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

_Published Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 10:19 AM EDT · AI · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![Rockefeller and OpenAI foundations open $50 million city AI grant program — Primary](https://www.unite.ai/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/rockefeller-openai-foundations-launch-cities-deliver-ai-grant-program.jpg)

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.

## Sources

- [Unite.AI](https://www.unite.ai/rockefeller-openai-foundations-launch-cities-deliver-ai-grant-program/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/bN_P-6V6P1X7AooKVhqayB
Published: 2026-10-14T14:19:57.476Z
Story chronology: 2026-10-14T14:02:13.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-14T17:04:44.286Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)