Positioning for success with the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program represents one of the most significant federal investments in proactive hazard mitigation available to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments. Through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), BRIC makes approximately $1billion available nationwide to support a clear federal priority: shifting away from reactive disaster recovery toward long-term risk reduction and infrastructure resilience. The current BRIC application cycle opened on March 25, 2026, with applications due to FEMA by July 23, 2026, underscoring the need for immediate and coordinated action.1
BRIC is designed to fund pre-disaster hazard mitigation projects that reduce overall risk from natural hazards such as flooding, wildfires, extreme weather, earthquakes, and sea level rise.
For public sector leaders, BRIC represents a highly competitive federal funding opportunity that increasingly rewards analytical rigor, implementation readiness, and integrated resilience planning. Unlike formula-based programs, BRIC operates through a national competition in which applications are evaluated on six evaluation criteria.2 Success depends not only on the quality of the proposed project, but also on the strength of the supporting data, planning discipline, and demonstrated ability to execute within compressed timelines.
As states, territories, and tribal nations may impose earlier application deadlines to review and prioritize projects before the federal submission date, many jurisdictions face an even shorter window to prepare. In this environment, agencies that can quickly translate resilience strategies into well-scoped, data-supported, and execution-ready projects are better positioned to compete successfully for BRIC funding.
FEMA BRIC application expectations reflect a broader shift in federal resilience funding. The ability to translate resilience strategy into fundable, executable, and measurable projects will increasingly determine which jurisdictions can access hazard mitigation funding at scale.
FEMA scoring favors projects that can move efficiently from award to execution. Successful applications typically demonstrate clear project scoping, awareness of hazard resistant building codes, permitting, and environmental requirements, procurement planning, and governance structures capable of managing federal funding and compliance obligations.
BRIC applicants are also expected to demonstrate clear, quantifiable risk reduction. FEMA requires projects to show measurable decreases in hazard exposure or expected losses, supported by defensible benefit cost analyses, validated assumptions, and credible estimates of hazard frequency and severity.
Financial and administrative rigor further underpins BRIC success. Awards are subject to federal grant management requirements, including strict cost tracking, audit readiness, and multi-year performance reporting. Applicants must demonstrate that their financial systems and internal controls can support sustained federal funding over time.
Successful BRIC applicants tend to demonstrate not only strong projects, but also the organizational ability to sustain complex mitigation investments through cross-agency coordination, consistent data management practices, and durable governance structures that support long-term resilience objectives. FEMA's evaluation approach also reflects a continued emphasis on expanding access to mitigation funding, including criteria related to prior BRIC participation and consideration for small, impoverished communities.
For many jurisdictions, however, meeting these expectations presents significant challenges. Limited internal capacity, fragmented data environments, evolving federal requirements, and compressed application timelines can constrain competitiveness and increase delivery risk. As BRIC requirements continue to emphasize execution certainty and measurable outcomes, these gaps can prevent otherwise critical resilience projects from advancing—underscoring the need for targeted support to strengthen readiness, rigor, and delivery capability.
KPMG supports public sector clients across the full grants and program management lifecycle. Our approach is designed to help agencies move from opportunity identification through application, award, and long-term program execution.
We bring decades of experience supporting FEMA programs, including BRIC, Public Assistance, and Hazard Mitigation Assistance initiatives, providing a strong foundation in both program and operational execution. Our multidisciplinary teams combine grants management professionals, financial analysts, data scientists, infrastructure specialists, and public sector leaders—allowing us to address both the technical and strategic dimensions of BRIC projects.
We also leverage technology-enabled insights, including advanced data analytics tools, to strengthen project design and enhance the rigor and defensibility of benefit cost analyses. Through a robust integrated approach, we help enable agencies to focus on execution and outcomes rather than administrative burden.
Do not leave critical resilience funding on the table. Let’s discuss how KPMG can support your next infrastructure project for BRIC success—from strategy and application through delivery.
1Federal Emergency Management Agency. Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program: Notice of Funding Opportunity Fact Sheet, Fiscal Years 2024–2025. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Mar. 2026.
2Federal Emergency Management Agency. Hazard Mitigation Assistance: Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Evaluation Criteria for the National Competition, Fiscal Years 2024–2025. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2023
