Opportunity Information: Apply for DHS 12 NPPD 128 002

  • The Office of Procurement Operations Grants Division in the education information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Cyber Security Awareness" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 97.128 National Cyber Security Awareness.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Jun 25, 2012 and posted on Jun 5, 2012.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 5, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,500,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
Apply for DHS 12 NPPD 128 002

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Opportunity Summary:

This grant opportunity, titled "National Cyber Security Awareness" (Funding Opportunity Number DHS-12-NPPD-128-002), was issued by the Department of Homeland Security through NPPD/CSC/NCSD to strengthen and scale a coordinated, nationwide cybersecurity awareness effort. The work is framed as part of implementing specific actions from the Cyberspace Policy Review and the Presidents National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, with an emphasis on improving collaboration across government and non-government partners. The central idea is to create a single, highly coordinated public-facing push that makes cybersecurity guidance more consistent, more visible, and easier for different audiences to adopt in everyday life.

At its core, DHS was looking to fund one cooperative agreement to establish a strong partnership that can amplify cybersecurity messaging, act as a recognizable voice for awareness, and build coalitions across sectors. The campaign focus includes expanding the Stop. Think. Connect. initiative and providing major support for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October. Rather than treating awareness as a one-off communications product, the opportunity describes an ongoing national campaign with practical materials, targeted outreach, and coordinated events that can be reused by many organizations and tailored for different communities.

The funded organization would be expected to promote the national campaign and lead outreach to several priority stakeholder groups. These include home users, small and medium-sized businesses, and the academic community spanning K-12 and higher education (educators, administrators, and students). The emphasis on these audiences reflects DHSs intent to reach people where real-world cyber risk often accumulates: households making daily online decisions, smaller organizations with limited security staff, and schools that shape future user habits and workforce pipelines.

A large portion of the scope involves building and distributing cybersecurity awareness content and making it easy for partners to adopt. This includes developing collateral such as brochures and similar materials that can be leveraged by multiple stakeholder groups, and serving as a repository for awareness activities and content so other organizations can access, reuse, and align their messaging. The opportunity also calls for active engagement in meetings, conferences, events, and other initiatives, either by creating such engagements directly or plugging into existing ones to broaden reach and reinforce consistent guidance.

Partnership development is a specific expectation, including collaboration with key organizations like the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) to improve penetration into state and local communities. The funded partner is expected to help coordinate a broader national effort, strengthen relationships among stakeholders, and support the governments goal of reaching a wide audience through aligned, repeatable messaging.

Beyond general awareness, the announcement also highlights cyber workforce development as an objective. The recipient would support efforts to advance cyber workforce development by enhancing existing classroom curricula and developing new curriculum when necessary. This signals that DHS wanted awareness work to connect not only to safer day-to-day behavior, but also to longer-term capacity building through education and training pathways.

National Cybersecurity Awareness Month support is spelled out in more operational detail than the other elements. Activities may include coordinating TV and radio promotion using identified spokespeople, distributing messages across multiple media channels, creating and disseminating campaign materials, developing content for a website, and organizing tailored activities for small and medium businesses, academia, and home users. The work may also include targeted events to promote the month, including a kickoff-style event, and assisting in the creation of a coordinated messaging effort with key partners so the month has unified themes rather than scattered, independent messaging.

Measurement and evaluation are also built into the scope. The recipient would be expected to measure and publish expert analysis of how effective the awareness efforts are. Suggested methods include tracking website traffic and engagement, researching positive changes in attitudes or behaviors, conducting surveys, and analyzing broader shifts in public attitudes or policy using independent studies, government surveys, or polls. This focus on evaluation indicates DHS wanted not just activity counts, but credible evidence that communications and outreach were influencing awareness and behavior.

From an administrative perspective, this was a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, which typically implies substantial federal involvement during performance compared to a standard grant. The activity category is listed as Education, Information and Statistics under CFDA 97.128 (National Cyber Security Awareness). DHS anticipated making a single award, with an estimated total funding level of $1.5 million. The award floor was $750,000 and the ceiling was $1.5 million, and there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement. Eligible applicants included public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). The opportunity was posted June 5, 2012, created June 25, 2012, and closed July 5, 2012, with the archive date listed as August 4, 2012. The administering office is identified as the Office of Procurement Operations, Grants Division, and the point of contact listed was Tamara Marshall Jones, Grants Officer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - National Cyber Security Awareness (DHS-12-NPPD-128-002)

What is this grant opportunity?

This opportunity is titled "National Cyber Security Awareness" (Funding Opportunity Number DHS-12-NPPD-128-002). It was issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through NPPD/CSC/NCSD to strengthen and scale a coordinated, nationwide cybersecurity awareness effort.

What is DHS trying to accomplish with this funding?

DHS intended to create a single, highly coordinated national cybersecurity awareness campaign that makes guidance more consistent, more visible, and easier for different audiences to adopt in everyday life. The effort is framed as part of implementing actions from the Cyberspace Policy Review and the President's National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, with an emphasis on stronger collaboration across government and non-government partners.

What type of award is being offered?

This is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement generally indicates substantial federal involvement during the period of performance compared to a standard grant.

How many awards did DHS anticipate making?

DHS anticipated making a single award.

What is the total estimated funding amount?

The estimated total funding level was $1.5 million.

What are the award floor and award ceiling?

The award floor was $750,000 and the award ceiling was $1.5 million.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No cost-sharing or matching requirement was listed for this opportunity.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants included:

  • Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
  • Private institutions of higher education
  • Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education)

What CFDA program is associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA 97.128, titled "National Cyber Security Awareness."

What activity category is this funding listed under?

The activity category is listed as Education, Information and Statistics.

What was the core focus of the work described in the announcement?

The central focus was establishing a strong partnership to amplify cybersecurity messaging nationwide, act as a recognizable voice for awareness, and build coalitions across sectors to support a coordinated, public-facing campaign.

What major national initiatives were emphasized?

The scope emphasized expanding the Stop. Think. Connect. initiative and providing major support for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October.

Was the campaign intended to be a one-time effort?

No. The opportunity described an ongoing national campaign with practical materials, targeted outreach, and coordinated events designed to be reusable by many organizations and tailorable for different communities.

Which audiences were prioritized for outreach?

The funded organization was expected to lead outreach to several priority stakeholder groups:

  • Home users
  • Small and medium-sized businesses
  • The academic community (K-12 and higher education), including educators, administrators, and students

What types of materials and content were the recipient expected to develop and distribute?

The scope included building and distributing cybersecurity awareness content, including collateral such as brochures and similar materials that could be leveraged across multiple stakeholder groups.

What does the opportunity mean by making content easy for partners to adopt?

The recipient was expected to support broad partner use by serving as a repository for awareness activities and content so other organizations could access, reuse, and align their messaging with the national campaign.

What kinds of engagement activities were expected as part of the project?

The opportunity called for active engagement in meetings, conferences, events, and other initiatives, either by creating engagements directly or by participating in existing ones to broaden reach and reinforce consistent guidance.

What partnership and coalition-building expectations were included?

Partnership development was a specific expectation. The recipient was expected to help coordinate a broader national effort, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and improve penetration into state and local communities through collaboration with key organizations.

Was collaboration with any specific organization mentioned?

Yes. Collaboration with the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) was specifically mentioned to improve penetration into state and local communities.

How did the opportunity connect cybersecurity awareness to workforce development?

The announcement highlighted cyber workforce development as an objective. The recipient would support efforts to advance workforce development by enhancing existing classroom curricula and developing new curriculum when necessary.

What kinds of activities were contemplated for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month?

Activities described for October support included coordinating TV and radio promotion using identified spokespeople, distributing messages across multiple media channels, creating and disseminating campaign materials, developing website content, and organizing tailored activities for small and medium businesses, academia, and home users.

Did the scope include events for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month?

Yes. The work could include targeted events to promote the month, including a kickoff-style event, and assisting with a coordinated messaging effort with key partners so the month would have unified themes rather than scattered, independent messaging.

What measurement and evaluation requirements were included?

The recipient was expected to measure and publish expert analysis of the effectiveness of the awareness efforts. Suggested methods included tracking website traffic and engagement, researching positive changes in attitudes or behaviors, conducting surveys, and analyzing broader shifts in public attitudes or policy using independent studies, government surveys, or polls.

What did DHS appear to want from evaluation beyond basic activity metrics?

The evaluation emphasis indicates DHS wanted credible evidence that communications and outreach were influencing awareness and behavior, not only counts of activities conducted.

Which DHS office administered this opportunity?

The administering office was the Office of Procurement Operations, Grants Division.

Who was the point of contact listed for this opportunity?

The point of contact listed was Tamara Marshall Jones, Grants Officer.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The opportunity was posted on June 5, 2012, created on June 25, 2012, and closed on July 5, 2012.

When was the archive date listed?

The archive date was listed as August 4, 2012.

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