FEMA has announced the release of the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Fiscal Year 2021 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP). The program provides $12 million to eligible states and local governments to close known preparedness capability gaps, encourage innovative regional solutions to issues related to catastrophic incidents, and build on existing regional preparedness efforts. With the announcement, FEMA emphasizes that regional pandemic preparedness remains a program objective, with a focus on addressing “Community Lifelines” (one of which is “Food, Water, and Shelter”) and “Core Capabilities” that are essential to pandemic preparedness. It also notes that applicants may continue to consider projects in the Food, Water, and Shelter Community Lifeline and it encourages them to consider the needs of socially vulnerable populations and involve representatives of affected communities in the development and execution of proposed projects. The application period is open until 5 pm ET on July 16, 2021.