TechAccess: AI-Ready America
Funding Agency:
Funding Agency
National Science Foundation
RFP# and Website:
RFP# and Website
Awards:
Awards
Standard Grant or Continuing Grant
State/Territory Coordination Hub Awards: Up to 56 awards; one for every state, the District of Columbia, or territory in the U.S. Coordination Hubs will be selected over three rounds: 10 Coordination Hubs in round one, 20 in round two, and the remainder in round three. Each Coordination Hub Award will receive support of $1M/year for three years, with the possibility for one additional year of support if the Coordination Hub can demonstrate a compelling need as it phases out or transitions to other sources of funding.
Anticipated Funding Amount:
Anticipated Funding Amount
$168,000,000 to $224,000,000
Letter of Intent:
Letter of Intent
Required: State/Territory Coordination Hubs: June 16, 2026 (round 1); December 15, 2027 (round 2); June 1, 2027 (round 3)
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:
Preliminary Proposal Deadline:
Full Proposal Submission Deadline:
Full Proposal Submission Deadline
State/Territory Coordination Hubs: July 16, 2026 (round 1); January 15, 2027 (round 2); July 1, 2027 (round 3)
Contacts:
Contacts
- AI-Ready America Program Directors, email: ai-ready@nsf.gov
Description
TechAccess: AI-Ready America is a national-scale initiative to accelerate Artificial Intelligence (AI) readiness and adoption across the U.S. by strengthening coordination, leveraging partnerships and resources, filling gaps, and scaling what works — so local and state priorities can lead in shaping an AI-driven economy that benefits all Americans.
Unlike initiatives centered around K – 16 education, AI-Ready America additionally reaches businesses, public-serving organizations, and individuals, among others, expanding access to AI knowledge, tools, and resources. The program also emphasizes practical implementation through hands-on assistance and workforce up-skilling, including experiential learning such as internships, project-based work, and apprenticeships, to ensure stakeholders can effectively apply and innovate with AI.
The program supports:
- State/Territory Coordination Hubs (Coordination Hubs) – one in every state, the District of Columbia (DC), or territory in the United States – connecting partners, strengthening planning and deployment, and rapidly scaling approaches;
- A National Coordination Lead (National Lead) – facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing among Coordination Hubs, coordinating priority economic sectors, and informing national AI strategies; and
- AI-Ready Catalyst Award Competitions – a series of topic-driven competitions issued over the course of the program to pilot and scale innovative approaches that address critical national AI readiness needs.
This funding opportunity focuses on Coordination Hubs. The National Lead will be funded as an Other Transaction (OT) offered through an Other Transaction Agreement Solutions Offering. AI-Ready Catalyst Award Competitions will be announced through an NSF-approved mechanism, with proposals submitted according to the instructions provided at the time of announcement.