Opportunity Information: Apply for DHS 14 DNDO 106 001
Apply for DHS 14 DNDO 106 001
- The Office of Procurement Operations Grants Division in the disaster prevention and relief sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Securing the Cities (STC) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 97.106 Securing the Cities Program.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 19, 2014 and posted on Feb 19, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 20, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $5,600,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,600,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Special district governments City or township governments County governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).
- The STC Program requires a regional approach to rad/nuc detection to reduce risk to major metropolitan regions. The effort covered by this announcement focuses on the following eight Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) regions Bay Area, CA Boston Area, MA Chicago Area, IL Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington Area, TX Houston Area, TX National Capital Region, Washington, DC Philadelphia Area, PA and San Diego Area, CA. The New York City, Los Angeles/Long Beach, and Jersey City/Newark UASI regions were covered by separate STC Program Funding Opportunity Announcements and are not eligible for this announcement.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Securing the Cities (STC) Program is a Department of Homeland Security grant program designed to lower the chances that a terrorist could successfully bring and use a nuclear or radiological device in a major U.S. metropolitan area. The core idea is to help state, local, and tribal agencies build and maintain practical, on-the-ground capability to detect and report radiological and nuclear (rad/nuc) materials that are outside regulatory control. In doing so, STC strengthens local and regional contributions to the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture (GNDA), which is the broader national framework for detecting and stopping illicit nuclear and radiological threats.
STC is organized around three main goals. First, it aims to improve a region's ability to detect, identify, and interdict nuclear materials that should not be present, especially materials that could be used for a nuclear weapon or radiological dispersal device. Second, it focuses on clarifying and improving coordination across federal, state, local, and tribal partners in line with the roles and responsibilities envisioned under the GNDA. Third, it pushes for long-term sustainability, meaning the program is not meant to be a short-lived surge of equipment or training, but a lasting regional capability that can continue operating effectively after federal support decreases.
To turn those goals into action, the program lays out four operational objectives that describe what grant-funded work is expected to accomplish. Objective 1 centers on helping state, local, and tribal governments build local nuclear detection architectures. In practice, that means building the full set of elements needed for a functioning detection program, such as awareness-building, training for frontline and specialist personnel, technical support, exercises, and overall capability development. DHS (through DNDO, the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office at the time of this announcement) describes using a common implementation strategy across regions, but tailoring the details to each metropolitan area's specific requirements, risks, and operating environment.
Objective 2 emphasizes information connectivity and data sharing. Detection equipment and deployments are only as useful as the ability to move information quickly and accurately to the right people for analysis and decision-making. Under this objective, STC supports connecting deployed detection systems in the "interior layer" (within the U.S., as opposed to border-only detection) with state, local, tribal, private, and regional data analysis centers. It also includes connectivity for technical reachback and adjudication support, meaning the ability to consult specialized expertise to interpret alarms, resolve ambiguous readings, and determine appropriate actions. Two planning documents are highlighted as foundational: an Operations Plan (OPLAN) to document how partners coordinate practices with each other and with DNDO, and an Information Exchange Plan to institutionalize policies and procedures for effective information sharing across the region.
Objective 3 focuses on administrative infrastructure. The program recognizes that a detection architecture is not just equipment and training; it also requires management, governance, policies, maintenance planning, staffing models, and program oversight. DNDO indicates it will play a major role during implementation to help establish the management structures that allow regional partners to run a self-supporting program over time with limited federal involvement. This objective is essentially about building the "back office" functions that keep a complex, multi-jurisdictional detection program operating reliably year after year.
Objective 4 addresses coordination mechanisms for both routine operations and increased alert postures. The program anticipates that regions need to coordinate rad/nuc detection during everyday steady-state activities as well as during special events, heightened threat periods, or other situations that require stepped-up deployments. Here again, the OPLAN is described as the key coordination document, and it is expected to reflect concurrence from all principal STC partners. The overall expectation is that grant assistance will help stakeholders establish or enhance a sustainable regional detection program that can scale up or down based on risk and operational needs.
From a funding and award standpoint, this opportunity was published as a discretionary grant in the form of a cooperative agreement, which generally implies substantial federal involvement in implementation compared to a standard grant. The funding activity category is listed under disaster prevention and relief. The announcement anticipated a single award, with an estimated total funding amount of $5,600,000 and an award ceiling of $5,600,000 (with no stated minimum award floor). Importantly, there is no cost share or matching requirement listed for applicants.
Eligibility is structured around a regional approach and is limited to specific Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) regions identified in the announcement. The eligible regions for this particular funding opportunity were the Bay Area (CA), Boston (MA), Chicago (IL), Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington (TX), Houston (TX), the National Capital Region (Washington, DC), Philadelphia (PA), and San Diego (CA). The announcement also notes that New York City, Los Angeles/Long Beach, and Jersey City/Newark were addressed under separate STC funding opportunity announcements and therefore were not eligible under this one. Eligible applicant types include certain local and regional governmental entities and tribal governments, including special district governments, city or township governments, county governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments, with the implication that the applying entity must be positioned to coordinate a regional effort rather than a single-jurisdiction project.
The timeline details show the opportunity was posted on February 19, 2014, with an original (and current) closing date of May 20, 2014, and an archive date of June 19, 2014. The listing associates the opportunity with CFDA number 97.106 (Securing the Cities Program) and identifies the awarding office as DHS Office of Procurement Operations, Grants Division. For administrative support, the notice provides a grants officer team lead contact for assistance accessing the full announcement.
Overall, STC is best understood as a capability-building and coordination program for metropolitan regions: it supports the planning, governance, training, exercises, technical integration, and information-sharing needed for local and regional agencies to detect and respond to illicit rad/nuc materials. Rather than focusing only on purchasing equipment, it emphasizes building an end-to-end architecture and the interagency operating structures needed to keep that architecture functioning over the long term, aligned with national detection priorities under the GNDA.
Securing the Cities (STC) Program - FAQs
What is the Securing the Cities (STC) Program?
The Securing the Cities (STC) Program is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant program intended to reduce the likelihood that a terrorist could successfully bring and use a nuclear or radiological device in a major U.S. metropolitan area. It does this by helping state, local, and tribal agencies build and sustain real-world capability to detect and report radiological and nuclear (rad/nuc) materials that are outside regulatory control.
What problem is STC designed to address?
STC is focused on strengthening the ability of metropolitan regions to detect and respond to illicit nuclear or radiological materials (rad/nuc materials outside regulatory control), including materials that could be used for a nuclear weapon or a radiological dispersal device.
How does STC relate to the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture (GNDA)?
STC strengthens local and regional contributions to the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture (GNDA), which is the national framework for detecting and stopping illicit nuclear and radiological threats. In other words, STC helps local and regional partners build capabilities that align with and support the broader national detection system.
What are the main goals of the STC Program?
The program is organized around three main goals: (1) improve a region's ability to detect, identify, and interdict illicit nuclear materials; (2) clarify and improve coordination among federal, state, local, and tribal partners consistent with GNDA roles and responsibilities; and (3) support long-term sustainability so the capability continues operating effectively even as federal support decreases over time.
What does STC mean by "long-term sustainability"?
STC is not intended to be a short-term surge of equipment or training. Sustainability refers to building a lasting regional capability with the governance, management, staffing approach, policies, and operational routines needed to continue functioning effectively after federal involvement is reduced.
What are the four operational objectives under STC?
STC describes four operational objectives: (1) build local nuclear detection architectures (training, awareness, technical support, exercises, and capability development); (2) improve information connectivity and data sharing (including reachback/adjudication support); (3) build administrative infrastructure (management, governance, policies, maintenance planning, staffing models, oversight); and (4) establish coordination mechanisms for routine operations and increased alert postures (steady-state and heightened-threat or special-event operations).
What is meant by a "local nuclear detection architecture" under Objective 1?
In this context, a local nuclear detection architecture refers to the set of practical elements needed for an operational rad/nuc detection program in a region. That includes awareness-building, training for frontline and specialist personnel, technical support, exercises, and overall capability development. DHS described a common implementation strategy across regions, with tailoring to each metropolitan area's risks, requirements, and operating environment.
Does the STC Program focus only on buying detection equipment?
No. The program emphasizes an end-to-end capability: planning, governance, training, exercises, technical integration, and information-sharing needed for detection and response. Equipment is only one part of the overall detection architecture described in the objectives.
What does Objective 2 (information connectivity and data sharing) support?
Objective 2 supports connecting deployed detection systems in the "interior layer" (within the U.S.) with state, local, tribal, private, and regional data analysis centers. It also supports technical reachback and adjudication connectivity so experts can help interpret alarms, resolve ambiguous readings, and guide appropriate actions.
What is "technical reachback" and "adjudication" in the STC context?
Technical reachback and adjudication refer to the ability to consult specialized expertise to interpret detection alarms, assess the significance of readings, resolve uncertain results, and determine appropriate next steps. Under STC, this is tied to ensuring information can quickly reach the right analysts and decision-makers.
What planning documents are highlighted as foundational under STC?
Two key planning documents are specifically highlighted: an Operations Plan (OPLAN), which documents how partners coordinate practices with each other and with DHS (through DNDO at the time), and an Information Exchange Plan, which institutionalizes policies and procedures for effective information sharing across the region.
What role does the Operations Plan (OPLAN) play?
The OPLAN is described as the key coordination document. It is used to document how partners will coordinate routine rad/nuc detection operations as well as operations during increased alert postures (such as special events or heightened threat periods). The OPLAN is expected to reflect concurrence from all principal STC partners.
What is the purpose of the Information Exchange Plan?
The Information Exchange Plan is intended to institutionalize the policies and procedures needed for effective information sharing across the region. It supports the program's emphasis that detection is only effective when information can move quickly and accurately to the right people for analysis and decision-making.
What does Objective 3 (administrative infrastructure) cover?
Objective 3 focuses on the management and "back office" structures required to keep a regional detection program operating reliably over time. This includes governance, policies, maintenance planning, staffing models, program oversight, and other administrative capabilities beyond equipment and training.
How involved is DHS expected to be during implementation?
This opportunity was offered as a cooperative agreement, which generally implies substantial federal involvement compared to a standard grant. The announcement also indicates DHS (through DNDO at the time) would play a major role during implementation to help establish management structures that support long-term, self-sustaining regional operations.
What does Objective 4 (coordination mechanisms) address?
Objective 4 addresses coordination for both steady-state operations and increased alert postures. The expectation is that regions will be able to coordinate rad/nuc detection activities during routine operations and scale deployments up or down during special events or heightened threat periods, guided by a partner-concurred OPLAN.
What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?
The opportunity is described as a discretionary grant in the form of a cooperative agreement.
What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category is listed as disaster prevention and relief.
How many awards were anticipated?
The announcement anticipated a single award.
What is the estimated total funding amount and award ceiling?
The estimated total funding amount is $5,600,000, and the award ceiling is also $5,600,000. No minimum award amount is stated.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement indicates there is no cost share or matching requirement.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to specific Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) regions identified in the announcement. Eligible applicant types include certain local and regional governmental entities and tribal governments, including special district governments, city or township governments, county governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. The applying entity is implied to be one positioned to coordinate a regional effort rather than a single-jurisdiction project.
Which UASI regions were eligible under this specific announcement?
The eligible regions listed are: Bay Area (CA), Boston (MA), Chicago (IL), Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington (TX), Houston (TX), the National Capital Region (Washington, DC), Philadelphia (PA), and San Diego (CA).
Were any major metro areas specifically not eligible under this announcement?
Yes. The announcement notes that New York City, Los Angeles/Long Beach, and Jersey City/Newark were covered under separate STC funding opportunity announcements and therefore were not eligible under this one.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on February 19, 2014. The closing date listed is May 20, 2014. The archive date is June 19, 2014.
What is the CFDA number associated with this program listing?
The listing associates the opportunity with CFDA number 97.106 (Securing the Cities Program).
Which DHS office is identified as the awarding office?
The awarding office is identified as the DHS Office of Procurement Operations, Grants Division.
What is meant by the "interior layer" in this program description?
The "interior layer" refers to detection systems and deployments within the United States, rather than detection efforts limited to borders. Under Objective 2, STC supports connecting these interior deployments to analysis centers and technical support for timely decision-making.
What is the overall expectation of what STC-funded assistance should achieve?
The overall expectation is that grant assistance will help stakeholders establish or enhance a sustainable regional detection program: one that can detect and report illicit rad/nuc materials, coordinate effectively across jurisdictions and with federal partners, share information efficiently, and scale operations based on risk and operational needs.
Does the program description indicate where to get administrative help with the full announcement?
Yes. The notice references a grants officer team lead contact for assistance accessing the full announcement, and it identifies the awarding office as DHS Office of Procurement Operations, Grants Division.
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