Where and How Can You Get CARES Funding for Purchase of GovQA?

GovQA has identified the following sources of state and local government agency funding for COVID-19 related expenses.

The CARES Act (H.R. 748) is a $2.2 trillion aid package providing financial aid to families, governments, and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 public health crisis. It was signed into law on March 27, 2020, creating the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF).

Qualifying expenses:

1. Are necessary expenditures incurred due to the COVID-19 public health emergency
2. Were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of March 27, 2020
3. Were incurred between March 1 and December 30, 2020

According to the U.S. Treasury Department, CARES Act funds can cover software costs that “facilitate compliance with COVID-19-related public health measures.” This includes the following eligible technology uses which:

• improve remote-working capabilities for government employees;
• notify the community about COVID-19 updates; 
• allow essential government functions such as making public records requests possible while supporting social distancing.

How to apply:

Most funds were distributed from the federal government to states.  Some funds were distributed from the federal government directly to the largest cities and counties. Local governments can apply for funds through county or state governments by contacting state and county officials for help finding the distribution path and application guidelines for your region.  

The portion of the CARES Act earmarked for governments, called the Coronavirus Relief Fund, is $150B allocated to states, territories, tribes, and local governments based on population. States (and counties & cities with populations over 500,000) applied for funding directly.  Cities and counties with fewer than 500,000 are required to request funding from the state’s share of the federal funds. Eligible uses:

The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding of $850 million was allocated by the U.S. Department of Justice to assist eligible states, local units of government, and tribes in preventing, preparing for, and responding to the coronavirus.  Eligibility was identified under the FY19 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. Applicants registered here.

Deadline to Apply: May 29, 2020 (Expired)

Eligible uses:

Public Health Emergency Preparedness funds of $2B+ were allocated by the CDC to states for public health preparedness and response capabilities. State departments of health applied for funding directly. Eligible uses:

Emergency Management Performance Grant funds of $100M were allocated by FEMA to states for public health and emergency management activities related to COVID-19 response.  State departments applied for funding directly. Eligible uses:

Help American Vote Act allocated $400M to states to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus for the 2020 federal election cycle. State and territory elections offices applied for funding directly.  Eligible uses:

Up to $415M in SHSP funds are available each year to build or enhance capabilities that relate to the prevention of, protection from, mitigation of, response to, and recovery from terrorism.  Awards are distributed to state and local entities.  Priority uses:

Up to $5M in funds available each year to implement projects that improve the quality and efficiency of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) operations.  Individual awards range from $20K-$2M each. 

Deadline to Apply: June 15, 2020 (Expired)

Priority use:

House bill introduced on August 14, 2020, proposes $28 billion in federal funds earmarked for upgrades to IT and cybersecurity infrastructure (including the two programs outlined below). “Outdated legacy systems not only threaten state and local governments’ ability to deliver critical services but can also expose sensitive data to cyber threats,” said Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., one of the sponsors of the legislation, in a statement. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and modernizing IT infrastructure is an important step towards ensuring our country is well-defended in cyberspace across all levels of government.”

House bill proposes $25 billion over 5 years to state and municipal governments to replace old legacy systems and move to cloud-based systems.

Proposed house bill of $2 billion would help cover the unexpected emergency IT costs associated with the current pandemic and will help state and local governments develop their own cybersecurity strategic plans.