NSGP grant security installs: what FEMA funds, how to apply, what Tec-Tel does

1. What NSGP funds

The Nonprofit Security Grant Program is FEMA's principal funding source for at-risk nonprofits hardening physical security. The 2024 Notice of Funding Opportunity defines six allowable-cost buckets. A complete application names line items in each bucket where the threat narrative supports the request. Each item below reflects what evaluators commonly approve at religious institutions and other at-risk 501(c)(3) sites.

• Cameras and video management. Exterior and interior IP cameras at entrances, parking lots, sanctuaries, classrooms, and approach roads. A central video management system retains footage to the policy your insurance carrier and counsel set, typically 30 to 90 days. Federal grant dollars require NDAA Section 889-compliant gear (Public Law 115-232; FAR 52.204-25).
• Access control and door hardware. Card readers, mobile credentials, electrified strikes, mag locks where code allows, and door-position monitoring at main entries, school wings, fellowship halls, and after-hours zones. Visitor management at the front desk for events and weekday traffic. Single-button lockdown ties access, cameras, and intrusion together.
• Ballistic-resistant film and physical hardening. Ballistic-resistant window film, blast-resistant glazing, bollards at vehicle approach points, anti-ram barriers, and reinforced door hardware. The 2024 NOFO treats these as physical-hardening costs and approves them at most religious-institution sites that document a credible threat narrative.
• Panic buttons and duress alarms. Wearable or fixed panic buttons in front offices, sanctuaries, classroom wings, and fellowship halls. Routes a documented alert to local law enforcement and on-site staff in seconds. Pairs with the access control system so a duress signal can trigger lockdown automatically.
• Fencing, lighting, and exterior hardening. Perimeter fencing, anti-climb features, gate operators, and exterior LED lighting at parking lots, walkways, playgrounds, and approach roads. Often overlooked in early applications, but evaluators expect it on a complete target-hardening plan.
• Security training and contracted services. Active-shooter response, threat assessment, situational awareness, de-escalation training for greeters and ushers, and contracted security personnel. The 2024 NOFO caps training at a defined percentage of the award; confirm the current cap against the active NOFO before final budget submission.

Source: FEMA NSGP NOFO 2024 (allowable-cost guidance); compliance posture cross-referenced in our compliance quick reference. Allowable categories shift cycle to cycle. Confirm against the active NOFO at fema.gov before final budget submission.

2. The award amounts

FEMA awards up to $200,000 per site to nonprofits at risk of terrorist or hate-motivated attack. An organization can apply for multiple sites if each meets the at-risk threshold separately. The 2024 cycle awarded over $454 million across federal and state-administered programs combined, distributed across thousands of nonprofits nationally.

The program splits into two parallel tracks. The federal-administered track (NSGP-Urban Areas, NSGP-UA) covers sites inside FEMA-designated UASI regions. The state-administered track, NSGP-S, covers sites outside UASI regions through each state's State Administrative Agency. Roughly a quarter of the total allocation flows through NSGP-S, though the exact split shifts each cycle. Both tracks share allowable-cost categories, evaluation criteria, and the $200,000 per-site cap.

Source: FEMA NSGP NOFO 2024.

3. Eligibility

Eligibility rests on three pillars. First, the applicant holds 501(c)(3) status with the IRS and is in good standing with state nonprofit registration. Second, the applicant documents a credible threat narrative naming the specific risk, its sources, and the operational basis for concern. The narrative is the heart of the application; evaluators read it first and use it to weigh every line item that follows. Third, the applicant submits a vulnerability assessment connecting the threat narrative to physical security gaps at the site.

On target-hardening rationale, evaluators want a written walkthrough tying each requested item to a documented vulnerability. A camera at the parking-lot entrance because the narrative names vehicle-based intrusion; ballistic film at the sanctuary windows because it names firearms; lockdown automation in the school wing because it names active-shooter scenarios. Generic line items without a documented tie back to the threat narrative score poorly.

4. The application timeline

Recent cycles follow a predictable rhythm; the 2024 cycle is a useful reference. FEMA published the NOFO in Q1, applications closed at the State Administrative Agency in Q2, awards posted in Q3, and most installs ran from Q4 of the award year through the following year. Reimbursement releases against documented receipts after install completion.

• Q1 (January-March): NOFO publication. The Notice of Funding Opportunity drops with allowable-cost guidance, evaluation criteria, and per-site caps. Read it the day it lands.
• Q2 (April-June): Application deadline. Most SAAs close applications 30 days inside the federal window. Vulnerability assessments, threat narratives, and vendor documentation must be complete before submission.
• Q3 (July-September): Award announcements. Federal NSGP-UA and state NSGP-S awards post on staggered dates. Denials usually come with an evaluator scoring sheet.
• Q4 of award year through following year: Procurement, install, commissioning. Most applicants take six to twelve months from award announcement to a commissioned system.
• Year two: Reimbursement. Documented receipts release federal reimbursement against the awarded amount. Cash-flow planning belongs in the application phase, not after.

Read the active NOFO at fema.gov for the exact 2026 cycle dates. State-administered cycle dates vary by SAA and post separately.

5. What Tec-Tel does in the application

Tec-Tel produces the security-side documentation a complete NSGP application needs: four deliverables, each tied directly to the federal evaluation rubric.

• Site assessment. A walking assessment with your security committee, facilities lead, and clergy. We document existing camera and access posture, identify gaps against NSGP target-hardening categories, and mark up a floor plan with photographs and a vulnerability matrix. Output: a written site assessment your application can cite directly.
• Threat-narrative-aligned technology recommendation. Each line item in the bill of materials references the threat it addresses and the allowable-cost category from the active NOFO. A camera position because the narrative names a specific risk vector; ballistic film at named windows because it names firearms exposure. Evaluators score this section on whether each request ties back to the threat narrative.
• NDAA-compliant vendor selection. Federal grant money requires NDAA Section 889-compliant gear. We hold the NDAA-compliant subset of camera, access, and intrusion vendors on file, with each manufacturer's own 889 self-certification statement attached to the bill of materials. Hikvision, Dahua, Hytera, Huawei, ZTE, and Lorex are excluded by default.
• Signed vendor letter. A letter on Tec-Tel letterhead confirming pricing validity through the federal review cycle, install timeline, NDAA compliance, and our 15-year integrator track record. Pricing holds so the award amount matches the install cost when funds release. Evaluators expect this letter; missing it weakens the application visibly.

What Tec-Tel does not do. We don't write the grant narrative, sign as the applicant, or replace your grant consultant or application team. Grant writing is the nonprofit's job, often supported by a consultant who specializes in federal nonprofit funding. Our job is the security-side documentation that scores well alongside their narrative. An application written by the install vendor reads differently to a federal evaluator than one written by the nonprofit's own team. Keep the voices distinct.

6. NDAA Section 889 implications

NSGP awards are federal grant dollars, which puts every install under NDAA Section 889. The statute prohibits federal grantees from using or procuring covered telecommunications and video surveillance equipment from Hikvision, Dahua, Hytera, Huawei, ZTE, and their subsidiaries. The rule covers any system where the equipment is a substantial component, regardless of vintage.

The verification path runs three steps. First, walk the bill of materials and pull the manufacturer name and model number off every camera and recorder; don't trust the rebranded label some integrators apply over OEM Dahua and Hikvision gear. Second, match each model against the FCC Covered List and the manufacturer's own NDAA Section 889 self-certification statement. Third, document the result in writing. If covered equipment is in the stack, build a phased rip-and-replace plan with budget and timeline before federal grant funds release.

Source: Public Law 115-232, Section 889; FAR 52.204-25. The full statutory text and FAR clause are linked from our compliance reference.

For the deeper compliance walkthrough, see our NDAA Section 889 explainer. For the full NDAA-filtered vendor matrix, see compliance quick reference.

7. Top 5 state programs

Five states run the largest NSGP-S allocations and the most active state-funded supplements. The notes below reflect each state's published guidance for the 2024-2025 cycle. State program names, deadlines, and supplemental rules update annually; verify against each agency's published page before submission.

• New York. NSGP and NSGP-S (state-administered). Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes (SCAHC) program through DCJS provides up to $50,000 per site as a supplement that can stack with NSGP coverage. New York runs the largest state NSGP-S allocation in the country and has multiple state-funded supplements for at-risk nonprofits. The state program runs on its own deadline cycle, typically published by the Division of Criminal Justice Services.
• New Jersey. NSGP and NSGP-S (state-administered). Nonprofit Security Grant Pilot Program through NJOHSP runs as a state supplement to federal NSGP funds with its own threat-assessment requirements. New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness administers the NSGP-S allocation and the state-funded supplement. Application packets require alignment with NJOHSP threat-assessment guidance.
• California. NSGP and NSGP-S (state-administered through Cal OES). California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program through Cal OES funds at-risk nonprofits as a state supplement to federal NSGP awards. California Office of Emergency Services administers both the federal pass-through and the state-funded program. Eligible categories track closely with the federal NOFO.
• Illinois. NSGP and NSGP-S (state-administered through IEMA). Illinois Nonprofit Security Grant Program through IEMA mirrors the federal program for at-risk nonprofits. Illinois Emergency Management Agency administers the NSGP-S allocation. Chicago metro applicants have historically had a separate UASI-aligned application path.
• Florida. NSGP and NSGP-S (state-administered through FDEM). Florida Department of Emergency Management administers federal NSGP-S funds. State-funded supplements vary year to year. Florida Division of Emergency Management runs the NSGP-S allocation. Applicants in Miami-Dade UASI region have a separate federal pass-through path through that UASI.

Source: each State Administrative Agency's published NSGP-S guidance for the 2024-2025 cycle. Confirm current deadlines and per-site caps against the agency page before submission.

Last updated: 2026-05-26. We refresh this page when the FEMA NSGP NOFO publishes, when NDAA enforcement guidance changes, or when a state administrative agency updates its NSGP-S packet.