National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium

The Fiscal Year 2025 Homeland Security National Training Program (HSNTP), Continuing Training Grants (CTG), National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium (NCPC), is a federally funded initiative administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The purpose of this grant is to enhance the cybersecurity preparedness of the United States by developing and delivering training programs specifically targeted at state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) government entities, emergency responders, and related personnel. The grant supports a structured and scalable approach to addressing national cybersecurity capability gaps and strengthening the overall resilience of critical infrastructure and public systems against cyber threats. The NCPC program plays a vital role in the broader National Training and Education System (NTES), which is integrated within the National Preparedness System as envisioned in the National Preparedness Goal. This goal is defined as fostering "a secure and resilient nation with the capabilities required across the whole community to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk.” The CTG NCPC program specifically supports the development and delivery of FEMA-certified cybersecurity training solutions that are responsive to emerging threats, aligned with national preparedness priorities, and tailored to the current and future needs of SLTT stakeholders. The total available funding for this grant opportunity is $7.2 million, with a single award anticipated to be made to the University of Arkansas, Criminal Justice Institute, which serves as the Executive Agent for the NCPC. Subawards are permitted under this program, but with significant restrictions, especially regarding the inclusion of foreign nationals, who must be properly vetted in accordance with all applicable laws and procedures. The program does not allow for construction or renovation projects and pre-award costs are also disallowed. Indirect costs are allowable with appropriate documentation, and management and administration costs must not exceed 5% of the total award. The application period opens on August 1, 2025, at 12:00 PM ET and closes on August 15, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET. All applications must be submitted through FEMA's Grants Outcomes (GO) system. The selection and award date are both anticipated to be September 1, 2025. Applicants are required to have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), be registered in SAM.gov, and complete all necessary FEMA GO onboarding steps. There are no pre-application deadlines, and no cost share or matching funds are required. The projected period of performance is three years, from September 1, 2025, to August 31, 2028. Applicants are expected to submit a comprehensive package including SF-424, lobbying certification forms, and detailed programmatic narratives that align with NTES goals. Required application content includes a program narrative outlining training alignment with federal guidelines, use of instructional systems design (ISD) experts, adult learning methodologies, and a structured work breakdown schedule. Applications must also include detailed budgets, equipment plans, quality control and performance evaluation strategies, and proposed course details including costs and expected reach. Evaluation criteria include technical merit, national scope, target audience alignment, training development quality, and budget justification. FEMA reviewers will also consider financial integrity indicators. Although this is a non-competitive award, FEMA retains the right to approve or disapprove the statements of work submitted by NCPC. Contacts for inquiries include Jessica Sterling (jessica.sterling@fema.dhs.gov, 202-212-3042) and Samuel Phillips (samuel.phillips@fema.dhs.gov). General grant inquiries can be directed to the FEMA Grants News Team at fema-grants-news@fema.dhs.gov or 800-368-6498.

Ensure FEMA GO, SAM.gov, and UEI registration well in advance; registration can take several weeks.