Up to $2M Cities Deliver AI Grant
- Organization: The Rockefeller Foundation
- Type: Grant
- Location: Global
- Deadline: November 29, 2026
- Funding: Fully Funded
The Rockefeller Foundation and the OpenAI Foundation are committing $50 million in total to help organisations that work alongside city governments use frontier AI to improve public services for underserved residents. Grants of $500,000 to $2 million over 24 months fund projects in public health, economic mobility, environmental resilience or civic engagement, either taking an early idea to its first city pilot or scaling a solution a city has already piloted. The call is open worldwide, but only organisations can apply, and each one needs a city government partner that signs a letter of intent. **What you get:** - Seed track: a grant of $500,000 to under $1 million to refine an idea with city partners, build and test a prototype with real users, and run a first city pilot - Scale track: a grant of $1 million to $2 million to expand a solution already piloted in a city, within that city or to another city - A 24 month grant, with 50% paid at the start and 50% on a documented mid-term milestone; staffing and compute or API credits are allowable costs - A place in a facilitated peer cohort, with webinars, mentorship and evaluation support offered based on demand - Occasional AI product and engineering support, subject to capacity, shared across groups of grantees rather than bespoke to each project - Access to both foundations' networks of city leaders, funders and technical partners, and an invitation to a global or regional convening **What you'll do:** - Build, pilot or scale an AI solution with your city government partner that improves a public service for vulnerable or underserved residents - Take part in monthly virtual learning network sessions in English, about 1 to 2 hours a month, with at least one decision maker and one technical lead from your team - Send at least one representative to an in-person convening, with reasonable travel costs covered in your grant budget - Openly license and publish the software, models and documentation developed with grant funds **Key dates:** - Call for proposals opened 14 October 2026 - Questions to citiesdeliver@rockfound.org by 31 October 2026 at 11:59 pm U.S. Eastern Time - Revised FAQs based on applicant questions published 4 November 2026 - Eligibility screening, Round 1 Proposal and short video due Sunday 29 November 2026 at 11:59 pm U.S. Eastern Time - December 2026: applicants told whether they advance to interviews - January 2027: 45-minute virtual interviews for applicants who advance - February 2027: applicants told whether they are invited to a Round 2 Proposal - Round 2 Proposals, by invitation, due 1 March 2027 at 11:59 pm U.S. Eastern Time - April 2027: final selection, with up to 50 partners expected - Grant term May 2027 to April 2029, per the city letter of intent template **More information:** - Overview and FAQs (PDF): https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Cities-Deliver-AI-Solutions-for-Public-Services-FAQs-Final.pdf - Terms and Conditions (PDF), which govern if they conflict with the FAQs: https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Cities-Deliver-AI-Solutions-for-Public-Services-Terms-and-Conditions-Final.pdf - Application portal, with the eligibility screening and Round 1 questions and the city letter of intent template: https://citiesdeliver.rockefellerfoundation.org/ - Questions go to citiesdeliver@rockfound.org
