Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction: First Responder Vaccine Initiative (FRVI) Pilot | DHS 19 CWMD 077 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for DHS 19 CWMD 077 001

The Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction: First Responder Vaccine Initiative (FRVI) Pilot is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) discretionary grant opportunity designed to help establish and test a practical, repeatable way to offer pre-event vaccination to emergency response personnel on a voluntary basis. The core idea is to build a working mechanism that jurisdictions can use before an incident occurs, rather than trying to vaccinate responders only after a biological event has started. The pilot specifically focuses on emergency response providers who have been assessed as being at high risk of exposure to aerosolized anthrax spores while performing their assigned duties, reflecting a targeted approach to a high-consequence biological threat.

Operationally, the effort is intended to be carried out in partnership or close coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), specifically the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and the Office of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). That coordination signals that the pilot is not just a planning exercise, but is meant to align with federal public health preparedness systems, including national-level processes related to medical countermeasures. In practice, this kind of alignment supports consistent procedures for vaccination logistics, clinical protocols, tracking, and readiness activities that would matter during an actual emergency.

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which generally means DHS anticipates substantial involvement in shaping, monitoring, or supporting the work as it proceeds, rather than simply issuing a grant and stepping back. The activity category is listed as science and technology and other research and development, indicating the pilot is meant to produce usable methods, operational lessons, and potentially scalable models for wider adoption, rather than only paying for routine operations. The opportunity is cataloged under CFDA 97.077 and is administered through the DHS Office of Procurement Operations, Grants Division.

Eligible applicants are government entities at the state and local level, including state governments, county governments, and city or township governments. The pilot is aimed at selected jurisdictions, meaning applicants are expected to demonstrate that their emergency response providers face a comparatively higher risk profile for anthrax exposure in the field and that the jurisdiction can realistically implement and manage a voluntary pre-event vaccination program. Although it is not a strict eligibility requirement, DHS notes that evaluators will prefer applicants that identify a university or industry partner with existing capabilities that can support one or more pilot goals. That preference suggests DHS is looking for jurisdictions that can bring credible operational, medical, data, evaluation, or logistics capacity to the table quickly, increasing the likelihood that the pilot yields high-quality results and lessons learned.

Key administrative details from the posting include the funding opportunity number DHS 19 CWMD 077 001, an original closing date of August 15, 2019, and a creation date of July 10, 2019. The award ceiling is listed as $800,000. The notice lists expected awards but does not specify a number in the provided source data. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted preparedness pilot: it is meant to help DHS and participating jurisdictions develop, test, and refine an operational pathway for voluntary, pre-event vaccination of high-risk first responders against anthrax, in coordination with the federal public health and stockpile infrastructure.

• The Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction: First Responder Vaccine Initiative (FRVI) Pilot" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 97.077.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-07-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-08-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $800,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments.

Apply for DHS 19 CWMD 077 001

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