FEMA Released $250 Million for Drone Defense. Here's How to Access It.

FEMA Awarded the First $250 Million in 25 Days. Its Own Notice Says the Second $250 Million Goes to All 56 States and Territories in Fiscal Year 2027 — a Plan So Far, Not a Notice.

By Brian Rutherford | December 31, 2025

Updated September 21, 2026 — the original headline stated FEMA's plan for a second round as a fact. It is a plan, stated in FEMA's FY 2026 notice of funding opportunity; as of this update FEMA's program page carries only the FY 2026 notice. The dates and figures below are brought to the record as it stands; the "how to prepare" guidance is unchanged.

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On December 30, 2025, FEMA did something notable.

It awarded $250 million in counter-drone grants 25 days after the application deadline closed. FEMA's Acting Administrator called it "the fastest non-disaster grant program ever executed by FEMA" — that is the agency's characterization of itself, quoted, not a finding of this article.

The funding went to 11 states hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, plus the National Capital Region. What's often overlooked is the second half of the appropriation. FEMA's FY 2026 notice states: "The outstanding $250 million will be distributed in Fiscal Year 2027 to all 56 states and territories, with an expanded focus on building national detection and response capacity." And then: "Details regarding Fiscal Year 2027 will be determined and shared at a later date." Fiscal year 2027 begins October 1, 2026. As of September 21, 2026, that later date has not arrived.

If you work in law enforcement, critical infrastructure protection, or emergency management, this is a funding line worth positioning for. Here's how the program works, who qualified in round one, and what FEMA has and has not said about round two.

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Program Overview

The Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Grant Program "was established in Fiscal Year 2026 under Section 90005(a) of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, 2025 (Pub. L. No. 119-21)." Total appropriation: $500 million over two fiscal years.

• FY 2026: $250 million (awarded December 30, 2025 to the World Cup host states and the National Capital Region)
• FY 2027: $250 million, which the FY 2026 notice says will go to all 56 states and territories — the notice anticipates "up to 56 awards." FEMA's program page carries only the FY 2026 notice as of this update.

The appropriation rides on the State Homeland Security Program's authorizing statute — the notice says section 90005(a)(1)(A) "appropriates funds for the C-UAS Grant Program under the authorizing statute for the SHSP" — which is why it flows through State Administrative Agencies and why the SHSP's statutory minimums apply. What is new is that the money is designated for one thing: detecting, tracking, identifying and, where authorized, mitigating drones.

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FY 2026 Recipients

The initial awards went to the 11 states hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 matches and the National Capital Region — FEMA's allocation table, in FEMA's order and tiers:

| Recipient | Tier | FY 2026 award | |-------|------|------------------| | District of Columbia (on behalf of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia) | 1 | $28,266,328 | | Florida | 1 | $23,636,511 | | New Jersey | 1 | $21,764,005 | | New York | 1 | $17,731,725 | | Texas | 1 | $30,276,431 | | California | 1 | $34,591,628 | | Georgia | 1 | $20,284,936 | | Kansas | 1 | $5,341,058 | | Massachusetts | 2 | $21,891,527 | | Missouri | 2 | $14,240,568 | | Pennsylvania | 2 | $12,470,777 | | Washington | 2 | $19,504,506 |

Twelve awards totaling $250 million. The National Capital Region's award is for America 250 national events, not a match. One thing to notice if you read the FY 2026 notice's Appendix A as the rulebook for round two: the notice placed California, Georgia and Kansas in Tier 2; FEMA's post-award table places all three in Tier 1 — and Kansas moved up while receiving the smallest award of the twelve. What the notice says about the tiers is this: its Appendix A heads the column "Risk Tier" and puts $105,050,000 of competitive funding in each of the two, and the competitive share is allocated on the two factors quoted in the next paragraph. That is reason enough not to read Appendix A as a forecast of round two.

Missouri, for example, received $14,240,568. The notice says the host states and the NCR "will receive statutory minimums established under the SHSP" — an expected award floor of $3,325,000 — "with additional funds allocated competitively based on the SEAR level of hosted events (representing risk), and the anticipated effectiveness of proposed projects."

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Eligible Expenditures

The grant covers several categories:

Detection, Tracking and Identification Equipment (the notice's list):

• Radar (active and passive)
• Electro-optical and infrared cameras
• Radio frequency detection systems
• Acoustic systems
• Remote ID and similar broadcast beacon receivers
• Integrated multi-sensor systems, sensor fusion software and hardware, networking communications
• Portable/mobile detection systems for temporary events or remote areas; software-as-a-service subscriptions

Also on the notice's equipment list, as its own item: third-party data service providers.

Mitigation Equipment (with restrictions):

• Physical barriers such as security netting — authorized for all entities
• Everything else — radio frequency cyber take-over, radio frequency jamming, drone interception (those not considered "weaponized aircraft"), and integrated systems combining them — is "Only available for jurisdiction trained at the FBI NCUTC," with specific systems subject to NCUTC approval
• Mitigation may only be authorized for law enforcement or correctional agencies whose personnel are "trained at, or scheduled to be trained at" the FBI's National Counter-UAS Training Center in Huntsville, Alabama; FEMA verifies registration with the FBI
• Must comply with federal legal authorities

Not on the notice's equipment list: drones for the agency's own operations. The list is detection, tracking, identification and (NCUTC-gated) mitigation. The notice's unallowable-costs section then adds, inside its definition of weaponized aircraft, that "Non-weaponized aircraft and UAS (drones) used for monitoring, surveillance, or data collection are not prohibited, unless otherwise specified," and that "Requests for technologies with dual-use or mitigation functions that may fall into a gray area should be submitted to FEMA for pre-approval and justification." Read those two sentences together: a monitoring drone is not on the list and not prohibited — ask FEMA before assuming either way. An intercept drone is a mitigation system, behind the NCUTC gate like the rest.

Services:

• Installation and integration
• Training programs
• Maintenance and sustainment of grant-funded equipment only — general maintenance contracts, service contracts and warranties for anything the grant did not buy are unallowable

Not Allowed (the notice's program-specific unallowable costs, per FEMA Information Bulletin 530):

• Weapons and weapons accessories, including ammunition
• Firearms, grenade launchers, bayonets
• "Weaponized aircraft, vessels, or vehicles of any kind with weapons installed"

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FY 2027 Round: How to Prepare

FEMA's stated plan is that FY 2027 funding goes to all 56 states and territories. That is the FY 2026 notice speaking; DHS's December 30 award release said the same in one line — "Next year, the remaining $250 million will be distributed to all U.S. states and territories with an expanded focus on building detection and response capacity nationwide." Neither is a notice. FEMA's program page, last updated June 9, 2026, still carries only the FY 2026 notice, and the agency has said the FY 2027 details "will be determined and shared at a later date." Read the two statements together and there is a window: DHS's "next year," spoken on December 30, 2025, means calendar 2026; FEMA's "Fiscal Year 2027" begins October 1, 2026. Both are true only in October–December 2026 — a reading of two statements, not a FEMA commitment, but the quarter a State Administrative Agency building its subrecipient list would plan around.

If your state didn't host a World Cup match, the plan as stated makes you eligible for the next $250 million. Whether the round opens on that plan, and when, is FEMA's call. Based on the FY 2026 structure, here's how to prepare:

Step 1: Contact Your State Administrative Agency (SAA)

Local agencies cannot apply directly to FEMA. Applications go through your state's SAA—typically the homeland security or emergency management office.

SAA contacts: FEMA State Administrative Agency Contacts

FEMA Grants News: (800) 368-6498 (Monday-Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM ET)

Step 2: Engage in State Planning

SAAs must pass through at least 97% of award funds to eligible subrecipients, retaining up to 3% for management and administration — with one stated exception for state-level equipment purchases that benefit state agencies, which the notice caps.

However, they determine which local agencies receive funding. Getting involved now—before applications open—improves positioning.

Make the case that your jurisdiction includes:

• Critical infrastructure requiring protection
• Mass gathering venues (stadiums, arenas, concert facilities)
• Correctional facilities
• Government buildings
• Transportation nodes

Step 3: Identify Equipment Requirements

Don't wait for the NOFO to assess needs:

1. Evaluate current capabilities — What detection systems exist? What gaps remain?
2. Obtain vendor information — Understand RF sensor, radar, and integrated platform costs
3. Document threat environment — Have there been drone incidents? Near-misses? Concerning activity?
4. Assess training needs — Mitigation equipment requires FBI training

Step 4: Address the FBI Training Requirement

This is essential: grant-funded mitigation equipment is available only to law enforcement and correctional agencies with personnel trained, or scheduled to be trained, at the FBI's National Counter-UAS Training Center.

The center, in Huntsville, Alabama, announced its first three-week operator course for late October 2025. The FBI told Senate appropriators that "As of April 2026, the NCUTC has certified 45 SLTT law enforcement officers, including officers from World Cup host cities, with an additional class in progress and projected to bring the total to 61 prior to the start of the Tournament." At those numbers seats are scarce; if you need capability beyond detection, enrollment is the first step, and it is a condition of the grant funding it.

The FY 2026 notice routes state and local mitigation through the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces — it says the Department of Justice, acting through the FBI, "shall deputize SLTT law enforcement or correctional facility officers" in the JTTFs, and that "To employ mitigation technologies, these JTTF members must attend and complete the training course at FBI's NCUTC." The FBI's stated door for seats is not the JTTF but its field offices: the NCUTC's announcement memo names as primary contact "your local FBI Field Office Counter-UAS Coordinator to discuss eligibility, seat nominations, and scheduling"; the JTTF agreement is what the grant application then has to show. Note the notice is dated October 2025; the counter-UAS rule for state and local agencies (6 CFR Part 124 and 28 CFR Part 124, the joint DHS–DOJ rule) took effect July 1, 2026 and now governs the authority side — a separate subject from the grant, and one to read before buying mitigation equipment.

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Beyond the World Cup

The program's significance extends past soccer matches.

The program was written to outlast the events that triggered its first round. Equipment purchased with FY 2026 funds stays with the agencies now that the World Cup has been played — under the Uniform Guidance, title to equipment bought with a federal award "will vest upon acquisition in the recipient or subrecipient" (2 CFR 200.313(a)), subject to that section's conditions.

The notice's own words for the FY 2027 round are "building nationwide detection and response capabilities." The World Cup provided the catalyst; the long-term list of what that capability protects:

• Airports
• Prisons
• Power plants and other critical infrastructure
• Stadiums and arenas
• Government facilities

The notice's own framing of the threat is what a subrecipient should cite: it funds capabilities against "the unlawful use of unmanned aircraft systems that pose a threat to the safety and security of the American people, communities, and institutions." Incident counts for any of the categories above belong in your application with their source, not in this article without one.

If your agency protects any of these categories, you have a reasonable case for funding consideration.

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Key Dates (as of September 21, 2026)

| Date | Event | |------|-------| | October 28, 2025 | FY 2026 notice of funding opportunity published | | December 5, 2025 | FY 2026 applications closed (the notice's Basic Information table says 12/05/2025; its §5.B says December 4 — DHS's "25 days" to the December 30 award fits December 5) | | December 30, 2025 | FY 2026 awards announced ($250M to the 11 World Cup host states and the National Capital Region) | | Summer 2026 | FIFA World Cup played in the host cities | | October 1, 2026 | Fiscal year 2027 begins — the year in which FEMA's notice says the remaining $250M "will be distributed" | | Not announced | FY 2027 notice, application deadline, and award date — none published as of this update | | September 30, 2028 | FY 2026 period of performance ends |

The FY 2026 period of performance runs from July 4, 2025 to September 30, 2028, so equipment bought with round-one funds can be used through the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Whether round two carries the same window is for its own notice to say.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can my police department apply directly to FEMA? A: No. Only State Administrative Agencies submit applications. Work with your SAA for inclusion as a subrecipient.

Q: What if my state didn't receive FY 2026 funding? A: FEMA's stated plan makes every state and territory eligible in FY 2027. Use the time to prepare and build relationships with your SAA.

Q: Does this cover drones for agency use, or only counter-drone equipment? A: The FY 2026 notice's equipment list is counter-drone: detection, tracking, identification and — for NCUTC-trained law enforcement and correctional agencies — mitigation. Drones for the agency's own operations are not on that list; the notice's unallowable-costs section says non-weaponized drones "used for monitoring, surveillance, or data collection are not prohibited, unless otherwise specified," and routes gray-area requests to FEMA for pre-approval. Ask, with the justification in hand.

Q: Can we acquire mitigation equipment that neutralizes drones? A: Only law enforcement and correctional agencies, and only with personnel trained — or scheduled to be trained — at the FBI's NCUTC; the training must be completed before the equipment is employed. Legal authority for drone interdiction is governed by 6 CFR Part 124 and 28 CFR Part 124 (above), not by the grant.

Q: Is there a cost match requirement? A: The FY 2026 notice lists cost share as "Not applicable." Check the FY 2027 notice when it is released.

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Recommended Actions

1. Locate your SAA contact — FEMA's directory
2. Express interest in the planned FY 2027 round — Ask how to participate in state planning
3. Document your threat environment — Incidents, near-misses, vulnerabilities
4. Research equipment options — Understand availability and pricing
5. For law enforcement agencies — Investigate FBI C-UAS training enrollment

Round one closed 38 days after its notice published; an agency that starts at the notice is late.

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Assessment

$500 million represents substantial funding. The first half was distributed in 25 days.

FEMA demonstrated with the FY 2026 round that it can execute this program quickly. The second half is a stated plan; this article will describe it as one until FEMA publishes a notice.

The drone challenge is operational reality. Congress appropriated against it and FEMA's notice states the purpose; an applicant's job is to bring its own jurisdiction's record with its source.

The federal government is now funding defensive capability development. The question is whether your agency will be positioned to benefit.

Preparation now determines outcomes later. The appropriation is real, round one moved fast, and the agencies that engage early will be better positioned if and when round two opens.

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Brian Rutherford is a Marine Corps veteran, combat veteran, and FAA-certified drone pilot who advises organizations on counter-UAS strategy and grant positioning.

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Sources

Primary (retrieved and hashed into DELALLi's source corpus):

• FY 2026 C-UAS Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity, Version 25-02 — FEMA (our hashed copy is the PDF as re-hosted by Cal OES; fema.gov's rendering returned 403 on retrieval)
• FEMA Rapidly Awards $250 Million to Secure U.S. Skies (December 30, 2025) — DHS
• Counter-UAS Grant Program page, with the FY 2026 allocation table (last updated June 9, 2026; checked September 21, 2026) — FEMA
• One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Pub. L. 119-21, section 90005(a) — Congress.gov
• FBI National Counter-UAS Training Center, announcement memorandum (September 24, 2025) — FBI, IACLEA-hosted copy
• Statement of SAC Douglas Olson, FBI, to the Senate Appropriations Committee (2026) — FBI
• 2 CFR 200.313, Equipment — eCFR
• Protection of Certain Facilities and Assets from Unmanned Aircraft, interim final rule, 91 FR 41466 (6 CFR Part 124 / 28 CFR Part 124) — Federal Register

Secondary, not pinned, cited for the reader's convenience only:

• C-UAS Grant Program Fact Sheet — FEMA
• C-UAS Grant Program FAQs — FEMA
• Missouri Receives $14.2M for World Cup Drone Security — KCTV5
• FEMA Fast-Tracks First $250 Million in C-UAS Grants — Inside Unmanned Systems