EMS Assistance

Application Period: 04/01/2026 - 05/01/2026 : 4pm

Technical Assistance: No

Apply here: https://idphgrants.com/user/home.aspx

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Application Documents

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State of Illinois Uniform Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
Summary Information
Awarding Agency Name Public Health
Agency Contact Nichole Jones (nichole.jones@illinois.gov)
Announcement Type Initial
Type of Assistance Instrument Grant
Funding Opportunity Number EMSA-27
Funding Opportunity Title EMS Assistance
CSFA Number 482-00-0894
CSFA Popular Name EMSA
Anticipated Number of Awards 0
Estimated Total Program Funding $78,915
Award Range $100 - $5000
Source of Funding State
Cost Sharing or Matching No
Requirements
Indirect Costs Allowed No
Restrictions on Indirect Costs No
Posted Date 04/01/2026
Application Date Range 04/01/2026 - 05/01/2026 : 4pm
Grant Application Link Please select the entire address below and paste it into the browser...
https://idphgrants.com/user/home.aspx
Technical Assistance Session No

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Uniform Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
Data Field
1. Awarding Agency Name: Illinois Department of Public Health
2. Agency Contact: Name: Nichole Jones
Phone: 618-680-6199
Email: Nichole.jones@illinois.gov
3. Announcement Type: ☒ Initial announcement
☐ Modification of a previous announcement
4. Type of Assistance Instrument: Grant
5. Agency Opportunity Number: EMSA-27
6. Funding Opportunity Title: EMS Assistance Grant FY27
7. CSFA Number: 482-00-0894
8. CSFA Popular Name: EMS Assistance Grant
9. CFDA Number(s): N/A
10. Number of Anticipated Awards: unknown
11. Estimated Total Funding Available: $78,915
12. Single Award Range: $100 - $5000
13. Funding Source: ☐ Federal or Federal pass-through
Mark all that apply ☒ State
☐ Private / other funding
14. Is Cost Sharing or Match Required? ☐ Yes ☒ No
15. Indirect Costs Allowed? ☐ Yes ☒ No
☐ Yes ☐ No
Restrictions on Indirect Costs?
If yes, provide the citation governing the restriction:
16. Posted Date: 4/1/2026
17. Application Date Range: Start Date: 4/1/2026
Leave the 'End Date' and 'End Time' End Date: 5/1/2026
empty if there is no deadline. End Time: 4:00pm
18. Technical Assistance Session: Session Offered: ☐ Yes ☒ No
Session Mandatory: ☐ Yes ☐ No
Date and time:
Conference Info/Registration Link:
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Agency-specific Content for the Notice of Funding Opportunity
A. Program Description
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is pleased to have the opportunity again this year to
distribute funds to Illinois EMS agencies who can demonstrate the need for resources. The grant program
will provide for the purposes of organization, development and improvement of Emergency Medical
Services Systems, including but not limited to training of personnel and acquisition, modification and
maintenance of necessary supplies and equipment. (210 ILCS 50/3.220(c)) Due to the limited amount of
grant funds available, the Department will not consider applications for new vehicles, vehicle re-chassis,
building projects or grant requests over $5000.00.
The Illinois Department of Public Health places health equity as a top priority. Health equity is the “basic
principle of public health that all people have a right to health”. Health equity exists when all people can
achieve comprehensive health and wellness despite their social position or any other social
factors/determinants of health. Most health disparities affect groups marginalized because of
socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, disability status, geographic location, or
some combination of these. People in such groups not only experience worse health but also tend to
have less access to the social determinants or conditions (e.g., healthy food, good housing, good
education, safe neighborhoods, disability access and supports, freedom from racism and other forms of
discrimination) that support health…. Health disparities are referred to as health inequities when they
are the result of the systematic and unjust distribution of these critical conditions. The department’s
efforts are committed to addressing health through an equity lens by empowering communities who
have been historically marginalized and developing intervention strategies with the end goal of
furthering health equity among all Illinoisans.
B. Funding Information
This award is utilizing ☐ federal pass-through, ☒ state and/or ☐ private funds.
The State created an "EMS Assistance Fund" within the State treasury, for the purpose of receiving fines
and fees collected by the Illinois Department of Health pursuant to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Systems Act (210 ILCS 50).
All licensing, testing, and certification fees authorized by the EMS Act, excluding ambulance licensure
fees, within this fund shall be used by the Department for administration, oversight, and enforcement of
activities authorized under this Act (210 ILCS 50/3.220(b-5)). All other moneys within this fund shall be
distributed by the Department to the EMS Regions for disbursement in accordance with protocols
established in the EMS Region Plans, for the purposes of organization, development, and improvement of
Emergency Medical Services Systems, including but not limited to training of personnel and acquisition,
modification and maintenance of necessary supplies, equipment and vehicles (210 ILCS 50/3.220(c)).
The participation of the Regional EMS Advisory Committees is very important to this grant program.
Individual EMS regional plans dictate the process that each region will follow in managing the
disbursement regarding the grant announcement and providing the Division of Emergency Medical
Systems (EMS) and Highway Safety with recommendations for disbursement of grant funds. Final grant
awards will be determined by the Division of EMS.
The Office of Preparedness and Response in past years have awarded from $45,000 to $235,000
depending on the amount of ambulance licensing fees and fines paid into the EMS assistance Fund. This
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money is further divided between 11 EMS Regions in Illinois with each Region receiving approximately
$4,000 to $13,000. In previous years the award amount to an individual provider has ranged from $100 to
$7500.
C. Eligibility Information
Regardless of the source of funding (federal pass-through or State), all grantees are required to register
with the State of Illinois through the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) website,
https://gata.illinois.gov/, complete a prequalification process, and be determined "qualified" as described
in Section 7000.70. Registration and prequalification is required before an organization can apply for an
award.
The entity is "qualified" to be an awardee if it:
1. has an active UEI (Unique Identity ID) number;
2. has an active SAM.gov account;
3. has an acceptable fiscal condition;
4. is in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State, if the Illinois Secretary of State
requires the entity's organization type to be registered. Governmental entities, school
districts and select religious organizations are not required to be registered with the Illinois
Secretary of State. Refer to the Illinois Secretary of State Business Services website:
http://www. cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/business_services/home.html;
5. is not on the Illinois Stop Payment List;
6. is not on the SAM.gov Exclusion List;
7. is not on the Sanctioned Party List maintained by HFS.
1. Eligible Applicants
The Illinois Department of Public Health's (IDPH) EMS Assistance Fund Grant provides the opportunity to
distribute funds to Illinois based EMS providers, who have a current Illinois license and can demonstrate
the need for resources. The grant program will provide for the purposes of organization, development,
and improvement of Emergency Medical Services Systems, including but not limited to training of
personnel and acquisition, modification and maintenance of necessary supplies and equipment. (210
ILCS, section 3.220(c)). Out of State EMS providers with an Illinois license are ineligible for an EMS
Assistance Fund Grant.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
There is no cost sharing or matching required by the EMS Assistance Fund Grant.
3. Indirect Cost Rate
There are no indirect cost rates for the EMS Assistance Fund Grant
Annually, each organization receiving an award from a State grantmaking agency is required to enter
the centralized Indirect Cost Rate System and make one of the following elections for indirect costs to
State and federal pass-through grants:
I. Federal Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA);
II. Election of the de minimis rate;
III. Election not to charge indirect costs; or
IV. Negotiate an indirect cost rate with the State of Illinois.
The awardee shall make one election or negotiate a rate that all State agencies must accept unless
there are federal or State program limitations, caps or supplanting issues.
4. Other, if applicable
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N/A
D. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package
Applications must be submitted via the Illinois Department of Public Health's Electronic Grants
Administration and Management System (EGrAMS), accessible at idphgrants.com.
Since high-speed internet access is not yet universally available for downloading documents or
accessing the electronic application, and applicants may have additional accessibility requirements,
applicants may request paper copies of materials by contacting:
Illinois Department of Public Health
Office of Preparedness and Response
422 S. 5th Street, 3rd Floor
Springfield, Illinois 62701
Attention: Special Programs Coordinator
OR 217-785-9220
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
The application and training materials to complete the application are available through IDPH's
Electronic Grant Administration and Management System (EGrAMS) which can be found at
idphgrants.com.
3. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)
Each applicant, unless the applicant is an individual or Federal or State awarding agency that is exempt
from those requirements under 2 CFR § 25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal or
State awarding agency under 2 CFR § 25.110(d)), is required to:
i. Be registered in SAM before submitting its application. If you are not registered in SAM, this
link provides a connection for SAM registration: https://sam.gov/SAM/
ii. provide a valid UEI in its application; and
iii. continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during
which it has an active Federal, Federal pass-through or State award or an application or plan
under consideration by a Federal or State awarding agency.
The State awarding agency may not make a Federal pass-through or State award to an applicant until the
applicant has complied with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully
complied with the requirements by the time the State awarding agency is ready to make a Federal pass-
through or State award, the State awarding agency may determine that the applicant is not qualified to
receive a Federal pass-through or State award and use that determination as a basis for making a
Federal pass-through or State award to another applicant.
4. Submission Dates and Times
See 17 on Page 1 of this NOFO.
4/1/26 until 5/1/26 at 4pm
5. Intergovernmental Review, if applicable
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N/A
6. Funding Restrictions
All grant funds must be used for the sole purposes set forth in the grant proposal and application
and must be used in compliance with all applicable laws. Grant funds may not be used as matching
funds for any other grant program unless specifically allowed under grant program guidelines. Use
of grant funds for prohibited purposes may result in loss of grant award and/or place the grantee at
risk for repayment of those funds used for the prohibited purpose. Regardless of the source of
funding (federal pass-through or State), all grant-funded expenses must be compliant with Cost
Principles under Subpart E of 2CFR200 unless an exception is noted in federal or State statutes or
regulations.
Allowability
Allowable – All grant funds must be used for items that are necessary and reasonable for the proper
and efficient performance of the grant and may only be used for the purposes stated in the grant
agreement, work plan, and budget. Items must comply with all applicable state and federal
regulations.
Allocable – Grant-funded costs must be chargeable or assignable to the grant in accordance with
relative benefits received. The allocation methodology should be documented and should be
consistent across funding sources for similar costs.
Reasonable – The amounts charged for any item must be reasonable. That means the nature and
amount of the expense does not exceed what a prudent person under the same circumstances
would expend; and that the items are generally recognized as ordinary and necessary for the
performance of the grant.
Allowed Uses
Funding may be used for the following:
The grant program will provide for the purposes of organization, development, and improvement of
Emergency Medical Services Systems, including but not limited to training of personnel and acquisition,
modification and maintenance of necessary supplies and equipment.
Prior Approval ONLY
With prior approval, funding may be used for the following:
N/A
Funding Use Prohibitions
Funding may NOT be used for the following:
Due to the limited amount of EMS Assistance grant funds available, the Department will not consider
applications for new vehicles, vehicle re-chassis, building projects or grant requests over $5000.00.
Additional Funding Guidance
Source Documentation. Accounting records must be supported by such source documentation as
canceled checks, bank statements, invoices, paid bills, donor letters, time and attendance records,
activity reports, travel reports, contractual and consultant agreements, and subaward documentation.
All supporting documentation must be clearly identified with the Award and general ledger accounts
which are to be charged or credited. Records must be submitted with required financial reports for all
line-item expenditures exceeding $5000 in a reporting period.
7. Other Submission Requirements
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The application will require the EMS provider’s W-9, financial statement, and current Illinois EMS
provider license.
E. Application Review Information
The Regional EMS Advisory Committee and the Department will review all eligible applications.
1. Criteria
Applications must be submitted by the deadline. Applicants who are not an Illinois based and licensed
EMS provider will not be reviewed.
The participation of the Regional EMS Advisory Committees is very important to this grant program.
Individual EMS regional plans dictate the process that each region will follow in managing the
disbursement regarding the grant announcement and providing the Division of Emergency Medical
Systems (EMS) and Highway Safety with recommendations for disbursement of grant funds. Final grant
awards will be determined by the Division of EMS.
Grading Scale
Grade 1 - Immediate Funding Alternate funding sources exhausted or unavailable. System participates will
Need suffer if program postponed. Program request is of greatest impact to
community served.
Grade 2 - Definite Funding Alternative funding limited or delayed availability. Program of
Need high priority. Need is present. Program of high impact to community
served.
Grade 3 - Project Needed Local funding available in future. System will benefit from
Eventually improved timetable. Limited available funding.
Grade 4 - Project Can Be Local funds available. Program of low impact to community served.
Delayed Consideration will be given as need increases.
Grade 5 - Project Not Needed Local funds available. Limited impact to service area.
Duplication of resources. Consideration will be given as needed is evident.
2. Review and Selection Process
The EMS Assistance Fund ambulance licensing fees shall be distributed by the Department to the EMS
Regions for disbursement in accordance with protocols established in the EMS Region Plans, for the
purposes of organization, development and improvement of Emergency Medical Services Systems,
including but not limited to training of personnel and acquisition, modification and maintenance of
necessary supplies, equipment and vehicles (210 ILCS 50/3.220 Sec. 3.220). The Regional EMS Advisory
Committee will review their region's applications and submit to the Department a ranking, score,
recommended funding, recommended funding with revisions or not recommended for funding for
each application. Final grant awards will be determined by the Division of EMS and Highway Safety.
The amount of the grant award shall be based on the amount requested by the applicant, the
recommendation of the Regional EMS Advisory Committee, the Department's review of the
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application, and the amount available in the Fund for distribution. The amount awarded shall not exceed
the amount requested by the applicant (Illinois Administrative Code 515.3000 (e)(1)).
Team Review Process
Merit-based review of applications, unless disclosed above, is conducted by one or more review teams.
Each review team will consolidate scores, and final application rankings may be adjusted to address
variability between teams.
Merit-Based Review Appeal Process
For competitive grants, only the evaluation process is subject to appeal. Evaluation scores or funding
determinations/outcomes may not be contested and will not be considered by the Department's Appeals
Review Officer.
To submit an appeal, the appealing party must:
 Submit the appeal in writing and in accordance with the grant application document through
IDPH's Merit-Based Review Appeal Request Form available here:
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/ed4d113385de41feb38964a8005ce72b
 Appeals must be received within 14 calendar days after the date that the grant award notice
was published.
 Appeals must include the following information:
 The name and address of the appealing party
 Identification of the grant
 A statement of reasons for the appeal
 If applicable, documents or exhibits to support statement of reason
The IDPH Appeals Review Officer (ARO) will consider the grant-related appeals and make a
recommendation to the appropriate Deputy Director as expeditiously as possible after receiving all
relevant, requested information.
 The ARO must review the submitted Appeal Request Form for completeness and acknowledge
receipt of the appeal within 14 calendar days from the date the appeal was received.
 The ARO will utilize an Appeal Review Tool to consider the integrity of the competitive grant
process and the impact of the recommendation.
 The appealing party must supply any additional information requested by the agency within the
time period set in the request.
 The ARO shall respond to the appeal within 60 days or supply a written explanation to the
appealing party as to why additional time is required.
Documentation of the appeal determination shall be sent to the appealing party and must include the
following:
 Standard description of the appeal review process and criteria
 Review of the appeal
 Appeal determination
 Rationale for the determination
 In addition to providing the written determination, the grant-making office may do the
following:
 Document improvements to the evaluation process given the findings and re-review all
submitted applications.
 Document improvements to the evaluation process given the findings and implement
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improvements into the following year's grant evaluation process.
 Provide written notice to the appealing party as to how the identified actions will be remedied.
Appeals resolutions may be deferred pending a judicial or administrative determination when actions
concerning the appeal have commenced in a court of administrative body.
3. Anticipated Announcement and State Award Dates, if applicable.
Anticipated Announcement Date (if known): Click or tap to select a date.
Anticipated Program Start Date: 7/1/2026
Anticipated Program End Date: 6/30/2027
F. Award Administration Information
N/A
1. State Award Notices
The grant award recipients will be notified by email through EGrAMS. The award email will have
instructions on how to proceed to receive the grant money awarded.
Applicants who were not eligible or did not receive a grant award will be notified by email through
EGrAMS.
A Notice of State Award (NOSA) shall be issued to the finalists who have successfully completed all
grant award requirements and have been selected to receive grant funding.
The NOSA will specify the funding terms and specific conditions resulting from applicable pre-award risk
assessments.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is exempt from utilizing the standard NOSA issued on
the GATA Grantee Portal. Successful applicants will receive an email notification from EGrAMS and
must review the funding terms and specific conditions in the grant agreement and accept utilizing an
electronically signature. Both the electronic signature in EGrAMS and a physical signature on the grant
agreement must be completed by an authorized representative of the grantee organization and
submitted to IDPH.
A Notice of Denial shall be sent to the applicants not receiving awards via EGrAMS.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
The awarded EMS provider must purchase the requested equipment/supplies or complete the
education as outlined in the budget section of the grant before the EMS provider will be reimbursed by
the grant award. The requested equipment/supplies or education as outlined in the budget section of
the grant must be purchased or completed within fiscal year 2027 (July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2026).
All grantees receiving one or more federally-funded subawards from IDPH equal to or greater than
$30,000 must provide compensation information within EGrAMS prior to issuance of an award.
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Grantees will not be able to sign grant agreements or amendment agreements until this requirement is
complete. Annual completion of this requirement is necessary for multiyear grants.
3. Reporting
Once the provider has electronically and physically signed and submitted a copy of the grant agreement,
purchased the equipment/supplies, or completed the education, submitted a reimbursement
certification form, purchase receipt, and completed the “Grant Close-out Report” the grant requirements
will be complete. Quarterly objectives do not apply to this grant as the EMS Assistance Grant is a one-
time expenditure during the grant period. Objectives of this grant will be met upon submission of all
required documentation listed above.
G. State Awarding Agency Contact(s)
Nichole Jones, DNP, MBA, RN, CCRN, CRT
Region 4 EMS Coordinator
Interim EMS Assistance Grant Coordinator
Illinois Department of Public Health – Metro East Regional Office
11 Executive Drive
Fairview Heights, IL 62208
Desk phone: 618-680-6199
Nichole.Jones@illinois.gov
H. Other Information, if applicable
Mandatory Forms -- Required for All Agencies
1. Uniform State Grant Application – Available at idphgrants.com for eligible applicants
2. New to EGrAMS, click HERE to see how to Get Started
3. Project Narrative (included in EGrAMS application)
4. Budget (included in EGrAMS application)
5. Budget Narrative (included in EGrAMS application)
Other program-specific mandatory forms:
1. Provider's W-9
2. Provider's financial statement
3. Current Illinois EMS provider license
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