Rockefeller and OpenAI foundations open $50 million Cities Deliver funding call
The Rockefeller Foundation and OpenAI Foundation announced Cities Deliver on October 14, committing $50 million to an initiative for organizations working with city governments on AI-enabled public services. The funding call remains open, with initial submissions due November 29, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time.
The program lists grants from $500,000 to $2 million. Seed awards support early concepts ready for a first city pilot; the larger track supports solutions already piloted in a city with early results. These are organizational awards, not individual fellowships.
Every project needs an eligible lead organization, a city government partner committed to collaborating and a charitable purpose. The official requirements include nonprofits, university labs and public benefit corporations; for-profits may qualify only in limited charitable cases. Governments may not apply directly.
The focus areas are public health, economic mobility, environmental resilience and civic engagement. The civic-engagement scope excludes voting and election projects. Applicants must address a public-service problem and show that frontier AI capabilities are a meaningful part of the proposed solution.
The foundations say applicants may choose the models and products that best meet their needs, with no requirement or preference to use OpenAI technology. Grants run for 24 months, with half disbursed at the start and half after a documented mid-term milestone; follow-on funding is not guaranteed.
The initiative aims to reach up to 100 million city residents worldwide, but that is a program goal rather than a measured outcome. Applicants should check the current official requirements and terms before applying; the announcement is not a grant award, a procurement contract or proof that a proposed AI service will work.