Fiscal Year 2026 National Incident Management System (NIMS)

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announces the Fiscal Year 2026 National Incident Management System (NIMS) Cooperative Agreement, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). With a total funding allocation of $3 million, this non-competitive grant will fund a single award to the administrator of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a congressionally ratified mutual aid system for state-to-state resource sharing during disasters. The program’s primary goal is to maintain and enhance national mutual aid capabilities, resolve interstate cooperation gaps, and ensure rapid, organized resource deployment. Eligible projects include participating in National Level Exercises, conducting technical assistance, maintaining a mutual aid inventory of Mission Ready Packages, and integrating the EMAC Operations System with other emergency management systems. Applicants must submit a jointly developed Program Management Plan, a risk management plan, a performance-based evaluation plan, a Work Breakdown Structure, and a detailed program budget. There is no cost-share requirement, and Management and Administration (M&A) costs are capped at 3%. Key deadlines and dates include: - Projected Application Start Date: July 20, 2026 - Application Submission Deadline: August 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET - Anticipated Award Date: August 27, 2026 - Period of Performance: August 31, 2026, through August 30, 2027 Applications must be submitted electronically through the FEMA GO portal. Recipients must comply with NIMS implementation requirements, DHS Standard Terms and Conditions, and submit quarterly financial and programmatic performance reports.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announces the Fiscal Year 2026 National Incident Management System (NIMS) Cooperative Agreement, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). With a total funding pool and expected single award of $3 million, this non-competitive grant is exclusively available to the administrator of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC)—a congressionally ratified mutual aid compact enabling state-to-state resource sharing during disasters. The program's primary objective is to enhance national resilience and first responder readiness by resolving gaps in interstate cooperation and streamlining resource deployment. Funding supports activities such as national-level exercises, technical assistance, mutual aid inventory tracking, and state emergency management agency integration. Recipients must align activities with NIMS, the National Preparedness Goal, and the National Response Framework. Key administrative details include: - **Application Deadline:** August 20, 2026. - **Period of Performance:** August 31, 2026, through August 30, 2027. - **Cost Share:** None required. - **Management and Administration (M&A) Costs:** Cap of 3% of the award amount. - **Unallowable Costs:** Construction is strictly prohibited, and restrictions apply to covered telecommunications and foreign unmanned aircraft systems. Applications must be submitted electronically through the FEMA GO system. Required submissions include standard federal forms (SF-424 family), a jointly developed Program Management Plan, a risk management plan, a performance-based evaluation plan, and a Work Breakdown Structure. Performance will be monitored through quarterly financial and programmatic reports.