The Rockefeller Foundation and OpenAI Foundation opened Cities Deliver: AI Solutions for Public Services on October 14, 2026. The 24-month program will provide $500,000 to $2 million grants to eligible nonprofit and civil-society organizations working with city governments, with the goal of improving services for underserved communities and reaching up to 100 million city residents worldwide.
What Cities Deliver funds
Cities Deliver is a global grant initiative for practical artificial-intelligence projects embedded in municipal services. Applicants must work with a committed city-government partner and pursue a charitable purpose. Projects should use recent AI models for complex tasks, but applicants may select their own models and products. The program materials do not require or give a stated preference to OpenAI technology.
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The initiative is aimed at measurable improvements in residents’ access to services, service quality or public trust. It is an organizational award rather than an individual fellowship, and grants do not guarantee follow-on funding after the 24-month term.
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Grant amounts and project maturity
| Track | Award | Best fit | Permitted use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | $500,000 to under $1 million | An early concept ready for a first city pilot | Refining the idea with city partners, building and testing a prototype, and conducting the pilot |
| Scale | $1 million to $2 million | A solution already piloted in a city with early results | Expanding within the existing city or extending the solution to another city |
Both tracks run for 24 months. The program states that 50% of an award is disbursed at the start and the remaining 50% is released after a documented mid-term milestone. Applicants should therefore define a milestone that can be evidenced, not merely describe activity they intend to undertake.
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Who can apply
Applications should come from an eligible nonprofit or civil-society organization with a city-government partner formally committed to the project. The work must serve a charitable purpose and address a real public-service need. A strong application is likely to show that the city partner can provide access to relevant operations, data, staff or residents and can help measure whether the service improves.
- Eligible nonprofit or civil-society organization
- Committed city-government partner
- Charitable public-service purpose
- Use of recent AI models for a complex task
- Clear benefit for underserved communities
- Delivery plan that fits within 24 months
Proposals involving voting or election projects are excluded under the civic-engagement track.
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Four eligible focus areas
Public health
Examples include improving access to health care and benefits, helping residents navigate services, or supporting public-health operations.
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Economic mobility
Projects can focus on economic opportunity, benefits access, employment-related services or other systems that help residents improve financial security.
Environmental resilience
Eligible work may help cities prepare for extreme weather, communicate risks, deliver alerts or make resilience services more accessible.
Civic engagement
This area includes resident information, court services, permitting, regulatory processes, digital access and connectivity. Voting and election initiatives are not eligible.
Application deadlines and selection schedule
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| October 14, 2026 | Call for proposals opened |
| October 31, 2026, 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time | Deadline for questions about the call at [email protected] |
| November 4, 2026 | Revised FAQs scheduled to become available |
| November 29, 2026, 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time | Round 1 eligibility screen and proposal, including a short video, due |
| December 2026 | Applicants notified about advancing to interviews |
| January 2027 | Interviews |
| February 2027 | Applicants notified about advancing to Round 2 |
| March 1, 2027, 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time | Round 2 proposals due |
| April 2027 | Applicants notified whether they were selected |
The first deadline is a complete Round 1 submission, not just an expression of interest. Organizations should allow time to confirm the city partnership, prepare the short video and document how the project will improve a service.
How applicants should choose a track
Choose Seed for a first city pilot
Seed is intended for an idea that is technically and operationally credible enough to test with one city but does not yet have city-pilot evidence. The proposal should explain the prototype, the pilot population, the city team’s role and the results that will determine whether the approach works.
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Choose Scale for demonstrated expansion
Scale applicants need evidence from an existing city pilot and early results. They should show what will change at larger reach, why the original results are transferable and whether expansion remains feasible within 24 months.
Across both tracks, reviewers are likely to distinguish applications by project maturity, measurable service improvement, partnership strength, reach among underserved residents, implementation feasibility and a credible plan to sustain the work after grant funding ends.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What selected organizations receive beyond funding
Selected grantees will gain access to Rockefeller Foundation and OpenAI Foundation networks of city leaders, funders and technical partners. They will join a peer cohort and be invited to a global or regional convening where participants can share lessons and showcase their work. These connections are program support, not a promise of additional financing.
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The foundations say Cities Deliver builds on a 2023 convening that brought together more than 40 civic leaders from six continents. Earlier supported work included projects in Cali, Colombia; Cape Town, South Africa; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Rio de Janeiro’s AI-enabled flood-alert system is planned to reach more residents and cover additional extreme-weather events.
- Dengue.AI’s outbreak forecasting is planned to expand from Cali to Cartagena.
- Cape Town’s resident-engagement platform is planned to grow its reach within the city and beyond.
These examples point to the program’s practical emphasis: AI is being treated as part of a city service, with expansion tied to resident reach and operational results rather than a stand-alone technology demonstration.
Quick Recap
What to prepare before submitting
- Confirm that the applying organization meets the nonprofit or civil-society eligibility requirements.
- Document the city-government partner’s commitment and identify the municipal team responsible for implementation.
- Define the underserved community served and the specific service problem.
- Select Seed or Scale based on actual pilot maturity and available evidence.
- Set measurable outcomes that can be reported at the mid-term milestone and at the end of 24 months.
- Explain model choice, safeguards, data responsibilities and how residents will access the improved service.
- Describe how the work could continue after the grant, since follow-on funding is not guaranteed.
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