DHS: Public Assistance Grant Program

Public Assistance

Log jam of debris at bridge with high waters

About the Public Assistance Grant Program

Individual Assistance: If you are a homeowner, renter or private business, visit the Individual Assistance page instead. Public assistance is for governments and nonprofits.

The mission of Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program is to provide assistance to state, tribal and local governments, and private nonprofit organizations so that communities can quickly respond to and recover from man-made or natural disasters or emergencies declared by the President. Through the PA Program, FEMA provides supplemental Federal disaster grant assistance to include debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly-owned/eligible private nonprofit facilities.

Information and resources found below provide details regarding the Public Assistance Grant Program. The Indiana Department of Homeland Security is the recipient of the federal funds and administers the FEMA program to statewide applicants (sub-recipients) for infrastructure and essential services damage.

The PA Program also encourages protection of these damaged facilities from future events by providing assistance for hazard mitigation measures during the recovery process. Reimbursements through the PA Program are subject to a cost share; 75 percent of eligible costs are reimbursed, and the remaining 25 percent is to be covered by the applicant.

Environmental Issues
FEMA Resources
Public Assistance Program Forms
Public Assistance Program Training
State Disaster Relief Fund

The Indiana State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) was established in 2003 to provide assistance to individuals and local governments who may not be eligible for federal disaster assistance but meet the state’s criteria for disaster relief. IDHS administers the SDRF in two parts: Public Assistance and Individual Assistance.
Funding from the SDRF is designed to assist with repairing structures like buildings or houses. Examples of other projects include repairing public roads and bridges, reimbursing public safety response costs, replacement of medically required equipment and repairs to vehicles required for work.
Currently, the SDRF is funded by IDHS-issued fireworks permits.
State Disaster Relief Fund
COVID-19 Public Assistance
Update: FEMA's end date for the COVID-19 disaster incident period was May 11, 2023. Learn more
The first step to applying for public assistance project reimbursements is to determine applicant eligibility. Go to FEMA's Grants Portal to create an account and submit a request for public assistance (RPA). After being determined to be an eligible applicant, an organization can then then submit application(s) for projects.
Note: See the Grants Portal Account Quick Guide for help creating a Grants Portal account.
Review the Quick Hits section below to quickly learn more about the COVID-19 public assistance process. Direct questions to the IDHS Public Assistance Grant Program at pa@dhs.in.gov.
Note: For step-by-step guidance on submitting project applications, see the FEMA Public Assistance Applicant Quick Guide. Additionally, there are supplementary documents available below in the Quick Hits section.
Quick Hits
- Streamlined Project Application
  Timeline
  Best-case scenario: A few days from Request for Public Assistance (RPA) submission and eligibility is determined. Then, from application submission, a week or so, depending on if additional information is needed.
  - Applicant completes and submits its project application(s) in Grants Portal. The project application includes detailed information about the activities for which an Applicant is requesting funding and lists supporting documentation the Applicant needs to provide to justify the request.
  - To reduce funding delays and maximize the Applicant’s administrative flexibilities to track costs, Applicants should generally report all activities on one project application. However, submitting a separate project application for distinct activities or time periods is advisable in certain scenarios.
  - Certain activities may require FEMA to complete a more in-depth environmental or historic preservation review (e.g., ground disturbance, hazardous materials, modifications to buildings or new construction). For these activities, the Applicant should submit one project.
  What Happens After Submitting the Application
  - FEMA and the Recipient review and validate the project application to ensure completeness, eligibility and compliance with federal laws and regulations on items such as contracting and environmental and historic preservation. Additional information from the Applicant during these reviews may be requested.
    On small projects (anything under $131,000), the Applicant works directly with FEMA.
    On large projects $131,000 or over, the application is reviewed by FEMA, then IDHS PA gets a look before obligation.
  - After eligibility is determined, the Applicant reviews all terms and conditions that FEMA or the Recipient include in the project application and signs an agreement to the funding terms, including requirements for reporting on project work progress and completion.
  - Post-award: Applicant provides additional documentation as its response efforts unfold and work is completed to document actual costs and expenditures of public assistance funds. Upon completion of work, the Applicant coordinates with the Recipient to formally close projects. The Applicant must retain records of all project-related documentation.
- Eligible Assistance
  Under the COVID-19 Emergency, FEMA may provide assistance for emergency protective measures including, but not limited to, the following, if not funded by Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or other federal agency. While some activities listed may be eligible for funding through HHS and CDC, final reimbursement determinations will be coordinated by HHS and FEMA. FEMA will not duplicate any assistance provided by HHS and CDC:
  - Management, control and reduction of immediate threats to public health and safety
    Emergency Operations Center costs
    Training specific to the declared event
    Disinfection of eligible public facilities
    Technical assistance to state, tribal, territorial or local governments on emergency management and control of immediate threats to public health and safety
  - Emergency medical care
    Non-deferrable medical treatment of infected persons in a shelter or temporary medical facility
    Related medical facility services and supplies
    Temporary medical facilities and/or enhanced medical or hospital capacity (for treatment when existing facilities are reasonably forecasted to become overloaded in the near term and cannot accommodate the patient load or to quarantine potentially infected persons)
    Use of specialized medical equipment, medical waste disposal, or emergency medical transport
  - Medical sheltering (e.g., when existing facilities are reasonably forecasted to become overloaded in the near future and cannot accommodate needs)
    All sheltering must be conducted in accordance with standards and/or guidance approved by HHS and CDC and must be implemented in a manner that incorporates social distancing measures
    Non-congregate medical sheltering with prior approval by FEMA limited to that which is reasonable and necessary to address the public health needs of the event, is pursuant to the direction of appropriate public health officials and does not extend beyond the duration of the public health emergency
  - Household pet sheltering and containment actions related to household pets in accordance with CDC guidelines
  - Purchase and distribution of food, water, ice, medicine and other consumable supplies, to include personal protective equipment and hazardous material suits
  - Movement of supplies and persons, and search and rescue to locate and recover members of the population requiring assistance
  - Security and law enforcement (related to COVID-19)
  - Communications of general health and safety information to the public
  - Reimbursement for state, tribe, territory and/or local government force account overtime costs
- Eligible Applicants
  Eligible Applicants
  - State and territorial governments
  - Tribal governments
  - Local governments
    Counties and parishes
    Municipalities, cities, towns, boroughs and townships
    Local public authorities
    School districts
    Intrastate districts
    Councils of governments (regardless of whether incorporated as non-profit corporations under state law)
    Regional and interstate government entities
    Agencies or instrumentalities of local governments
    State-recognized tribes
    Special districts established under state law
  - Eligible private non-profit organizations: To be an eligible private non-profit applicant, the organization must show:
    A ruling letter from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that was in effect as of the declaration date and granted tax exemption under sections 501(c), (d) or (e) of the Internal Revenue Code; or
    Documentation from the state substantiating it is a non-revenue producing, non-profit entity organized or doing business under state law
  The Four Basic Components of Eligibility
  - An Applicant must be a state, territory, tribe, local government or private non-profit organization.
  - A Facility must be a building, public works, system, equipment or natural feature.
  - Work is categorized as either Emergency or Permanent. It must be required as a result of the declared incident, located within the designated disaster area and the legal responsibility of the Applicant.
  - Cost is the funding tied directly to eligible work, and must be adequately documented, authorized, necessary and reasonable. Eligible costs include labor, equipment, materials, contract work, as well as direct and indirect administrative costs.
- Terms to Know
- Documents
  Download all
  - Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide (PAPPG)
    Note: Please use version 3.1 of the PAPPG when working specifically on grants related to the COVID-19 declaration, also known as DR4515.
  - Category Z Validation Sheet (Excel file)
  - COVID-19 EHP and EPM Fact Sheet
  - COVID-19 Eligible Emergency Protective Measures Fact Sheet: This policy and document is here for reference only. It was superseded, with changes effective September 15. Please see the updated advisory and policy going forward.
  - COVID-19 EPM for Accessible Public Service Announcements Fact Sheet
  - COVID-19 Floodplain for Temporary Critical Facilities Fact Sheet
  - COVID-19 Private Nonprofit Organizations Fact Sheet
  - COVID-19 Purchase and Distribution of Food
  - FEMA Public Assistance Applicant Quick Guide
  - FEMA Schedule of Equipment Rates 2019
  - Grants Portal Account Quick Guide
  - Grants Portal Applicant User Manual V5.1 June 2019
  - Procurement During EE Circumstances Fact Sheet
  - Public Assistance Grant Agreement
  - Public Assistance Insurance Guidance Excerpt
  - Public Assistance Medical Care Policy for COVID-19
  - Request for Public Assistance (RPA) Fillable Form
  - Vaccine Planning FAQ
- Helpful Websites