Status (checked 2026-09-28): upcoming, not open. NTIA published a Paperwork Reduction Act notice on Aug. 25, 2026 (Federal Register 2026-17322), "Application for Competitive Grant Program," allowing 60 days of public comment on the application forms. Comments close Oct. 26, 2026.
What it is: a federal Digital Equity Act grant program for digital inclusion work (skills training, devices, access). Press coverage describes this notice as the first public step toward reviving the competitive round.
When: press reports (Benton Institute, Broadband Breakfast) say the Department of Commerce told a federal court in an Aug. 3, 2026 status report that it "presently targets a December 2026 opening date." Treat that as a target, not a promise.
Who is likely eligible: the Digital Equity Act lists political subdivisions of states, Indian Tribes, Alaska Native entities and Native Hawaiian organizations, nonprofits that are not schools, community anchor institutions, local educational agencies, workforce development entities, and partnerships among them. (This list is from press summaries of the notice and the statute; the final notice of funding will set the rules.) Tribal note: in federal grant law "Indian Tribe" usually means a federally recognized Tribe. Non-federally-recognized California Tribes should check the final rules, or partner with an eligible nonprofit.
What to do now
- Comment on the application forms by Oct. 26 (instructions in the Federal Register notice).
- Get ready: an active SAM.gov registration and a grants.gov account take time.
- Watch ntia.gov and grants.gov for the notice of funding opportunity.
Sources: Federal Register 2026-17322 (Aug. 25, 2026; comments close 2026-10-26) (checked 2026-09-28 via the Federal Register API); Benton Institute, "Commerce Targets December 2026 to Reopen Digital Equity Competitive Grants" (secondary, for the target date). Lead from CDT's Broadband for All Update, September 2026.