Covid-19 Process

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What is the PA Application Simplification for Nationwide Emergency Declaration for COVID-19

What is the PA Application Simplification for Nationwide Emergency Declaration for COVID-19

FEMA is making adjustments to simplify the application process but not deviating from the basics that experienced recipients and applicants may be familiar with.

• Since assistance is limited to emergency protective measures, FEMA’s complex eligibility criteria are significantly streamlined:

o Permanent work is not needed nor eligible for reimbursement, so complicating damage eligibility and engineering challenges will not exist.

o Debris removal is not needed nor eligible for reimbursement, so typical complicated questions about monitoring and disposal will not exist.

• This simplification of the program’s eligibility criteria enables FEMA to streamline its application steps.

o FEMA is eliminating exploratory calls, recovery scoping meetings, and most site inspections (temporary facilities will be inspected on a case-by-case basis).

o FEMA is reducing documentation requirements to the minimum needed to support Category B reimbursement.

o Many steps, including most initial steps to begin the reimbursement process, will remain the same: Account creation, SF-424 Grant Application submission, Request for Public Assistance submission, Scope of Work and Cost Estimate development, compliance reviews, and eligibility reviews.

• FEMA will simplify the process for creating a Project Worksheet (PW) by creating a template PW form for Category B assistance for COVID-19:

o Applicants will complete the form online in the PA Grants Portal at https://grantee.fema.gov. o The form will collect minimal information about the work activities being performed. o The form will include a few basic questions to establish eligibility.

o The form will ensure the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are not duplicating the funding.

o The form will require minimal documentation to support eligibility based on the project’s risk of providing ineligible funding and emergency need:

Expedited Projects: Limited documentation but funded at 50 percent.  

Small Projects: Limited documentation and self-certified as to basic eligibility requirements.  

Large Projects: Limited documentation but full FEMA review based on amount of funding provided.

• Instead of using a project-specific approach to environmental and historic preservation (EHP) compliance, FEMA is developing a program-wide approach for activity types that have little to no potential to affect or impact EHP resources. FEMA is standing by to immed

This website  is intended as a national source of information about  the delivery of  financial recovery services. It includes resources on eligibility, procurement, grant management delivery, and issues related to various Federal Programs currently supporting FEMA  Public Assistance program  financial recovery for governments and non-profits. This website is not affiliated or endorsed or sponsored  by  FEMA  or any other Federal grant program. The information provided in various webpage documents is derived largely from Federal  published materials. In general, under section 105 of the Copyright Act, such works are not entitled to domestic copyright protection under U.S. law and are therefore in the public domain.  The goal is to help navigate the various Federal websites and summarize grant information and requirements. It does not constitute legal advice or grant management advise and is provided for general informational purposes only. Only the Federal Agency responsible for grants can make determinations on eligibility and grant amounts. You should consult with your professional services advisors and State and Federal Grant Coordinators for more detailed guidance on specific FEMA Public Assistance financial recovery issues.

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