FEMA Resumes the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Grant Program

On March 25, 2026, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcing $1 billion in available funding through the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program.  

The agency emphasized that this investment is intended to help states, local governments, territories and Tribal Nations take proactive steps to protect communities from disasters such as fires, floods, earthquakes and hurricanes. 

What is BRIC 

BRIC provides federal funding for hazard mitigation projects to reduce long‑term disaster costs, with a strong focus on the adoption and enforcement of modern building codes. The program also limits capability‑ and capacity‑building activities to those directly tied to infrastructure resilience. 

Due to sustained advocacy from the International Code Council (ICC) and other building safety organizations, FEMA has designated $81 million in new BRIC funding specifically for building code adoption and enforcement. This includes $56 million for a “State/Territory Building Code Plus-Up,” with a maximum allocation of $1 million per state and territory, and $25 million for a “Tribal Building Code Plus-Up” for federally recognized tribes. 

Under the BRIC program, states, territories and tribes serve as primary applicants, while building and fire departments, state code offices and related agencies participate as sub‑applicants. FEMA covers 75% of project costs, with the remaining 25% provided through non‑federal cash or in‑kind contributions such as donated materials, labor or services. 

BRIC Applications 

Applications for this round of BRIC funding are due to FEMA by July 23, 2026, at 3:00 PM ET. With each state or territory setting its own internal deadlines for sub‑applicants, ICC encourages members to promptly contact their State Hazard Mitigation Officer for guidance. 

Since BRIC’s launch in 2018, ICC has been a strong supporter of the program and its role in advancing hazard mitigation and modern building codes nationwide. Members with questions may reach out to ICC’s Deputy Senior Vice President for Federal Relations, Aaron Levy, or Vice President for Fire and Disaster Mitigation, Karl Fippinger. 

ICC staff will also follow up with members whose BRIC awards were cancelled last spring to provide updates on the status of their funding.