# NTIA Reopens Digital Equity Grants

NTIA plans to issue a new Notice of Funding Opportunity in December 2026 for the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, reopening a program with **$1.25 billion** in congressionally appropriated funding and more than 700 prior applicants. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester urged NTIA to preserve applicants’ previous work and make the funding available quickly. Separately, Delaware’s approximately $4.8 million State Digital Equity Capacity Grant has no clear path to implementation, leaving uncertainty for the state and organizations involved in its approved plan.

- The December NOFO creates a near-term opportunity for eligible applicants and organizations delivering digital skills, device access, and related broadband-support services. Prior applicants can prepare to build on their previous application work, although the new notice’s terms and deadlines have not yet been provided.
- The $1.25 billion program is grant funding, not a stated contract award; contractors may find downstream work supporting grant-funded services, but the signals do not identify specific solicitations or vendors.
- Organizations involved in Delaware’s approved plan should account for uncertainty around the separate $4.8 million grant when planning implementation or related service work.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Information Technology
**Topics:** Grants & Funding, Digital Infrastructure
**Published:** November 14, 2026

### Government Entities
- National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
- U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)
- U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

### Key Quotes
> As the agency moves forward with the Competitive Grant Program, I urge NTIA to preserve the substantial work applicants have already undertaken, minimize unnecessary delays and administrative burdens, and make congressionally appropriated funding available as quickly as possible.
> — Lisa Blunt Rochester, U.S. Senator

### Sources
- [NEWS: Senator Blunt Rochester Urges NTIA to Fully Restore Digital Equity Act Grants](https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-senator-blunt-rochester-urges-ntia-to-fully-restore-digital-equity-act-grants/) - Blunt Mo Senate