There are elements of the FEMA Public Assistance Grant Program that are more hidden to the normal applicant, and I am going to ignore those elements. This process that I care the most about begin when we know that a disaster has been declared, or it is likely one that will be declared. You and I can do little about the process before declaration. That’s between the governor and the president and FEMA.
For coastal community, we know that when a hurricane impacts us, our declaration may include several days before the impact. That’s interesting and it is relevant to COVID-19 because most declarations I have seen so far (April 2020) set the date of disaster to 20JAN which is almost 45 to 60 days ago. You have costs that may be eligible for weeks prior to the declaration.
My audience are people who are responsible for executing projects funded by FEMA grant dollars. Therefore, our starting point is the Disaster Declaration and more precisely the Performance Start Date. There is no grant before this moment.
The experienced amongst us may start collecting data and logs beforehand in anticipation of funding. Good for you. Well done.
The Grant Application process with FEMA is squishy and flexible. Of course, the day you are informed about it, then it is precise!
Follow the rules of the day! Why is it squishy and flexible? Because the process changes one disaster to another. They (whoever they are) won’t admit this. Some years, you must be physically present in a room and sign a roster and fill out a piece of paper to declare your intent. Not likely with COVID-19.
Sometimes, you’ll be instructed to go to the FEMA Grants Portal to initiate your process. Through 2019, that was either absolutely mandatory or unknown. FEMA and state directors figured that out along the way. There is a rumor here in April 2020 that the COVID-19 grant application process may go to the Grants Portal for some and others will be helped in other ways.
I can’t help. There is a grant application process. It is either in FEMA Grants Portal or Not. And at the end of the process you will have zero, one, or more grant awards with federal funds obligated to it.