Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP) - Region 6 | DHS 20 GPD 111 06 01

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): FY 2020 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP) - Region 6

1) What is the FY 2020 RCPGP - Region 6 grant opportunity?

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP) - Region 6 is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), administered through FEMA. It is intended to strengthen how governments across a region plan and work together before a catastrophic incident occurs, with an emphasis on coordinated regional approaches rather than isolated, single-jurisdiction planning.

2) Who administers this grant and what agency funds it?

The grant is a DHS opportunity administered through FEMA. It is funded under the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-93).

3) What is the main purpose of the RCPGP?

The program is designed to help jurisdictions close known preparedness gaps by supporting regional collaboration and coordinated planning for catastrophic incidents. It aims to help governments build and expand regional systems and approaches so they can manage the scale and complexity of extreme events that overwhelm normal resources and systems.

4) What capability areas does this grant focus on?

This opportunity focuses on two specific capability areas:

• Housing
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management

5) What kinds of housing-related work does the grant support?

The housing focus is described as improving a region's ability to address large-scale housing needs after a disaster. This includes temporary sheltering and longer-term housing solutions, especially under conditions where the disaster is so large that local capacity is quickly exceeded and regional coordination is necessary.

6) What does "Logistics and Supply Chain Management" mean in this program?

In practical terms, this refers to improving how a region manages the movement, staging, and distribution of critical supplies when normal systems are overwhelmed. The goal is to strengthen planning and coordination for getting resources where they are needed during high-consequence incidents.

7) Does the program encourage innovation?

Yes. The opportunity emphasizes innovation and encourages applicants to develop and test new regional solutions that make planning and coordination more effective under extreme conditions.

8) What does the program consider a "catastrophic incident"?

The RCPGP is anchored in the National Response Framework (4th edition, 2019) definition of a catastrophic incident. Under that definition, a catastrophic incident can be natural or human-caused (including acts of terrorism) and is characterized by extraordinary mass casualties, major damage, or severe disruption.

9) What kinds of impacts are associated with catastrophic incidents under this opportunity?

Catastrophic incidents can significantly affect communities and critical infrastructure and can ripple through the environment, economy, public morale, and the functioning of government. The opportunity highlights that these events can create cascading effects across interdependent systems.

10) Why does the grant emphasize regional planning instead of single-jurisdiction planning?

The program is built around the idea that catastrophic events often cross jurisdictional boundaries and overwhelm local resources. Because prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery depend on interdependent regional systems, the grant supports cohesive regional planning and coordination across multiple jurisdictions.

11) Who is eligible to apply for this grant?

Eligibility is limited to governmental entities. Specifically, the eligible applicant types listed are:

• State governments
• County governments
• City or township governments

12) Is this a discretionary or formula-based grant?

This is described as a discretionary grant opportunity.

13) What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?

The funding instrument is a grant.

14) What is the activity category for this grant?

The activity category is disaster prevention and relief.

15) What is the CFDA number associated with this program?

The opportunity is listed under CFDA number 97.111.

16) What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number associated with this announcement is DHS 20 GPD 111 06 01.

17) When was this grant opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on May 20, 2020.

18) What was the original application closing date?

The original application closing date was July 15, 2020.

19) How many awards were expected to be made?

Awards were expected to be made across roughly 20 recipients.

20) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling listed for this opportunity is $1,000,000 per award.

21) What types of disasters or incidents is this grant meant to address?

This grant targets high-consequence, catastrophic incidents (natural or human-caused, including terrorism) where impacts are extraordinary and local resources are quickly exceeded. It is positioned as distinct from routine disasters by focusing on the unique scale, cross-jurisdictional complexity, and cascading impacts of catastrophic events.

22) What is the core outcome this program is trying to improve?

The core outcome is stronger regional collaboration and readiness for catastrophic incidents, particularly through integrated housing strategies and coordinated logistics/supply chain planning that function across multiple jurisdictions when normal systems are disrupted.