Rockefeller and OpenAI foundations open $50 million city AI grant program

The Rockefeller Foundation and OpenAI Foundation launched a $50 million grant initiative on October 14 to fund organizations applying AI to city public services. Applications opened the same day and close November 29, 2026. Grants range from $500,000 to $2 million. Seed awards support first city pilots, while scale awards support expansion of solutions already piloted with early results. Each project must have a committed city government partner and a meaningful frontier AI component, but applicants face no requirement or preference to use OpenAI technology. Grants run for 24 months, with half paid initially and half after a documented mid-term milestone. Governments cannot apply directly, and awards do not guarantee follow-on funding.