After You Apply: Things to Know and Do After Applying for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Funding

Application Process (Steps 4-7)

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Appeals

Additional Resources

This page provides information to help applicants (state, local, tribal and territorial governments) understand what happens after they apply for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding. If you are a home or business owner, check out the property owners web page.

After submitting a HMGP application, applicants will follow these final steps of the application process.

Applicants solicit sub-applications from eligible sub-applicants and assist with preparing, reviewing and submitting applications to FEMA. If the applicant does not agree with an eligibility determination, they may appeal.

FEMA awards funds to the recipient, which disburses the funds to its sub-recipient – generally a local government entity. Homeowners may start their projects once authorized by their state, tribal, territorial or local government official. Work started prior to FEMA review and approval is ineligible for funding.

Grant recipients have 36 months or three years from the close of the application period to complete their projects. Sound project monitoring improves the efficiency of implementing the project and obligating funds.

The state, tribe or territory must oversee and monitor the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program projects, usually done via site visits, telephone calls, meetings and progress reports. They work with the local community to ensure that grant terms and conditions are met and confirm that the project complies with:

• The approved scope of work, budget and timeline.
• Environmental planning and historic preservation, floodplain management, and other regulatory requirements.
• Administrative requirements of 44 CFR Part 206 and 2 CFR Part 200.
• Audit requirements of 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart F.

Quarterly progress reports must be submitted to FEMA on funded mitigation activities.

Award closeout is the process by which the recipient and FEMA verify that a sub-award scope of work has been completed as approved and that all reimbursable costs are eligible. It verifies that the recipient and FEMA complied with terms and conditions of the award and completed the project or program objectives.

Closeout requests must be submitted to FEMA within 90 days of the end of the Period of Performance (POP), which is the time when grant activities must be completed, or it may occur earlier if a recipient completes all required work or expends all available federal funding in advance of the scheduled closeout timeline.

Standard Closeout ensures that FEMA has received:

• Final reports
• Final allowable costs (subject to adjustment as a result of a subsequent audit)
• Amounts due (which can also go to the recipient)
• Final settlement in the disposition of property acquired or provided for use under the grant
• Standard Closeout must conform to regulatory requirements and program guidance. If the Standard Closeout process is unable to be completed, FEMA will pursue Administrative Closeout.

Administrative Closeout is closure of a Federal Prime Grant Award when the recipient is non-compliant, there is clear negligence on the part of the recipient, or the recipient is unwilling to complete the closeout requirements or submit required final reports. The agency decision may result in further consequences via enforcement actions. See 2 CFR Section 200.339(a)(1) and 2 CFR Section 200.343, especially Section 200.343(d) - (g).

The recipient must perform closeout tasks for both the Federal Prime Grant Award and sub-awards. FEMA requirements for closing sub-awards are outlined in the Closeout Toolkit: Checklist for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and Closeout Toolkit: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Sub-award Closeout Frequently Asked Questions. 

Also, the recipient must conduct final inspections, reconcile sub-recipient expenditures, resolve negative audit findings, obtain final reports from sub-recipients, and reconcile the closeout activities of sub-recipients with all award requirements.

• Checklist for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Subawards
• Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Subaward Closeout Frequently Asked Questions
• Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Management Costs Closeout Frequently Asked Questions

An eligible applicant may appeal any FEMA determination regarding applications submitted for funding under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The appeal process allows applicants to request a reconsideration of the decision against program requirements.

Learn about the two levels of appeals, how FEMA reviews and approves appeals, and search the appeals database, our online collection of FEMA responses to applicant appeals for assistance.

Learn More About Appeals and Access the Appeals Database