Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Cooperating Technical Partners (CTP) Program - Region 1 | DHS 16 MT 045 01 01

FAQs: FY 2016 Cooperating Technical Partners (CTP) Program - Region 1 (FEMA)

What is the FY 2016 Cooperating Technical Partners (CTP) Program - Region 1?

It is a FEMA grant/cooperative agreement opportunity intended to strengthen the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) by building durable working relationships among federal, state, tribal, regional, and local partners. The program supports work that reduces flood losses and improves community resiliency by developing, maintaining, and communicating credible flood risk information.

What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?

The core purpose is to improve flood risk management outcomes under the NFIP by supporting projects that help NFIP State Coordinating Agencies and NFIP-participating communities carry out ongoing NFIP regulatory responsibilities, while also improving broader flood risk mitigation capacity for governments, the public, and the private sector.

How does this program help reduce flood losses?

It supports the creation and communication of credible flood hazard and flood risk information (including maps and related risk products) so communities can make better planning, mitigation, floodplain management, and insurance decisions.

How is this opportunity connected to FEMA Risk MAP?

The CTP Program is closely tied to FEMA's Risk Mapping, Assessment and Planning (Risk MAP) program. Funded work is not only about producing maps, but also about strengthening flood hazard assessment, improving risk communication, and helping communities use risk information for planning and mitigation.

What types of activities can be supported under this opportunity?

Supported activities can include program management functions, technical flood risk analysis and mapping tasks, and efforts to communicate flood hazard and risk information in ways that stakeholders can understand and use. The opportunity emphasizes both data/mapping work and practical risk communication.

Is flood mapping (including FIRMs) a major emphasis?

Yes. A major emphasis is increasing local involvement and ownership of flood risk data and mapping products, especially Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and related risk products that underpin floodplain management and insurance decisions.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to entities that are already qualified CTPs with an active, signed Partnership Agreement with FEMA Headquarters or a FEMA Regional Office. Applicants must also either be (or represent) an NFIP community in good standing, or be a FEMA-approved nonprofit whose primary mission aligns with NFIP goals.

What does it mean to be a "qualified CTP" for this program?

It means the applicant already has an active, signed CTP Partnership Agreement with FEMA (either FEMA Headquarters or a FEMA Regional Office). This opportunity is aimed at partners who can demonstrate established operational capability rather than organizations starting from scratch.

Does an applicant need to already have systems and processes in place?

Yes. FEMA expects partners to already have non-federally funded processes or systems that support the collection, development, evaluation, dissemination, and communication of flood hazard and risk assessment data and mapping.

What kind of organizational capability does FEMA expect from applicants?

FEMA expects applicants to demonstrate real operational capability, established workflows, and staff and technical competence to execute mapping and risk-related tasks. The program description indicates this opportunity is not designed for organizations building capability from the ground up.

What types of organizations are listed as eligible applicant types?

Eligible applicant types include state, county, and city/township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; and qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofits (excluding higher education institutions in that nonprofit category), as well as other entities as specified by FEMA. However, eligibility is still limited to already-qualified CTPs with a signed Partnership Agreement.

What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?

The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding using a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument.

Which federal agency is issuing this opportunity?

It is issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

What is the CFDA number for this program?

The CFDA number associated with the program is 97.045.

What is the activity category listed for this opportunity?

The listing identifies the activity category as science and technology and other research and development, reflecting the technical and data-driven nature of flood mapping and flood risk analysis work.

How many awards did FEMA anticipate making for Region 1 in FY 2016?

FEMA anticipated making approximately four awards for this Region 1 FY 2016 opportunity.

What were the posting date and the original closing date?

The posting/creation date was March 25, 2016, and the original closing date was June 10, 2016.

Is there an award ceiling (maximum award amount) published for this opportunity?

The published award ceiling is listed as 0. This typically indicates a fixed maximum was not specified in the summary and that actual award sizes would depend on FEMA priorities, available funds, and the negotiated scope of work.

What performance and reporting requirements apply to awardees?

Performance and accountability are central requirements. Partners must show they can meet CTP program performance metrics and provide timely, accurate reporting to FEMA that documents accomplishments and progress.

Are partners required to use FEMA's Mapping Information Platform (MIP)?

Where applicable, partners must be willing to use FEMA's Mapping Information Platform (MIP) and keep project activities updated at least every 30 days within the Studies Workflow. More frequent updates are expected for the Revisions Workflow.

Is coordination with FEMA expected before submitting an application?

Yes. Prospective applicants are expected to engage FEMA in advance to align proposed work with FEMA priorities, objectives, and performance measures, and to identify the specific tasks that will be included in the application and eventual scope of work.

What documents and requirements govern the award?

Award recipients are expected to follow multiple layers of requirements: the funding announcement, the terms and conditions of the specific award, and the underlying CTP Partnership Agreement along with the FEMA-approved Statement of Work or Mapping Activity Statement.

Does FEMA provide support beyond funding?

Yes. FEMA may support partners through non-financial means such as technical assistance, training, or provision of data to help complete project tasks.

Is FEMA funding intended to replace a partner's existing resources?

No. The opportunity describes FEMA funding as additive to the partner's leveraged resources and data contributions. This reinforces the expectation that CTPs bring meaningful existing capacity and investments to the partnership rather than relying exclusively on federal dollars.

How does this program support NFIP communities and State Coordinating Agencies?

Projects funded through the program can help NFIP State Coordinating Agencies and NFIP-participating communities maintain and carry out ongoing regulatory responsibilities under the NFIP while improving broader flood risk mitigation capacity and risk communication.

What is the practical focus of the CTP Program besides producing maps?

Besides producing and updating flood risk data and mapping products, the program emphasizes strengthening how flood hazards are assessed, improving how risk is communicated to stakeholders, and enabling communities to apply risk information to planning and mitigation decisions.