Securing the Cities Program, 2017 STC Houston Continuation | DHS 15 DNDO 106 001 003

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the name of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled Securing the Cities Program, 2017 STC Houston Continuation.

2) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is DHS 15 DNDO 106 001 003.

3) Which federal department is offering this opportunity?

This is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant continuation opportunity.

4) Which DHS office is issuing the opportunity?

The opportunity is issued through the Office of Procurement Operations, Grants Division.

5) What program does this funding support?

The funding supports ongoing work under the Securing the Cities (STC) initiative.

6) What is the main purpose of the Securing the Cities (STC) initiative?

The initiative focuses on lowering the likelihood that a radiological or nuclear (R/N) terrorist weapon could be successfully brought into or used within a major U.S. metropolitan area.

7) Is this funding for a brand-new project?

No. This is a continuation opportunity intended to sustain and build on an existing STC effort in the Houston area, rather than launching a new project.

8) What geographic area is the continuation focused on?

The continuation is focused on the Houston area as part of an existing STC effort there.

9) What types of capabilities is DHS trying to strengthen with this continuation?

The emphasis is on strengthening practical, day-to-day detection and reporting capabilities among partner agencies, including durable and repeatable processes to detect, analyze, and appropriately report information related to radiological and nuclear threats.

10) What does "sustainable capability" mean in the context of this opportunity?

Based on the description provided, "sustainable capability" means DHS is looking for long-term operational readiness (durable, repeatable capabilities) rather than a one-time purchase or a short-lived pilot.

11) What is the program trying to detect?

The program aims to ensure participating agencies can detect nuclear and other radioactive materials that are outside regulatory control.

12) What happens after detection according to the opportunity summary?

The summary highlights the need for the capability to analyze what is found and to report information appropriately so it can be acted on.

13) How does this relate to the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture (GNDA)?

The continuation supports capabilities among partners that are part of the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture (GNDA), with an emphasis on detection and reporting practices that contribute to the broader national detection architecture.

14) What is the award mechanism for this opportunity?

The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement.

15) What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?

As described, a cooperative agreement typically means the federal government expects to be substantially involved in the project execution, coordination, and oversight compared with a standard grant.

16) What is the funding activity category?

The funding activity category is Disaster Prevention and Relief.

17) Why is the opportunity categorized under Disaster Prevention and Relief?

The summary links this category to prevention-oriented homeland security preparedness efforts, consistent with reducing the risk of R/N threats in a major metro area.

18) How many awards are expected?

The opportunity anticipates a single award: Expected Awards: 1.

19) What does "Expected Awards: 1" imply about competitiveness or who should apply?

Based on the summary, the single expected award reinforces that this is intended for an existing Houston STC recipient or a closely defined eligible entity tied to the ongoing program, rather than a broad competitive field.

20) What is listed for eligibility?

Eligibility is listed as "Others".

21) What does "Others" mean for eligibility in this DHS opportunity?

The summary notes that "Others" is paired with a direction to see the opportunity's additional eligibility language for specifics, which is common when eligibility is restricted to a particular jurisdiction, designated lead agency, or established program partner.

22) When was this opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on July 7, 2017.

23) What was the original closing date?

The original closing date was August 8, 2017.

24) How long was the application window based on the dates provided?

Based on the creation date (July 7, 2017) and original closing date (August 8, 2017), the application window described appears to be relatively short, which the summary characterizes as consistent with continuation actions where the grantee and scope are already largely established.

25) What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?

The summary lists the Award Ceiling as 0.

26) Does an award ceiling of 0 mean there is no funding available?

Not necessarily. The summary explains that an award ceiling listed as 0 often indicates the maximum funding amount was not stated in the summary field and may instead be defined in the full notice, negotiated based on an approved continuation budget, or constrained by available appropriations.

27) What is the overall goal of this Houston continuation in plain terms?

Overall, it is DHS continuing support for Houston-area regional capabilities that contribute to national efforts to detect and interdict illicit radiological or nuclear materials, strengthen interagency coordination, and improve the ability to quickly recognize, assess, and communicate potential R/N threats within a major urban environment.