Opportunity Information: Apply for DHS 23 USFA 043 00 99
The Fiscal Year 2023 State Fire Training Systems Grant (SFTSG) is a federal grant program run through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FEMA, tied to the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Academy (NFA). It is built on the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, which sets up the framework for the NFA to work in partnership with state fire training agencies. The basic idea is to strengthen and expand standardized, high-quality fire and emergency services training at the state level by helping states deliver NFA courses locally rather than requiring personnel to travel or rely only on locally developed curricula.
The grant is designed to cover the direct delivery of government-funded NFA courses within a state and to support the distribution and sharing of key instructional materials, including student manuals, instructor guides, and other course resources. Beyond simply passing along pre-built course content, the program also provides funding that states can use to supplement and tailor how training is delivered, while still leveraging NFA courses and programs as the foundation. In practice, that means states can adapt scheduling, delivery methods, and supportive training elements to better match local risks, staffing realities, and regional preparedness priorities, while keeping the training anchored in nationally recognized content.
SFTSG aligns with broader federal preparedness goals, specifically Goal 5 of the DHS Strategic Plan for FY 2020-2024 (Strengthen Preparedness and Resilience) and Goal 3 of the FEMA Strategic Plan for 2022-2026 (Promote and Sustain a Ready FEMA and Prepared Nation). That alignment signals that the program is not just about professional development, but about improving readiness and resilience at the community and state level. By building a stronger, more consistent training pipeline, the program aims to support better incident outcomes, improved coordination during complex events, and a more capable emergency services workforce overall.
One of the program's biggest features is its menu of training options. State fire training agencies can choose from more than 200 NFA courses, allowing them to shape a training plan around their most urgent needs. Course topics include leadership development, community risk reduction, and incident management, among others. This range matters because state systems often have to train for everything from day-to-day fireground operations and prevention efforts to large-scale disasters requiring multiagency coordination, planning, and command-level decision-making.
The opportunity is listed as a grant (FundingInstrumentType: Grant) and categorized under education, employment, labor and training, with additional relevance captured under an "other" category as described in the notice. The eligible applicants are state governments, reflecting the program's emphasis on state-level training systems and statewide coordination. The opportunity number is DHS 23 USFA 043 00 99 and the CFDA (now often referred to as Assistance Listing) number is 97.043, which identifies the federal assistance program associated with fire training support through FEMA/USFA.
For FY 2023, the stated award ceiling is up to $1,000,000 per award, and the opportunity anticipated about 50 awards. The notice was created on June 9, 2023, and the original application closing date was July 10, 2023. As an example of what award activity can look like, the announcement notes that a sample of prior SFTSG awardees averaged about 12 classes completed in a single award year, training an average of 162 students. That snapshot gives a practical sense of the scale: this is not a small pilot program, but a funding stream intended to translate into multiple delivered classes, measurable student throughput, and a meaningful training footprint across the state.Apply for DHS 23 USFA 043 00 99
- The Department of Homeland Security, Department of Homeland Security - FEMA in the education, employment, labor and training, other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2023 State Fire Training Systems Grant" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 97.043.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 09, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 10, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments.
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Fiscal Year 2023 State Fire Training Systems Grant (SFTSG) FAQs
What is the Fiscal Year 2023 State Fire Training Systems Grant (SFTSG)?
The Fiscal Year 2023 State Fire Training Systems Grant (SFTSG) is a federal grant program administered through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FEMA, tied to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and the National Fire Academy (NFA). It is intended to strengthen and expand standardized, high-quality fire and emergency services training at the state level by supporting delivery of NFA courses within a state.
Which federal agencies and programs are associated with this grant?
This opportunity is run through DHS and FEMA, and it is tied to the USFA and the National Fire Academy (NFA).
What law is this grant program based on?
The grant is built on the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, which establishes the framework for the National Fire Academy to work in partnership with state fire training agencies.
What is the main purpose of SFTSG?
The program is designed to strengthen and expand standardized, high-quality fire and emergency services training at the state level. A key goal is enabling states to deliver government-funded NFA courses locally instead of requiring personnel to travel or relying only on locally developed curricula.
What kinds of training does the grant support?
The grant supports delivery of government-funded National Fire Academy (NFA) courses within a state. State fire training agencies can select from a menu of more than 200 NFA courses to build a training plan that fits their needs.
How many NFA courses are available to choose from?
The notice indicates there are more than 200 NFA courses available for state fire training agencies to choose from under this program.
What are examples of course topics that may be included?
Examples of course topics mentioned include leadership development, community risk reduction, and incident management.
Does the grant only cover pre-built NFA course delivery, or can states tailor how training is delivered?
In addition to covering direct delivery of government-funded NFA courses, the program provides funding that states can use to supplement and tailor how training is delivered, while still using NFA courses and programs as the foundation. The notice describes flexibility around scheduling, delivery methods, and supportive training elements to match local risks, staffing realities, and regional preparedness priorities, while keeping the content anchored in nationally recognized NFA materials.
What costs or activities does the grant specifically emphasize supporting?
The grant is designed to cover the direct delivery of government-funded NFA courses within a state and to support the distribution and sharing of key instructional materials. Examples of materials include student manuals, instructor guides, and other course resources.
Why is delivering NFA courses within the state an important feature?
The program is designed so states can deliver NFA courses locally rather than requiring personnel to travel. This approach supports broader access to standardized training and helps build a more consistent statewide training pipeline.
How does SFTSG connect to broader preparedness goals?
The opportunity aligns with Goal 5 of the DHS Strategic Plan for FY 2020-2024 (Strengthen Preparedness and Resilience) and Goal 3 of the FEMA Strategic Plan for 2022-2026 (Promote and Sustain a Ready FEMA and Prepared Nation). The notice frames the program as supporting readiness and resilience at community and state levels through stronger, more consistent training.
What types of outcomes is the program intended to support?
According to the description, by strengthening the training pipeline the program aims to support better incident outcomes, improved coordination during complex events, and a more capable emergency services workforce overall.
What is the funding instrument type for this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed as a grant (FundingInstrumentType: Grant).
What category is this grant listed under?
The opportunity is categorized under education and employment, labor and training, with additional relevance captured under an "other" category as described in the notice.
Who is eligible to apply for SFTSG?
Eligible applicants are state governments. The eligibility reflects the program focus on statewide training systems and statewide coordination through state fire training agencies.
What is the opportunity number for this grant?
The opportunity number listed is DHS 23 USFA 043 00 99.
What is the CFDA or Assistance Listing number for this program?
The CFDA number (now often referred to as the Assistance Listing number) provided is 97.043, identifying the federal assistance program associated with fire training support through FEMA/USFA.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling) for FY 2023?
For FY 2023, the stated award ceiling is up to $1,000,000 per award.
How many awards were anticipated for FY 2023?
The notice anticipated about 50 awards for FY 2023.
When was the notice created?
The notice was created on June 9, 2023.
What was the original application closing date?
The original application closing date listed in the notice was July 10, 2023.
What does prior award activity suggest about the scale of training supported?
As an example, the announcement notes that a sample of prior SFTSG awardees averaged about 12 classes completed in a single award year, training an average of 162 students. This is presented as a practical illustration of the training footprint the funding can support.
Is this program intended to be a small pilot, or a larger training support stream?
Based on the description and the example of prior award activity, the program is portrayed as a funding stream intended to translate into multiple delivered classes, measurable student throughput, and a meaningful statewide training footprint rather than a small pilot effort.
Why does the "menu of training options" matter for states?
The notice highlights that state systems often need to train for a wide range of missions, from day-to-day fireground operations and prevention to large-scale disasters requiring multiagency coordination, planning, and command-level decision-making. Having access to more than 200 NFA courses allows states to shape training around urgent needs.
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