Federal grant programs / Department of Homeland Security

Homeland Security Biowatch Program (97.091)

Also known as ??Bio Watch Cooperative Agreements?

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$102 million
• Grant awards30
• Typical award$2.1 million
• Awarded in FY 2025$0
• Size rank808 of 1824
• Type of assistanceProject grants, use of property, facilities, and equipment

Key findings

• It is the 808th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• Awards went to recipients in 20 states and territories.

What the program funds

The Bio-Watch program, managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is designed to detect aerosolized biological attacks by continuously monitoring the air for specific biological threats using strategically placed air collectors. This federally managed, locally operated system provides early warnings of biological incidents, enabling state and local authorities to respond quickly and effectively, thereby reducing casualties and fatalities. Bio-Watch supports the National Biodefense Strategy and Implementation Plan (2022) by informing decision-making, enhancing preparedness, and providing post-incident support to limit the impacts of biological threats. Operating in over 30 metropolitan areas across 22 states, Bio-Watch protects roughly one-third of the U.S. population and extends its coverage to high-visibility special events. Its core activities include operating air samplers, collecting and analyzing air samples, assisting partners with planning and preparedness through guidance, training, and exercises, and alerting and coordinating response actions upon detection of a threat. The program’s objectives are to maintain a robust bio-detection capability, engage stakeholders in preparedness and response, and establish coordination mechanisms across federal, state, local, and tribal levels to ensure rapid and effective public health responses to bioterrorist attacks. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is for the performance of field operations--including deploying and maintaining a fleet of air monitoring units, collecting and replacing filters from those units, and transporting filters daily to Bio-Watch laboratories in metropolitan areas identified below. As optional for specific metropolitan areas listed below, field operations further include laboratory operations, such as sample processing, analysis, and results reporting. Eligible recipients of this cooperative agreement are state and local government agencies, regional governmental organizations, public institutions of higher learning, and federally recognized tribal governments.?

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Eligible recipients are state and local government agencies, regional governmental organizations, public institutions of higher learning, and federally recognized tribal governments.

What the money can and cannot pay for

Cooperative agreement funds are used to identify, hire, and train field operators; purchase vehicles used in filter collection and transport; pay for sampling sites and power as well as office and equipment storage space. In some jurisdictions, these funds also support laboratory operations, including staffing, training, and supplies. Additionally, funding enables jurisdictions to provide enhanced bio-detection coverage during high visibility or high threat special events and supports personnel participation in DHS-led exercises, drills, and response actions following a detection. ??To manage the local Bio-Watch program.? Restrictions on use of funds will be identified in the funding opportunity announcement, program guidance, and award provisions. ;

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Deadlines

??Deadline determined at as part of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)?

Award range and average, in the agency's words

Specified in the announcement.

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2025: ??Funding awarded locally operated early warning system designed to detect and to respond to the release of select aerosolized biological agents to protect the population in select U.S. cities.?Fiscal Year2026: Funding awards locally operated early warning system designed to detect and to respond to the release of select aerosolized biological agents to protect the population in select U.S. cities.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Almost all of the money went to state and local governments.

By state

Each state below has its own page for this program, with its recipients and yearly totals.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.