Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): Disaster Relief and Mitigation Fund 2025

North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) is now accepting applications for grants funded through the Disaster Relief and Mitigation Fund (DRMF) established in S.L. 2021-180, § 5.9(f), reauthorized in S.L. 2023-134, § 5.6(f), & “The Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 – Part II”, S.L. 2025-26, § 2A.3.(a)(7)(d), the Hurricane Helene Flood Mitigation Grant Program. 

Eligible applicants are units of local government and nonprofit organizations.

Funding can be used for flood mitigation, transportation infrastructure resilience against natural disasters, and engineering assistance grants to local governments to identify and design shovel-ready projects.

Alternative Funding

A recipient of State funds under this grant shall use best efforts and take all reasonable steps to obtain alternative funds that cover the losses or needs for which the State funds are provided, including funds from insurance policies in effect and available federal aid. State funds paid under this grant are declared to be excess over funds received by a recipient from the settlement of a claim for loss or damage covered under the recipient's applicable insurance policy in effect or federal aid. Where a recipient is an institution of higher education or a non-State entity, the requirement regarding alternative funds and the calculation of alternative funds received under this subsection includes seeking private donations to help cover the losses or needs for which State funds are provided. If a recipient obtains alternative funds pursuant to this paragraph, then the recipient shall remit the funds to North Carolina Emergency Management. A recipient is not required to remit any amount in excess of the State funds provided to the recipient under this grant.

Applications must be received by NCEM no later than Close of Business (5pm) on 28 November 2025.

Eligible Applicants

Units of local government, and nonprofit organizations, may submit projects to the NCEM Long-Term Recovery Group which will convene a panel to score the projects. Nonprofit organization projects are limited to nonsectarian or nonreligious purposes which address such items in the section below.

Eligible Categories of Work

Funds can be used for the following categories of work:

1. Flood mitigation projects that reduce the risk of future damage through structural and nonstructural measures.
2. Engineering assistance grants, specific to local governments, to identify and design shovel-ready projects related to flood mitigation.

Initial funding for this notice is anticipated to be $20,000,000

1. A minimum of $15,000,000 will be targeted toward applicants in the TS Helene affected area.
2. Grants will be limited to $2,000,000 for a single recipient.
3. Total grants will be limited to $4,000,000 to a single county.

Projects can be 100% funded with no cost share and are paid on a reimbursement basis. Grant administration costs are not eligible.

Examples of Eligible Projects:

(Not intended to be a full list but may help applicants to identify possible projects)

• Construction of new or improvement of existing stormwater or drainage infrastructure
• Engineering expenses related to planning, design, and implementation of flood mitigation projects.
• Elevation of buildings, controls, or other improvements of public infrastructure to mitigate future flood damage.
• Relocation of at-risk public infrastructure.
• Hardening of critical facilities and utilities.
• Projects that update and prepare transportation infrastructure for storms, mudslides, and flooding events taking projections of future risk into consideration including culvert or bridge retrofits or replacements.
• Flood notification systems

The Period of Performance (POP) is up to 36 months, starting on the date of the recipient’s award. This process starts with the application referenced below.

Process to Submit Your Application

Key Target Dates:

Application/Submission Information and Instructions

Application deadline 28-November-2025 (5:00PM)
Application to be submitted to NCEMLTR.grant@ncdps.gov with subject line “Applicant name – Project name – 2025 DRMF Grant Application”

The application email should include a complete PDF Document structured based upon the 6 points below. The email may include additional attachments to support the project. Please make sure that you address each point below within the application. (Scoring weight in brackets):

1. Applicant Name, Address, Contact Information, and Project Name. Nonprofit organizations should also include the “Certificate of Existence from the NC Secretary of State, bylaws, and documentation to support ownership or right for project specific facility. (5)
2. General description of the Project (10)
3. Describe how the project mitigates future damage from flooding and include the impact on the community. (35)
4. Scope of Work (SOW) and cost estimate for the project to achieve #3 above, including an understanding of how the estimate was achieved. (30)
5. Timeline from approval of Grant to project completion. (10)
6. How and who will manage the project if awarded and their qualifications. Additionally, the applicants should include their experience in managing a grant award. (10)

Competitive proposals likely will include:

• A clear understanding of how the project mitigates against frequent flooding or mitigates against frequent disruptions to transportation infrastructure from nature disasters, or a clear understanding of the need for engineering assistance grants for a specific mitigation project.
• A clear understanding of the benefits for residents, businesses, and other entities within a community including the percentage of the community impacted by the project.
• A professional or engineering reports for the project.
• A current estimate of probable cost with an understanding of how this was developed.
• How the project links to previous comprehensive assessments or planning effort or an understanding of how the community prioritizes this project.
• An understanding of the likely implementation for a full construction project.

Projects that are selected will require applicants to sign a Grant Agreement (MOA) and will be expected to comply with the terms of the agreement, including quarterly reporting and interim and final inspections as necessary or risk timely payment or funding. Also, applicants will be required to submit the below listed OSBM required documents/forms with the signed MOA if awarded a grant under this fund:

• State of NC Substitute W-9 Form
• Supplier Electronic Payment Request: Please email the completed form directly to OSC for processing: ncfsepay@osc.nc.gov with copy to NCEMLTR.grant@ncps.gov
• Conflict of Interest Policy (G.S. 143C-6-23.(b))
• Sworn (Notarized) No Overdue Tax Debt Certification (G.S. 143C-6-23.(c))

For more information, please send any questions to NCEMLTR.grant@ncdps.gov

Download a PDF copy of the Disaster Relief and Mitigation Fund NOFO 2025