional staffing and partner requirements beyond continuous coverage?
Yes. The notice states recipients must meet requirements described in a referenced subsection, "Requirements for Personnel, Partners, and Other Parties." This suggests additional expectations related to staffing qualifications, partner coordination, roles and responsibilities, and possibly training or readiness standards needed to maintain an operational detection posture.
20) What kinds of regional organizations may be involved in local implementation?
The opportunity gives examples of regional organizations that may be involved, including airports, metropolitan transit authorities, railroads, and port authorities, along with law enforcement, first response, and emergency management agencies that are part of a city, township, or county structure.
21) What does "federally managed but locally operated" mean in this opportunity?
Based on the description provided, the system is coordinated at the federal level while eligible local partners run the day-to-day activities tied to environmental sampling, coordination, and operational readiness within the jurisdiction.
22) What does "early warning" mean in the context of BioWatch?
In this context, early warning refers to maintaining an operational capability to detect the release of certain high-concern biological agents in the air and provide timely notice so public health can be protected through rapid identification and response to a potential biological incident.
23) What is the general role of local recipients under this program?
Recipients help run local operational components of the system, including supporting environmental sampling activities, coordinating among partners, and maintaining operational readiness so the jurisdiction can respond quickly to a potential biological incident.
24) Is this grant described as formula funding or discretionary funding?
It is described as discretionary funding provided through a cooperative agreement.
25) Where can applicants find the official identifiers for this opportunity?
The opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number DHS 26 CWMD 091 00001 and CFDA 97.091.
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