Grants for security guards and contract security

How contract security fits the application

The FY2026 notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) lists "Contract Security" as a separate Investment Justification (IJ) budget line without an Authorized Equipment List code. The State Administrative Agency scores whether the proposed coverage reasonably addresses a vulnerability identified at that site. The budget should state the coverage and cost clearly enough to support that connection. See NSGP allowable costs and AEL codes for the other cost categories.

The current 100% limit comes from the FY2026 NOFO, which also requires compliance with Information Bulletin 441. An older companion bulletin, IB 421b, described a 50% personnel cap and waiver process. Those older limits do not replace the FY2026 NOFO's express 100% rule.

Who you can hire: guards, off-duty police, and armed security

The FY2026 NOFO lists "Hiring of public safety personnel" as unallowable, with one exception: "off duty law enforcement personnel in the capacity of contract security" (p. 17). A nonprofit may contract for an off-duty detail or use a private guard company. It may not fund a police position, overtime, or backfill.

The NOFO doesn't distinguish armed from unarmed guards, and it sets no federal licensing standard for them. Those questions fall to state licensing law, local police department rules for extra-duty work, your insurer, and the contract itself. Some state programs set their own limits. New Jersey's state guard grant, for example, is limited to law enforcement officers, special law enforcement officers, and registered security officers.

NSGP funds cannot buy equipment for contracted guards. The FY2026 allowable list does not include weapons or firearms training. Radios for the nonprofit's own staff or safety team may fit equipment code 06CP-01-PORT when tied to the site's assessment, but the State Administrative Agency (SAA) should resolve any proposed use by contract guards before it enters the budget.

Budgeting and documenting guard hours

The coverage schedule must fit the award period. FEMA's FY2026 period of performance runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029 (p. 4), but an SAA may set a shorter subaward period. The IJ milestones cannot start before the period of performance or extend beyond 36 months (p. 76).

The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) told FY2024 applicants to provide "the hourly/daily rate, the number of personnel and anticipated number of hours/days the personnel will work over the course of the period of performance" (FDEM FY2024 NSGP guide). For Florida's separate state program, FDEM also required time-and-effort records with the dates, hours, and officer's name, plus a signed contract stating "the rate, frequency, and scope of services" (FDEM program notice, June 7, 2024).

Those records matter at reimbursement. Where the state pays NSGP subawards by reimbursement, as Florida does, each claim for guard services rests on the contract, the invoices, and proof of the hours worked. A significant change from the approved coverage can be a change in scope, which needs FEMA's prior written approval through your SAA. See NSGP reimbursement claims for claim review.

Procuring the guard contract

A guard contract is subject to the federal standards at 2 CFR 200.317 through 200.327, and the NOFO requires "full and open competition" (p. 50). For procurements above the $15,000 micro-purchase threshold, 2 CFR 200.320 requires price or rate quotations from an adequate number of qualified sources. A contract above the $350,000 simplified acquisition threshold requires a formal method with public notice. These thresholds took effect October 1, 2025. FDEM's FY2024 guide says sole-source procurement for contract security is not allowable in Florida's process.

FEMA bars a contractor that helps develop "grant applications, project plans, or budgets" from competing for the resulting procurement (p. 51). A guard company that drafts the proposed budget or scope of work may therefore lose the chance to bid. The guide for security vendors addresses that boundary, and NSGP procurement requirements covers the full process.

Planning for the end of funding

Information Bulletin 441 says a reprogramming request is more likely to be accepted when the guards will contribute to long-term security after the award. California's FY2025 state guidance goes further: it requires the subrecipient to sustain the capability and limits contracted security to 50% of that state award. Set a post-award coverage plan before committing to recurring hours. A later NSGP award is not assured.

State programs that pay for guards

The programs below expressly allow guards or contracted security services in their current or most recent published rules, checked October 14, 2026. Confirm the next round with the agency before budgeting around it. For agency contacts and NSGP deadlines, see security grants by state.

Stacking a state guard grant on a federal one has limits. Tennessee says "Organizations receiving federal NSGP funds for contracted security personnel are not eligible for this Tennessee grant," and New Jersey's NSGP-SP can't replace guards an organization already pays for. If you hold or are seeking both, map which hours each source pays for and disclose the other award where the application asks.

Police patrols through Byrne JAG

A house of worship can't apply for the Justice Department's Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG), but its local police department can. The FY2026 solicitation has a "Safe Houses of Worship" section, where the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) says "State and local agencies may use JAG funds to respond to and deter threats to houses of worship and other religious institutions, including religious schools" (BJA FY2026 JAG Local solicitation). One of its sample project abstracts describes a city using JAG funds "for overtime for increased patrols" at at-risk religious institutions.

JAG local awards go to units of local government. For FY2026, the Grants.gov step closed October 9, 2026, and agencies that completed it must submit in JustGrants by October 16, 2026. The police agency keeps the money and the officers. A nonprofit does not file this application; it can ask its police chief or city manager to consider patrols at the site.