Grants that can pay for ClearPoint's work

Internal guide. Last checked October 4, 2026. Rules change every year, so re-check before quoting anything to a customer.

The angle

Most of ClearPoint's best customers are government agencies with no budget line for drone security.

Federal grants can create that budget line.

The biggest one, FEMA's Counter-UAS Grant, lists risk assessments, response plans, SOPs, detection equipment, vendor training and exercises as things it will pay for. Its own sample budget includes a line for consultant services.

That maps almost one to one onto what ClearPoint sells.

Two things make this work for ClearPoint specifically:

• ClearPoint is vendor neutral. The grant rules reward "plan first, then buy." Hardware vendors can't credibly do that step.
• ClearPoint focuses on detection and planning. That keeps customers clear of the mitigation restrictions that trip up most applications.

Short version

How these grants work

Almost every grant in this guide follows the same shape. Learn it once.

The State Administrative Agency (SAA)

FEMA gives homeland security money to one office per state. That office is the SAA.

In Utah, the SAA is the Division of Emergency Management (DEM), part of the Department of Public Safety.

Local agencies can't apply to FEMA directly. They apply to DEM. DEM applies to FEMA, receives the award, and passes money down to local projects. These are called sub-awards.

Pass-through rules

• For the C-UAS grant, the SAA must pass at least 97% to local agencies.
• The SAA can keep up to 3% for admin.
• Exception: an SAA may keep up to 20% for statewide or state law enforcement needs if it justifies it.

POETE: the five cost categories

FEMA preparedness grants sort every dollar into one of five buckets:

1. Planning (assessments, response plans, SOPs, consultants)
2. Organization (staffing, overtime)
3. Equipment (must be on the Authorized Equipment List)
4. Training
5. Exercises (tabletops, drills)

ClearPoint lives in Planning, Training and Exercises. Equipment advice sits inside Planning.

The Authorized Equipment List (AEL)

FEMA keeps a master list of what grant money can buy. In October 2025 it added Section 22, Counter-UAS Equipment. Key items:

• 22GN-01-SUAD: UAS detection and tracking system
• 22GN-01-DAAS: detection-as-a-service subscription
• 22GN-01-SCOP: sensor fusion / common operating picture software
• 22GN-01-COMM: comms for detection and tracking
• 22GN-01-MMPN: mounts, masts, power, networking
• 22GN-01-TWSP: training, warranty, spares
• 22GN-01-UMIT: mitigation system (restricted)

Rules that apply almost everywhere

• No supplanting. Grant money must add to a budget, not replace existing spending.
• Terrorism link. Every cost must tie to preventing or responding to terrorism.
• No duplication of free federal help. If CISA offers it free, the grant won't pay a vendor for the same thing.
• Federal procurement rules apply to the agency when it hires a contractor.

FEMA Counter-UAS (C-UAS) Grant Program

Confirmed Best fit. Covers assessments, planning, consulting, training, exercises and detection equipment.

FY2026 recap (what already happened)

• Went to 11 World Cup host states plus the National Capital Region.
• Notice opened October 28, 2025. Applications due early December 2025. Awards announced December 30, 2025.
• FEMA called it the fastest non-disaster grant it has ever run. About five weeks from open to close. States set local deadlines two weeks earlier.
• Largest awards: California $34.6M, Texas $30.3M, National Capital Region $28.3M, Florida $23.6M.

FY2027 (the one Utah can get)

• Open to all 56 states and territories, awarded competitively.
• Statute sets a floor of 0.35% of appropriated funds for each state. Utah's dollar figure is not published.
• FEMA says FY2027 details "will be determined and shared at a later date." No notice, no dates.
• One vendor blog guesses late 2026 for the notice. That is a guess, not a FEMA date.
• If it moves like FY2026, expect a five-week window with a local deadline two weeks before FEMA's.

Who can receive the money

The notice says SAAs may sub-award to "eligible local, tribal, and territorial government entities, including city and county agencies, law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical services, emergency management, and other qualifying public safety organizations."

National League of Cities adds airport and port authorities.

Likely not eligible as direct recipients: private infrastructure owners, private venues, private hospitals, private universities.

Unclear: public hospitals, public universities, public utilities. Ask DEM.

What it pays for (exact language)

Planning

Consulting, named outright

Training

Appendix B lists detection training as "Vendor-based" and exercises as "Vendor-supported."

Equipment: radar, EO/IR cameras, RF detection, acoustic, Remote ID receivers, integrated multi-sensor systems, sensor fusion software, portable systems, detection-as-a-service, mounts and networking.

ClearPoint coverage scorecard

Spending targets

• About 80% for C-UAS equipment and services.
• About 20% for training personnel on C-UAS technology.

Restrictions and gotchas

• Mitigation (jamming, spoofing, takeover) is for law enforcement and corrections only. Personnel must be trained or scheduled at the FBI National Counter-UAS Training Center. Netting is allowed for everyone.
• No systems that capture payload data (like intercepting a drone's video feed).
• Vendor contracts must allow data sharing with DHS, DOJ, DOE and Department of War C-UAS entities.
• Usage reporting is required: system hours, detections, distinct drones, investigations launched. Unused equipment can be recalled.
• Draft implementation plan due within 60 days of accepting the award.
• Appendix B: "all C-UAS costs must be certified as compliant with Title 18 by the Department of Justice."
• FY2026 notice predates the July 2026 rule. Expect the FY2027 notice to reference the new Authorized Technologies List.
• Sub-applicants must submit short bios and resumes of leadership.
• No cap on consultant costs appears in the notice.

How FY2026 applications were scored

• Mitigation capability: 30 points
• Supporting an NSSE or SEAR 1/2 event: 50 points
• Each detection sensor type: 2 points
• Training plan: 2 points
• Implementation within 6 months: 2 points

FY2027 scoring is not published. Without World Cup events the 50-point bonus may change.

What FY2026 states actually bought

• New York, $17.2M: State Police $6.6M, NYPD $6.5M, MTA $2.6M, Port Authority $1.5M. Described as "hardware and specialized training."
• Massachusetts: Boston PD $10.9M, Foxborough PD $3.6M, State Police $6.8M. "Training, personnel and equipment."
• Dallas, about $10.3M: added to Dallas PD's existing Axon contract for RF, radar and camera detection.
• Kansas City PD: $11M of Missouri's $14M for "anti-drone radar technology."

Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP and UASI)

Confirmed for drone detection. Likely for planning and training.

Why it matters

The FY2026 notice says, under Soft Targets:

And before buying, recipients must:

• Consult FEMA and legal experts
• Develop standard operating procedures
• Provide training and certification

Those three prerequisites are ClearPoint's planning, SOP and training work.

Gotchas

• Heavy competition. Fixed set-asides for national priorities (30%), law enforcement terrorism prevention (35%), border (10%), election security (3%).
• Notice points states to free DHS Protective Security Advisors for soft-target assessments. That is competition for ClearPoint on the assessment piece.
• Utah runs SHSP each spring. Local projects go through the regions, coordinated by the Utah Regional Coordination Council and county emergency managers. DEM's SHSP grant manager listed on the research was Tanner Patterson.

DOJ Byrne JAG (Justice Assistance Grant)

Confirmed for C-UAS equipment. Likely for training and contract services.

The SAFER SKIES Act added a counter-UAS purpose area to JAG. The FY2026 Local notice lists:

It also says JAG can "protect the public, critical infrastructure, mass gathering events, and public facilities from threats posed by the careless or unlawful use of unmanned aircraft systems."

Gotchas

• BJA prior approval required for C-UAS costs.
• A Counter-UAS Certification form is required if C-UAS is in the budget.
• Equipment must be on the federal authorized technology list.

COPS Office grants were also expanded for C-UAS, per the Congressional Research Service. No specific COPS solicitation was reviewed.

Port Security (PSGP) and Transit Security (TSGP)

Confirmed for detection. Narrow eligibility.

• Both FY2026 notices list "Unmanned Aircraft Systems and detection technologies" as an example project.
• TSGP FY2026: $88.35M. Only the transit agencies named in the notice can apply.
• Both closed July 24, 2026.
• TSGP mentions "system-wide risk assessments." Drone-specific assessment coverage is likely, not confirmed.
• Utah Transit Authority eligibility for TSGP was not verified.

Corrections

Three paths for prisons and jails fighting contraband drops.

• FEMA C-UAS grant: correctional agencies are named as eligible, including for mitigation.
• BJA Justice Reinvestment Initiative (O-BJA-2026-172609): $19M total, up to $4M per site. Allowable areas include "Fortifying correctional environments to increase the prevention and interdiction of contraband." The notice lists "counter-drone" as a technology example. Likely. Deadline not confirmed.
• Byrne JAG: corrections is a JAG program area.

The July 2026 rule includes a corrections-specific mitigation certification and allows 365-day standing operation windows for fixed sites like prisons.

Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP)

Does not pay for assessments. Partial for training and planning. Unclear for drone detection.

The hard stop

The FY2026 notice lists as unallowable:

Yet every applicant must include a vulnerability assessment with the application. So a nonprofit pays for the assessment itself, then uses the grant for what follows.

What may be covered

• Planning: security plans and protocols
• Training: security training for employees
• Exercises: response exercises

Sales angle

Sell the DVRA to the nonprofit as a self-paid service that makes their NSGP application stronger. The grant can then fund the drone response plan and staff training that come out of it.

Schools, EMPG and the rest (checked Oct 4, 2026)

Second pass on the programs the first report left unverified.

Schools: the real path is SVPP, not STOP

BJA STOP School Violence No

• Funds behavioral threat assessment teams, anonymous reporting apps, and staff training on student violence.
• "Threat assessment" here means assessing students, not the building.
• The solicitation lists "Target Hardening Equipment" as unallowable and sends it to COPS SVPP.
• No drone, UAS, perimeter or physical site language anywhere.
• Deadlines: Grants.gov Oct 30, JustGrants Nov 6, 2026. Up to $1M per district, no match.
• Skip it unless ClearPoint wants to sell staff training on drone awareness, which is a stretch.

COPS School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) Confirmed for assessments and training. Unclear for drone detection.

• The physical security grant for K-12. $73M nationally, up to $500,000 per award, 25% cash match (waived for microgrants under $100,000).
• Who applies: school districts, charter districts, school boards, cities, counties, tribes, law enforcement agencies. Not individual private schools.
• Assessment is required. Resource guide: recipients "must conduct comprehensive school safety assessments for all schools involved in the funded project within the 36-month grant implementation period." Waived if one was done in the last three years.
• Assessment is fundable. "School safety assessments" is listed under allowable Other Costs. Consultants are allowed for "needs analysis, installation, and testing" at up to $650 per day without prior approval.
• No required assessment tool. CISA SSAT, PASS and REMS are not mandated.
• Allowable equipment: "Security cameras and/or systems," access control, emergency alerts, visitor management, fencing, window film.
• Unallowable: license plate readers, facial recognition, body cameras, vape detectors, CAD/RMS, vehicles, construction except fencing. Drones and drone detection are not on either list. Ask the COPS Office before budgeting it.
• FY2026 closed August 11, 2026. Historically opens each spring. Plan for the FY2027 cycle.
• Sales angle: a drone-aware site assessment that also satisfies the SVPP assessment condition. The district funds the assessment with the grant, then buys cameras and alerts with the rest.

Utah school safety (HB 84 / Utah Code 53G-8 Part 7) Partial

• Every Utah public school must designate a School Safety and Security Specialist (a school employee, not the principal). $3,000 annual stipend, applied for by Sept 15.
• Annual building assessment is done by the specialist with the County Security Chief or local law enforcement. The law does not mention outside contractors. It does not forbid them either.
• LEAs had to finish a "school safety needs assessment of their choice (e.g., CISA SSAT, PASS, REMS)" by Dec 31, 2024, then annually.
• School Safety and Support Grant (USBE): funds panic buttons, radio repeaters, entry control, cameras on entrances and grounds, security film, fencing, SRO services, specialist training, "safety and security training by law enforcement agencies for school employees." Deadline Jan 31 each year, funds through June 2028.
• No drone or UAS language anywhere in the Utah program.
• Realistic path: sell to the County Security Chief, not to individual schools. The chief runs assessments for every school in the county and is the one person who could add a drone layer to the standard assessment.

EMPG: upgraded from unknown to yes

FEMA Emergency Management Performance Grant Confirmed drone detection. Likely planning.

• NOFO language: recipients "are permitted to purchase unmanned aircraft systems, otherwise known as drones, or equipment or services for the detection, tracking, or identification of drones and drone signals." Cites Executive Order 14305.
• Planning: funds may "develop or enhance emergency management planning activities" including Emergency Operations Plans. A drone threat annex fits. Contractor planning is not named but not barred; FEMA encourages funding "at least one dedicated Planner."
• Training "may be delivered by FEMA, state, local, tribal, territorial or non-governmental organizations."
• Catch: 50% match. Non-federal funds must cover at least half the project. Most EMPG money already pays emergency manager salaries, so there is rarely room for new projects.
• All-hazards program. No terrorism link required, which is easier than HSGP.
• FY2026 closed July 10, 2026. Runs through Utah DEM annually.
• Best use: a county emergency manager who wants a drone annex in the EOP and a detection-as-a-service subscription, and has local match to put in.

Airports: the law has a door, the FAA hasn't opened it

FAA AIP under 49 U.S.C. 44810 Not yet

• The statute says: once the FAA certifies detection and mitigation technologies tested under its program, "an airport sponsor may apply for a grant under subchapter I of chapter 471 to purchase an unmanned aircraft detection and mitigation system." That is AIP money.
• The FAA's test program covers five host airports. Its 2024 Aviation Rulemaking Committee recommended a review process but did not set a certification timeline.
• No evidence the FAA has certified any system yet, so no airport can use AIP for detection today. Authority runs through Sept 30, 2028.
• Meanwhile, a public airport authority can be a sub-recipient under the FEMA C-UAS grant (per NLC). That stays the airport path.

TSA No grant

• TSA runs C-UAS test beds at Miami and LAX to evaluate vendor technology. No grants, no free coverage, no assessments for airports.

Utilities: compliance, not grants

DOE Grid Resilience formula grants (40101(d)) Weak

• Eligible activities: hardening lines and facilities, vegetation management, weatherization, undergrounding, "monitoring and control technologies," distributed energy. Cybersecurity is excluded. Physical security is not named.
• "Monitoring and control technologies" is the only hook for detection equipment, and it's a stretch. The program is built for storms and wildfire.
• Match is 15% at the state level and 33% to 100% at the utility level. Runs through Utah's state energy office.
• Better angle for utilities: NERC CIP-014 already requires transmission owners to do physical security risk assessments and have them verified by an unaffiliated third party. A drone threat layer inside that assessment is paid from the utility's compliance budget, no grant needed. Not verified that any utility has added drones to CIP-014 work yet.
• JIATF-401 (Dept of Defense) published a "Harden, Obscure, Perimeter" physical protection guide for critical infrastructure in January 2026. Useful credibility reference. It carries no money.

Utah state, Olympics, insurance

• No 2025 or 2026 Utah appropriation for counter-drone or drone detection was found.
• Utah Code 72-14-304 makes dropping items into or interfering with a correctional facility by drone a felony. That is a reason corrections wants detection, not a funding source.
• Utah 2034: no state security funding found. Olympics security is federal (Secret Service NSSE). Eight years out.
• Insurance carrier credits for drone assessments: nothing found. Treat as unknown.
• CISA still offers free "Be Air Aware" guides and free Protective Security Advisor assessments. That is the main competition, and CISA's own guidance tells owners to do a UAS risk assessment first.

SAFER SKIES and the July 2026 rule

The grants fund compliance with this law. Know it.

The law

• SAFER SKIES Act, part of the FY2026 NDAA (Pub. L. 119-60). Signed December 18, 2025.
• Lets state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement and corrections agencies detect and mitigate drone threats.

The rule

• DOJ/DHS Interim Final Rule, 91 FR 41466. 6 CFR and 28 CFR Part 124.
• Effective July 1, 2026. Published July 6, 2026. Comments closed September 4, 2026 with 46,114 comments.

Two tiers

• Tier 1, Detection and Warning: online course from the FBI National Counter-UAS Training Center. Free. Auto-issued on completion. About one hour.
• Tier 2, Mitigation: resident training at the NCUTC (Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville). Reported as two weeks.

What agencies must do

• Adopt an implementation policy reviewed by legal counsel, attested through a federal portal. Detection-only agencies can use a shorter "detection and warning policy."
• Sign a C-UAS Operations Plan. 30-day windows for events. Up to 365 days for fixed sites.
• Get FCC authorization before using any system that emits radio waves.
• Follow privacy rules, including a 180-day data retention limit.
• File mitigation reports within 48 hours.
• Civil fines up to $100,000 per violation.

What this means for ClearPoint

• Contractors may not operate systems that need SAFER SKIES authority.
• The rule says contractors may "design, manufacture, sell, install, and maintain C-UAS systems; provide technical support and system-level operator training."
• Only the FBI certifies officers. ClearPoint must never sell training as "certification."
• ClearPoint's value: writing the implementation policy, the Operations Plan and the SOPs, plus system-level and scenario training.
• Cameras, radar and acoustic sensors are not subject to the authorized technology lists. RF detection that intercepts control signals is.

Grant writing warning

Helping an agency write its application, then winning the contract, is a conflict of interest problem under federal procurement rules (2 C.F.R. Part 200).

• Consultants cannot submit the application or be the authorized representative.
• The C-UAS notice says outside grant writers may trigger "additional federal requirements."
• NSGP flatly bars funding the development of the Investment Justification.

Safe lane: educate, share templates, run webinars. Don't author a customer's application. If a customer wants hands-on help, get their procurement office to sign off first, or keep it a separate paid service with no bid on the resulting contract.

Getting on DEM's radar

DEM has never run the C-UAS grant. They will be learning it fast. Be the vendor-neutral expert they point people to.

1. Call DEM. Ask who owns C-UAS. Ask to be notified when the FY2027 notice arrives. Ask whether local projects flow through the regions like SHSP.
2. Offer something useful. A short briefing on what FY2026 states funded. A one-page guide to writing a strong Investment Justification. A free webinar for county emergency managers and chiefs.
3. Work the regions. Get a 15-minute slot at Utah Regional Coordination Council and county emergency manager meetings.
4. Get a pilot agency ready. One sheriff, PD or public airport. Scope or complete the assessment now so they have a shovel-ready project when the window opens.
5. Stack the paperwork. SAM.gov registration. Utah state vendor registration. Check whether a Utah cooperative purchasing contract exists that ClearPoint could join (not verified).
6. Be visible. Publish the public grants page and the blog post. Send both to DEM, URCC and county EMs.
7. Stay out of the grant-writing seat. See the warning above.

How a Utah customer actually gets the money (FY2027 C-UAS)

1. Confirm eligibility. Must be a government agency. Private sites need a government partner.
2. Contact DEM now and get on the notification list.
3. Do the assessment early. The application asks for "specific threats, vulnerabilities, or gaps." A finished DVRA gives them that data.
4. Build a POETE budget: planning (assessment, response plan, SOPs), equipment (Tier 1 detection, AEL 22GN items), training, exercises.
5. Line up SAFER SKIES compliance. Officers finish the free online Tier 1 course. Agency adopts a detection and warning policy.
6. Submit through DEM by DEM's internal deadline.
7. After award: sign the sub-award, follow procurement rules to hire ClearPoint, file the implementation plan within 60 days, report usage.

Sales talking points

• "FEMA's C-UAS grant lists risk assessments, response plans and SOPs as allowable planning costs. Its sample budget includes consultant services."
• "The FY2027 round is open to every state, including Utah. FEMA hasn't set dates yet. Last year's window was about five weeks."
• "There is no local match. It can be 100% federally funded."
• "A vendor-neutral assessment makes your application stronger and keeps you from buying the wrong sensors."
• "Federal law now requires a written policy, an Operations Plan and certified operators before you run certain detection systems. We help you build those documents."
• "HSGP rules require SOPs and training before you buy drone detection. That's our planning and training work."
• "If you're a police agency, JAG now has a counter-UAS purpose area."
• "We focus on detection and planning, so you stay clear of the mitigation restrictions."

What not to say

• Don't tell private companies or nonprofits "the grant will pay us" for assessments.
• Don't say "our training certifies your officers." Only the FBI NCUTC certifies.
• Don't quote FY2027 deadlines. None exist.
• Don't promise the grant covers grant writing.

Timeline and watch list

Watch

• fema.gov C-UAS program page for the FY2027 notice
• dem.utah.gov/grant-opportunities for any C-UAS announcement
• DOJ/DHS Authorized Technologies List and Authorized Systems List
• FEMA AEL changelog for Section 22 updates

Sources

• FEMA C-UAS Grant Program page
• FEMA C-UAS NOFO (web)
• FEMA C-UAS NOFO (PDF copy hosted by Cal OES)
• FEMA C-UAS Fact Sheet
• FEMA C-UAS FAQ
• Grants.gov listing, C-UAS Grant Program
• FEMA Authorized Equipment List
• FY2026 HSGP NOFO
• FY2026 NSGP NOFO
• FY2026 PSGP NOFO
• FY2026 Byrne JAG Local NOFO
• BJA Justice Reinvestment Initiative FY2026
• DOJ/DHS Interim Final Rule, July 6, 2026
• CRS In Focus IF13279 on SLTT C-UAS
• CISA Be Air Aware
• FY2026 STOP School Violence solicitation
• FY2026 COPS SVPP NOFO
• FY2026 COPS SVPP Application Resource Guide
• Utah H.B. 84 School Safety Amendments summary
• Utah School Safety and Security Specialist Stipend Grant
• Utah School Safety and Support Grant resource guide
• FEMA EMPG NOFO (FY2025 web version; FY2026 PDF blocked fetch)
• 49 U.S.C. 44810 airport UAS detection and mitigation
• FAA UAS Detection and Mitigation ARC final report
• TSA C-UAS Test Bed Program
• DOE Grid Resilience 40101(d) fact sheet
• Utah DEM grant opportunities
• National League of Cities summary

Award figures by state come from trade press and state press releases and may not match each other. This guide is not legal advice. Confirm allowable costs with DEM or a FEMA preparedness officer before a customer signs.