Applications are open for the Cities Deliver: AI Solutions for Public Services grant. This opportunity supports organizations that work in close partnership with city governments to improve public services through responsible AI-powered solutions.
The program focuses on public service challenges in health, economic mobility, environmental resilience, and civic engagement. In addition, selected applicants may receive grants ranging from $500,000–$2,000,000 per grant; $50,000,000 initiative total.
Application Deadline:
- 29 November 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) (Deadline for Eligibility Screening, Round 1 Proposal, and Short Video)
Tell Me About The Program:
The Cities Deliver: AI Solutions for Public Services initiative is a $50 million global funding partnership between The Rockefeller Foundation and the OpenAI Foundation (managed by RF Catalytic Capital). The program aims to help city governments and their organizational partners harness responsible, frontier AI-powered solutions to dramatically improve the access, quality, and delivery of core public services for urban residents worldwide.
Which Fields are Eligible:
Public service challenges spanning four focal areas:
- Public Health: Frontline care, disease surveillance, population-scale prevention, healthcare, disability services, food access, and nutrition.
- Economic Mobility: Connecting unemployed or underemployed residents to income, skills, and benefits through AI-enabled benefits enrollment, career navigation, skills-based hiring, and employer-aligned training.
- Environmental Resilience: Helping cities forecast, withstand, and recover from environmental shocks (public safety, emergency services, energy/grid infrastructure, and land management in at-risk communities).
- Civic Engagement: Proactive outreach, two-way service channels, participatory decision-making, digital access/connectivity, court services, and permitting/regulatory processes (Excludes voting or elections).
Type:
Global Municipal AI Innovation & Public Service Grant Program
Who can Apply:
- Eligible Lead Organizations: Nonprofits (including university labs and fiscally sponsored organizations) or public benefit corporations. For-profits may qualify in limited cases with a charitable project providing no more than an incidental benefit to the company. (City governments cannot apply directly).
- Mandatory Partnership: All applicant organizations must have a committed city government partner willing to collaborate.
- Project Readiness: Projects must respond to verified city demand, leverage core frontier AI capabilities, and demonstrate readiness for integration into public sector workflows.
How are Applicants Selected:
Applications are evaluated on a competitive basis considering problem severity and focus on vulnerable communities, technical alignment with frontier AI, organizational readiness, feasibility of government integration, scalability/pathways to long-term financial sustainability, and responsible AI practices. Shortlisted applicants advance through a structured process including interviews.
Which Countries Are Eligible:
Global (Worldwide).
Where will the Program be Taken:
City municipalities and urban jurisdictions worldwide in direct partnership with local city governments.
How Many Fellows / Grantees:
Multiple grants awarded across two funding tiers to reach an ambitious global target of up to 100 million city residents:
- Tier 1 ($500,000 to <$1 Million): For early concepts ready for a first city pilot (refining ideas, building/testing prototypes, and evaluating impact).
- Tier 2 ($1 Million to $2 Million): For solutions already piloted in a city with early results looking to scale up within the same city or expand to another.
What is the Benefit of the Program:
- Substantial Funding: Grants ranging from $500,000 to $2,000,000 distributed over a 24-month project duration.
- Technical & Cohort Support: Access to a facilitated peer learning cohort, webinars, evaluation guidance, mentorship, and occasional AI product/engineering support.
- Global Visibility & Network: Direct access to Rockefeller Foundation and OpenAI Foundation networks connecting grantees with global city leaders, technical partners, and potential funders.
How Long Will it Last:
24 months per grant cycle (with funding disbursed in tranches tied to a documented mid-term milestone).
How to Apply:
- Review the official application guidance, FAQs, and terms on the Rockefeller Foundation portal.
- Register an account on the Cities Deliver Application Portal.
- Complete and submit the mandatory Eligibility Screening, Round 1 Proposal, and Short Video before the deadline on November 29, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET).
- For inquiries, contact the program team at
[email protected].
👉 Visit the official grant page for details
