NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund Grant Program

NOFO 4 – Solutions for AI-Native RAN

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A. Federal Agency Name

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), U.S. Department of

Commerce

B. Funding Opportunity Title

Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund Grant Program – Solutions for AI-Native

RAN

C. Announcement Type

Initial

D. Funding Opportunity Number

NTIA-PWSCIF-26-01

E. Assistance Listing (CFDA Number)

11.038 – Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund

F. Key Dates

Complete applications must be submitted through Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern

Time on September 9, 2026.

NTIA expects to make awards on a rolling basis.

G. Application Submission Address

Complete application packages must be submitted electronically through the Grants.gov website. Application packages or portions thereof submitted through postal mail, courier, email, facsimile, or other means will not be accepted. See Section 6 of this Notice of Funding

Opportunity (NOFO) for detailed information concerning application submission requirements.

H. Funding Opportunity Description

This NOFO is the fourth issued under NTIA’s Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund

PWSCIF NOFO 4 –Solutions for AI-Native RAN

(PWSCIF or Innovation Fund). Titled “Solutions for AI-Native RAN,” the goal of this

NOFO is to support the development of a secure compute environment to enable or leverage native artificial intelligence (“AI”) capabilities in the Radio Access Network (RAN) that generate revenue for operators, cost savings, and innovative third-party services, and demonstrate a business case for one or more services that leverage these capabilities, accelerating commercial deployments and the export of open, interoperable, and secure equipment.

Applicants may submit a maximum of one application under this NOFO containing only one

(1) proposed project. The applicant is the lead entity, i.e., the organization submitting the application package on Grants.gov using a unique SAM registration. There is no restriction on the number of applications in which an entity may participate as a subrecipient, contractor, consultant, or any other type of participant.

I. Funding Instrument

Grant

J. Eligibility

Eligibility requirements can be found in Section 2.2.

K. Anticipated Amounts

NTIA may award up to $53,000,000 of total funding under this NOFO. NTIA may award up to $25,000,000 per project.

L. Cost Share

There is a 50% minimum cost share requirement. See Section 2.2.4 for more information on cost share.

NOFO STRUCTURE

This NOFO is organized as follows:

• Section 1 (Overview) provides an overview of the Innovation Fund and this funding opportunity, including how this funding opportunity meets the statutory objectives of the

Innovation Fund.

• Section 2 (Eligibility) describes the eligibility requirements for this NOFO, including eligible vs. ineligible entities, cost share, funding amount, period of performance, and place of performance.

• Section 3 (Technical Maturity Requirements) describes the technical maturity requirements that all projects must meet before exiting the period of performance.

• Section 4 (Project Narrative) details the content that applicants must include in their

Project Narratives, including technical and other deliverables.

• Section 5 (Required Application Materials) lists all the materials that applicants must include in their application package.

• Section 6 (Application Submission) explains the application submission process that all applicants must follow. This includes application format, instructions for electronic filing, revision process, and other submission requirements.

• Section 7 (Application Review) explains each step of application review: Initial, Merit, Programmatic, and Selecting Official Approval. It also includes projected dates for awards and information on the applicant notification process.

• Section 8 (General Requirements, Restrictions, and Other Information) provides information related to allowable costs, intellectual property, awarding agency contact information, and other information. NOTE: The requirements and prohibitions in this section apply to ALL submitted applications.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section 1 – Overview

1.1 Program Authority

1.2 Program Overview

1.3 Funding Opportunity Overview

Section 2 – Eligibility

2.1 Summary of Eligibility Requirements

2.2 Eligibility Requirements

2.2.1 Eligible Entities

2.2.2 Ineligible Entities

2.2.3 Available Funding

2.2.4 Cost Share

2.2.5 Period of Performance

2.2.6 Place of Performance

Section 3 – Technical Maturity Requirements

3.1. POP Entry Criteria

3.2 POP Exit Criteria

Section 4 – Project Narrative

4.1 Executive Summary (Max 1 Page)

4.2 Description of AI-Native Network Fabric

4.3 Description of Field Demonstration

4.4 Business Case

4.5 Security Plan

4.6 Work Plan Summary

4.7 Qualification of Applicant and Unique Aspects of Proposal

4.8 Participants

4.9 Facilities And Equipment

Section 5 – Required Application Materials

5.1 Content and Form of Applications

5.1.1 Instructions for Application Documentation

5.2 Application Document Format

5.2.1 Document Format

5.2.2 Page Limits

Section 6 – Application Submission

6.1 Register to Apply through Grants.gov

6.2 Submit an Application for this NOFO via Grants.gov

6.3 Submission Dates and Times

6.4 Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

6.5 Material Revisions

6.6 Amendments

6.7 Material Representations and False Statements

6.8 Public Disclosure of Applications

Section 7 – Application Review

7.1 Application Review Process

7.1.1 Initial Review

7.1.2 Merit Review

7.1.3 Programmatic Review

7.1.4 Selecting Official Approval

7.1.5 Grants Office Action – Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk Posed by

Applicants

7.2 Federal Award Notices

7.2.1 Notification to Unsuccessful Applicants

7.2.2 Retention of Unsuccessful Applications

Section 8 – General Requirements, Restrictions, and Other Information

8.1 Funding Restrictions

8.1.1 Eligible Uses of Funds for the Innovation Fund Program

8.1.2 Ineligible Costs

8.1.3 Fly America Act

8.1.4 Procurement and Operation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems

8.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements

8.2.1 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements.. 49

8.2.2 Department of Commerce Financial Assistance General Terms and Conditions

8.2.3 Pre-Award Notification Requirements

8.2.4 Property Trust Relationship and Public Notice of Filings for Grant-Acquired

Property

8.2.5 Reporting

8.2.6 Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters

8.2.7 Audit Requirements

8.2.8 Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006

8.2.9 Protected and Proprietary Information

8.2.10 Intellectual Property Rights, Royalties, And Restrictions

8.2.11 Funding Availability and Limitation of Liability

8.2.12 Third Party Beneficiaries

8.2.13 Environmental and Historic Preservation

8.2.14 Research Activities Involving Human Subjects, Data, or Recordings Involving

Human Subjects, Including Software Testing

8.2.15 Gold Standard of Science

8.2.16 Paperwork Reduction Act

8.2.17 Prohibition on Using Federal Awards to Promote or Support Theories of Disparate

Impact Liability

8.2.18 Executive Order 14173: Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based

Opportunity

8.2.19 Transparency, Accountability, and Oversight Required

8.2.20 U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General

8.2.21 Waiver Authority

8.2.22 Whistleblower Protection

8.2.23 Enforcement

8.2.24 Unauthorized Use of Funds

8.2.25 Termination

8.2.26 Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

Appendix A – Glossary of Terms

Section 1 – Overview

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issues this Notice of

Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to describe the requirements under which it will continue awarding grants in connection with the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund (PWSCIF or Innovation Fund).

1.1 Program Authority

The Innovation Fund is authorized by Section 9202(a)(1) of the William M. (Mac)

Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, Pub. L. No. 116-283, 134 Stat. 3388 (Jan. 1, 2021) (FY21 NDAA), codified at 47 U.S.C. § 906(a)(1).

The Innovation Fund was initially appropriated by Div. A, Section 106 of the CHIPS and

Science Act of 2022, Pub. L. No. 117-167, 136 Stat. 1392 (Aug. 9, 2022), and later modified by Section 40011 of the Working Families Tax Cut Act, Pub. L. No. 119-21, 139 Stat. 72

(July 4, 2025).

1.2 Program Overview

NTIA will leverage the Innovation Fund to meet its statutory objectives and help implement the President’s AI Action Plan for wireless AI infrastructure to promote the export of U.S.

technology in the AI stack. 6G is expected to be both AI-driven and an AI enabler, and leadership in this next-generation technology will be critical to maintain and expand U.S. AI leadership. The program’s objectives include unlocking opportunities for innovative U.S.

companies to lead on and showcase the benefits of AI-native RAN innovation, and in turn compete in a market historically dominated by an untrusted vendor.

Pursuant to the FY21 NDAA, the Innovation Fund facilitates the adoption of open and interoperable wireless networks through the following statutory objectives found at 47 U.S.

Code § 906 (a)(1)(C):

i. Promoting and deploying technology, including software, hardware, and microprocessing technology, that will enhance competitiveness in the 5G and successor wireless technology supply chains that use open and interoperable interface radio access networks (RAN).

ii. Accelerating commercial deployments of open interface standards-based compatible, interoperable equipment, such as equipment developed pursuant to the standards set forth by organizations such as the O-RAN Alliance, the Telecom Infra Project, 3GPP, the Open-RAN Software Community, or any successor organizations.

iii. Promoting and deploying compatibility of new 5G equipment with future open standards-based, interoperable equipment.

iv. Managing integration of multi-vendor network environments.

v. Identifying objective criteria to define equipment as compliant with open standards for multi-vendor network equipment interoperability.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Americas-AI-Action-Plan.pdf https://www.law.cornell.edu/definitions/uscode.php?width=840&height=800&iframe=true&def_id=47-USC-1590132-1219916758&term_occur=999&term_src=title:47:chapter:8:subchapter:I:section:906 https://www.law.cornell.edu/definitions/uscode.php?width=840&height=800&iframe=true&def_id=47-USC-441186788-1219916754&term_occur=999&term_src=title:47:chapter:8:subchapter:I:section:906

vi. Promoting and deploying security features enhancing the integrity and availability of equipment in multi-vendor networks.

vii. Promoting and deploying network function virtualization to facilitate multi-vendor interoperability and a more diverse vendor market.

To date, the Innovation Fund has released two NOFOs obligating a total of $550 million across 35 grant awards. The first NOFO provided grants for testing and evaluation labs to expand access to Open RAN testing for new and emerging vendors.1

The second NOFO provided grants for the commercialization and innovation of open radio units (RUs), the key hardware component for Open RAN.2

This NOFO, in keeping with the President’s AI Action Plan and the Innovation Fund’s statutory objectives, will provide grants to promote the development of a secure, AI-native telecommunications architecture built on open, interoperable networks. Such architectures can accelerate U.S. telecommunications innovation. Applications developed and demonstrated through these grants will show how sharing network data in an AI‑native environment can enable new revenue streams.

1.3 Funding Opportunity Overview

The goal of this NOFO is to demonstrate the value of deploying AI, including both U.S. led advanced computing capabilities and software, in RAN. Such demonstrations can promote the deployment of AI-native RAN networks both domestically and internationally, benefiting

U.S. companies and U.S. security goals. Through this NOFO, NTIA will provide capable entities with financial assistance to develop an AI-native network architecture and to field test a service uniquely enabled by the architecture.

Alignment with Statutory Objectives

Promoting the development and adoption of an AI-native RAN architecture and services uniquely enabled by that architecture will help achieve the following statutory objectives of the Innovation Fund:

• Enhance Supply Chain Competitiveness3: Developing an AI-native network fabric will enhance competitiveness in the 5G and successor wireless technology supply chains by opening the RAN to innovative market players, such as authenticated third-party AI application developers and IT compute providers.

1 See NTIA, Notice of Funding Opportunity, “Research and Development, Testing and Evaluation” 2 See NTIA, Notice of Funding Opportunity, “Open Radio Commercialization and Innovation” 3 See 47 U.S.C. § 906 statutory objective (i): (i) Promoting and deploying technology, including software, hardware, and microprocessing technology, that will enhance competitiveness in the fifth-generation (commonly known as

‘‘5G’’) and successor wireless technology supply chains that use open and interoperable interface radio access networks.

https://www.ntia.gov/funding-programs/public-wireless-supply-chain-innovation-fund/innovation-fund-round-1-2023-research-and-development-testing-and-evaluation https://www.ntia.gov/program/innovation-fund/grant-programs/round-2-2024/program-documentation/nofo-2

• Accelerate Commercial Deployments4: Developing an AI-native network fabric, and demonstrating the commercial viability of one or more services uniquely enabled by it, will accelerate commercial deployments of open interface, standards-based compatible, interoperable equipment by driving demand for this equipment. Projects are required to demonstrate a Business Case, including a path to broad adoption and deployment.

• Manage Network Integration5: The NOFO will support AI-native solutions that may enable acceleration of multi-vendor integration processes.

• Enhance Security6: Given the impact on future critical infrastructure information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT), applications must include a Security

Plan demonstrating that all recipients and sub-recipients will integrate cybersecurity into the design, development, operation, and maintenance of solutions (security by design), consistent with best practices and standards. This security by design approach will provide a framework to address threats that could compromise their integrity and availability, ensuring a high standard of security in future networks, including multi-vendor networks, that feature the solution.

• Promote Network Virtualization7: Developing an AI-native network fabric, and demonstrating the commercial viability of one or more services uniquely enabled by it, has the potential to drive demand for software-based, AI-enabled networks, promoting network function virtualization that opens the RAN to innovative market players, such as authenticated third-party AI application developers and IT compute providers.

In addition to advancing the Innovation Fund’s statutory objectives, awards under this NOFO will accelerate AI innovation in line with America’s AI Action Plan.8

Public Input Received

Like NTIA’s first and second funding opportunities, this NOFO is informed by industry engagement and market analysis.

NTIA’s industry engagement across the wireless marketplace informed where public investment could most effectively accelerate network innovation. Participants in NTIA’s third

Innovation Fund listening session on March 23, 2026 stated that AI can drive network optimization, such as by improving radio access, efficient spectrum use, and energy efficiency, and argued that U.S. AI leadership is critical for advancing resilient, autonomous

4 See 47 U.S.C. § 906 statutory objective (ii): (ii) Accelerating commercial deployments of open interface standards-based compatible, interoperable equipment, such as equipment developed pursuant to the standards set forth by organizations such as the O-RAN Alliance, the Telecom Infra Project, 3GPP, the Open-RAN Software Community, or any successor organizations.

5 See 47 U.S.C. § 906 statutory objective (iv): (iv) Managing integration of multi-vendor network environments.

6 See 47 U.S.C. § 906 statutory objective (vi): (vi) Promoting and deploying security features enhancing the integrity and availability of equipment in multi-vendor networks.

7 See 47 U.S.C. § 906 statutory objective (vii): (vii) Promoting and deploying network function virtualization to facilitate multi-vendor interoperability and a more diverse vendor market.

8 See America’s AI Action Plan, released in July 2025.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Americas-AI-Action-Plan.pdf

5G and future 6G networks. Generally, stakeholders consistently highlighted AI’s transformative potential and cited a need to invest in use cases that can embed AI solutions into radio access networks, creating a robust, open marketplace for authenticated third-party developers to access large amounts of data.

NOFO Background

AI functionality is expected to be foundational in next-generation networks, and, at the same time, networks will use AI for dynamic, continuous innovation, including optimizing performance and maximizing spectrum use. United States industry can be leaders in the development, design, production and export of AI-native infrastructure, revolutionizing mobile communications. The U.S. is positioned to take the lead in the creation of a new AI-native network fabric which may provide new user experiences supported by U.S.-based technology and move the U.S. back into a leadership position in mobile communications.

The focus of this NOFO is to accelerate the development and deployment of an AI-native network fabric and its direct enablement of one or more commercially-viable, exportable business cases via a supporting demonstration.

This NOFO also enables the opportunity to showcase the security benefits of an AI-native network architecture. Recent security breaches have demonstrated the need for rigorous network security in mobile networks. This funding opportunity emphasizes integrating cybersecurity directly into the architecture of AI‑native networks to promote secure next‑generation mobile infrastructure. Applicants will need to demonstrate how security is integral to the network architecture, and they may also choose to feature security as a commercially viable business case demonstration.

Specifically, applicants must address the following four (4) requirements in their Project

Narrative (see Section 4 for details):

1) AI-Native Network Fabric: Provide a secure compute environment capable of supporting AI applications, including those leveraging network data exposure, mobile telecommunications, and other workloads at any point in the network simultaneously.

2) Security Plan: Ensure that cybersecurity is integrated into the design, development, operation, and maintenance of AI-RAN solutions by presenting a security plan. The security plan shall include a security architecture, AI/Machine Learning (ML) security features, and demonstrate alignment with existing AI security frameworks.

3) Business Case: Provide a business case demonstrating commercial viability and exportability of one or more services uniquely enabled by the AI-native network fabric proposed in the application. The business case must have sufficient detail and supporting data to readily demonstrate commercial viability and exportability of the proposed service(s), including sufficient investment return to support scaling for broad deployment.

4) Field Demonstration: Demonstrate the service(s) defined in the business case via the proposed AI-native RAN solution (including proposed security) in a field environment, including the collection of necessary data to confirm the business case projections.

Open-source Software

NTIA encourages, but does not require, the use or development of open-source software in the solutions developed under this NOFO including, but not limited to, Open Centralized

Unit Distributed Unit (OCUDU)9 or other Open-Source RAN software.

9 https://ocudu.org https://ocudu.org/

Section 2 – Eligibility

This section describes the eligibility requirements for this NOFO, including eligible vs. ineligible entities, anticipated award amount, cost share, period of performance, and place of performance.

A comprehensive list of required application materials can be found in Section 5.

2.1 Summary of Eligibility Requirements

Description Requirement

Eligibility

Applicants must demonstrate they are capable of developing and commercially selling and/or deploying a solution that leverages a secure compute environment to enable native AI capabilities in the RAN. The applicant must be organized under the laws of the United States or a State thereof, with its principal place of business in the

United States. (See Section 2.2 for additional requirements).

Anticipated Award

Range Up to $25,000,000

Cost Share Minimum 50% of total project cost.

Period of

Performance Up to 18 months.

Place of

Performance

All activities shall be done in the United States, its territories, and possessions. Activities may not involve an entity or occur within a jurisdiction described in

Section 2.2.2 or a “Country of Concern” or “Covered

Nation,” as defined in Appendix A - Glossary of Terms.

2.2 Eligibility Requirements

2.2.1 Eligible Entities

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

a) The applicant must be capable of developing and commercially selling and/or deploying a solution that leverages a secure compute environment to enable native AI capabilities in the RAN. This capability must be demonstrated in application materials (see Section 4.7).

b) The applicant must be organized under the laws of the United States or a State thereof, with its principal place of business in the United States. Any subsidiary, affiliate, or branch whose ultimate parent entity is organized under the laws of a foreign jurisdiction or has its principal place of business outside the United States is ineligible to be an applicant. This information will be validated by the applicant’s

SAM Registration and SF-328. If the applicant does not meet this requirement, the application will be disqualified. See Section 2.2.2. for additional information regarding ineligible entities.

All participants (which include subrecipients, contractors, and any other funded or unfunded entity other than the applicant; see Appendix A – Glossary for full definition of

“participants”) may be organized under the laws of a foreign jurisdiction and have their principal place of business outside the United States, except in the circumstances described in Section 2.2.2.

2.2.1.1 Maximum Number of Applications

Eligible entities (i.e., applicants) may submit no more than one (1) application proposing no more than one (1) project per application. The applicant is the lead entity, i.e., the organization submitting the application package on Grants.gov using a unique SAM registration. There is no restriction on the number of applications in which an entity may participate as a subrecipient, contractor, consultant, or any other type of allowable partnership.

2.2.1.2 Past Award Recipients

Entities that have received funding from past Innovation Fund grants are eligible to apply for funds under this NOFO, if the entity otherwise meets the appropriate eligibility requirements defined in the NOFO.

2.2.2 Ineligible Entities

As described below, certain entities are not eligible to receive grants or participate in grant-funded activities under this NOFO. Ineligible entities include, but are not limited to, any applicant or participant that is:

a) Incorporated or has their principal place of business in a country of concern, as defined in Sec. 8521 of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (Pub. L. 119-

60);

b) Owned or controlled directly or indirectly, through a majority voting or equity interest, individually or in aggregate, by:

• A country of concern as defined in Sec. 8521 of the 2026 National Defense

Authorization Act (Pub. L. 119-60);

• An entity or national of a country of concern as defined in Sec. 8521 of the 2026

National Defense Authorization Act (Pub. L. 119-60);

• A foreign entity of concern;10

10 See 15 U.S.C. § 4651(8) and 15 C.F.R. § 231.104, subject to any further rulemaking promulgated by the

Department of Commerce.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:15%20section:4651%20edition:prelim) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-15/section-231.104

• An organization identified on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Military

Companies List established in accordance with Section 1260H of the FY21

NDAA;

• An organization included on the System for Award Management (SAM)

Exclusion List;

• An organization included on the International Trade Administration’s

Consolidated Screening List (CSL);11 or

• An organization identified as a provider of covered equipment and services in the

Federal Communications Commission’s list of Equipment and Services Covered by Section 2(a) of the Secure and Trusted Networks Act of 2019.

Applicants must conduct due diligence to ensure that all proposed participants are eligible entities under this NOFO. NTIA will review applications for involvement of ineligible entities and will not approve any applications that raise unacceptable concerns with respect to promoting a more secure, diverse, sustainable, and competitive wireless technology supply chain. For example, an entity—through control, access to information, or other mechanisms—may pose an undue risk to a project or U.S. national security interests.

All applicants are required to provide information via the Standard Form (SF)-328 at the time of application to enable an initial assessment of these issues.

NTIA may also require additional information, beyond the scope of the SF-328 form, to enable identification and mitigation of other concerns and national security risks posed by involvement of certain entities that may arise after an application is approved.

For example, NTIA may request records about participants in Innovation Fund awards in the course of monitoring and/or audit activities to ensure compliance with this requirement, in accordance with Section 8.2. Awardees shall be prepared to provide records demonstrating ownership and control and shall obtain sufficient information from

11 The Consolidated Screening List (CSL) is a consolidation of multiple export screening lists of the Departments of

Commerce, State, and the Treasury. The CSL may be used as an aid in conducting electronic screens of potential parties to regulated transactions; however, applicants should be aware that the underlying lists, not the CSL, provide the authoritative information for determining eligibility under this NOFO. Ineligible entities for this NOFO include any applicant or participant that is owned or controlled by an organization included in any of the lists that comprise the CSL, including but not limited to the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Entity List (15 CFR part 744, supplement no. 4) and the Department of the Treasury’s list of Non-SDN Chinese Military Industrial Complex

Companies (NS-CMIC List). In the event that a company, entity, or person on the list appears to match a party potentially involved in an export transaction, additional due diligence should be conducted before proceeding. Prior to taking further action, to ensure full compliance with all of the terms and conditions of the restrictions placed on the parties on this list, the applicant must check the official publication of restricted parties in the Federal Register.

They should also check the official lists of restricted parties maintained on the websites of the Departments of

Commerce, State, and the Treasury.

https://media.defense.gov/2024/Jan/31/2003384819/-1/-1/0/1260H-LIST.PDF https://media.defense.gov/2024/Jan/31/2003384819/-1/-1/0/1260H-LIST.PDF https://sam.gov/content/entity-information https://sam.gov/content/entity-information https://www.trade.gov/consolidated-screening-list https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist participants for NTIA to understand the ownership and control of participants in grant-funded activities.

2.2.3 Available Funding

NTIA may award up to $53,000,000 in total funding under this NOFO.

2.2.3.1 Anticipated Award Amounts

The amount of funding anticipated is up to $25,000,000 per award. This is not a mandatory maximum; however, applicants requesting funding amounts above

$25,000,000 must provide a reasonable explanation for the variance. Applicants may not request more than $50,000,000 (see Section 2.2.3.2 regarding statutory limitation on award amounts). Relative cost effectiveness may be considered in the Selecting

Official criteria (see Section 7.1.4).

2.2.3.2 Statutory Limitation on Award Amounts

In accordance with 47 U.S.C. § 906(a)(1)(B)(ii), the cumulative amount of federal funding awarded to a single awardee for a single focus area may not exceed

$50,000,000. As such, applications requesting more than $50,000,000 in federal funding under this NOFO will be disqualified.

There is no statutory limitation on the amount of cost share provided by an applicant.

Applications with a total project cost exceeding $50,000,000, but that request less than $50,000,000 in federal funding, remain eligible.

2.2.4 Cost Share

To ensure the efficient use of taxpayer dollars, applicants must provide a minimum of

50% of the total project cost as cost share. This can include cash or in-kind contributions. Please note applicants claiming the up to 15 percent de minimis indirect cost rate are prohibited from applying those funds toward cost share.

Applicants should structure the finances of their projects in a way that maximizes private sector contributions and minimizes the need for government incentives. NTIA will evaluate the degree to which an applicant, through its funding request, leverages private investment, cash and in-kind contributions, and other sources of funding as a means of demonstrating its commitment to project success.

All allocable contributions to cost share must meet the requirements in 2 C.F.R. §

200.306, 2 C.F.R. § Part 200 Subpart E – Cost Principles, and other allowable cost requirements described herein.

Cost share percentage will be calculated based on information provided in the SF-424, Section 18, as follows:

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.306 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.306 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E

• All non-federal sources of funding will be summed (18b through 18e).

• Cost share percentage will be calculated by dividing the non-federal funding by the total project cost (18g).

• Calculated cost share percentage will be rounded down to the nearest integer value (e.g., a cost share of 49.8% will be rounded down to 49%).

Applications that do not include the minimum 50% cost share, as calculated above, will be disqualified. Applicants should not rely on funding from this NOFO to displace private capital or enable outsized returns relative to commercially reasonable expectations for similar projects.

For applications that include a higher cost share than the minimum required, the cost share may be considered as a component of the relative cost effectiveness of an application and may be used by the Selecting Official as a factor in making award decisions (see Section 7.1.4).

2.2.5 Period of Performance

The period of performance (POP) of awards is expected to be up to 18 months. The POP may be fewer than 18 months but shall not exceed 18 months from the date of award.

While extensions are possible under this NOFO (see Section 2.2.5.1 below), the application will be assessed for risk of exceeding the mandated POP.

2.2.5.1 POP Extensions

Grant recipients submitting a request for an extension of the POP must include the justification for such an extension and describe all relevant circumstances. The

Assistant Secretary may recommend that the NIST Grants Office extend the POP by not more than one (1) year if the grant recipient certifies to the Assistant Secretary’s satisfaction that:

a) The grant recipient has a plan for use of the grant funds; and

b) Work completed during the extended time would provide sufficient value to advancing goals outlined in the NOFO and accepted proposal, as determined by the government.

Requests for extensions will be granted at the sole discretion of the Assistant

Secretary or their designee. Per Department of Commerce policy, the POP, inclusive of all extensions, shall not exceed five (5) years.12

2.2.5.2 Reversion of Funds

12 See U.S. Department of Commerce, Federal Financial Assistance Manual (March 31, 2025), Section 9.I.2.a.1.

https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/2025-04/Department%20of%20Commerce%20Federal%20Financial%20Assistance%20Manual%202024%20IC1%20dated%20March%2031%2C%202025.pdf

Any remaining unspent funds at the end of a grantee’s POP, inclusive of any extensions granted, will be de-obligated.

2.2.6 Place of Performance

All project activities shall take place in the United States, its territories, and possessions.

This includes, but is not limited to, design, development, prototyping, initial testing, and field demonstration activities. NTIA may elect to waive this requirement for certain field demonstration activities if presented with compelling evidence that such activities would materially advance the objectives of this NOFO.

Under no circumstances may activities involve an entity, or occur within a jurisdiction, described in Section 2.2.2. or defined in Appendix A - Glossary of Terms (see “Country of Concern” and “Covered Nation”).

Section 3 – Technical Maturity Requirements

3.1. POP Entry Criteria

Projects funded under this NOFO may begin the POP at any technical maturity level.

3.2 POP Exit Criteria

Before exiting the POP, projects must meet the level of technical maturity commensurate with that required to support the Field Demonstration described in its Project Narrative (see

Section 4.3).

At a minimum, projects funded under this NOFO shall exit the POP with a working hardware prototype, as defined in Appendix A – Glossary of Terms (see “Prototype”), and beta-level software. The applicant shall conduct a working demonstration of the hardware prototype and software in a field environment. During the field demonstration, the applicant shall collect data necessary to confirm the business case projections outlined in the Project Narrative, i.e., to demonstrate the commercial viability of the solution.

Requiring a field demonstration of a working hardware prototype and beta-level software before exiting the POP will validate the technical and business case viability of the responses by providing real-life examples of functionality and alignment with business case hypotheses. It will generate data to facilitate investments that support the promotion of network virtualization and security, market competition, and the deployment of open and interoperable equipment in line with Innovation Fund goals i, ii, and vi (see Section 1.2).

NTIA will not fund proposals that do not meet the desired exit criteria (e.g., proposals too speculative to be commercially feasible or basic research that is outside the scope of this statutory authority).

Section 4 – Project Narrative

Note: Project Narratives must not exceed 50 pages in length (excluding cover page and references).

This section describes the specific content that applicants must include in their Project Narrative.

The Project Narrative is one component of a complete application. A complete list of required application materials can be found in Section 5.

A high-level review of Project Narratives will be conducted in Initial Review (see Section 7.1.1).

Project Narratives that do not include one or more of the elements listed below may not move forward to Merit Review and may not be considered for award.

The Project Narrative must include the following content:

• Executive Summary (see Section 4.1)

• Description of AI-Native Network Fabric (see Section 4.2)

• Description of Field Demonstration (see Section 4.3)

• Business Case (see Section 4.4)

• Security Plan (see Section 4.5)

• Work Plan Summary (see Section 4.6)

• Qualifications of Applicant and Unique Aspects of Proposal (see Section 4.7)

• Participants (see Section 4.8)

• Facilities and Equipment (see Section 4.9)

4.1 Executive Summary (Max 1 Page)

Provide a short executive summary of the proposed project. It is important that the executive summary focuses only on salient aspects of the broader Project Narrative, including how the proposed project addresses the AI-native network fabric (see Section 4.2), field demonstration (see Section 4.3), business case (see Section 4.4), and security plan (see

Section 4.5) requirements detailed below.

If the project is selected for funding, the executive summary may be used by NTIA in award announcement materials and posted on the public NTIA.gov website. Therefore, applicants should ensure that no proprietary or business confidential information is included in the executive summary.

4.2 Description of AI-Native Network Fabric

Note: NTIA recommends that applicants allocate no more than 10 pages to the description of the AI-native network fabric. When addressing the requirements listed below, the applicant must discuss how the proposed solution will readily scale to a broad deployment.

The rapid expansion of computing capacity to accommodate future AI-enabled functions is an opportunity to accelerate the intersection of wireless telecommunications with traditional

IT. New processing capabilities have the ability to process new AI applications, traditional

IT, and RAN-related network functions on the same set of infrastructure simultaneously. This presents an opportunity to consolidate computing resources and simplify computing resource management, reducing the total cost of ownership.

The AI-native network fabric requires an architecture that allows for the full functionality and seamless exchange of data.

Applicants shall describe the proposed AI-native network fabric, including how it will meet the following requirements.

Requirement – The minimal RAN network configuration to support the proposed solution shall, at a minimum, be compliant with 3GPP 5G NR Stand Alone Release 18 specifications and the latest releases of the O-RAN Alliance specifications per the March 2026

Specification Train (Release 5), as applicable to the proposed solution and prototype. If an applicant chooses to use a later 3GPP 5G NR release or O-RAN Alliance specification, it should be documented in the Project Narrative.

Requirement – Applicants must clearly define and discuss how their network fabric and its supporting a secure compute platform will seamlessly support at a minimum, the following workloads:

• Mobile Telecommunications: Mobile telecom workload functions High-PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, SDAP, RRC, and Core. While the Radio Unit (RU) functionality will be required for the demonstration, the AI-native network fabric as considered by this

NOFO ends at the Open Front Haul interface as defined by O-RAN Alliance specifications.

• AI: Massively parallel matrix math and other processes required to support various

AI activities enabled by such systems, LLMs and other neural networks. For example, AI workloads can include model training, inference, data processing, and specific applications such as natural language processing (NLP), computer vision, and generative AI.

For example, applicants could propose a solution including AI workloads associated with network telemetry data while simultaneously supporting mobile telecom workload functions

High-PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, SDAP, RRC, and Core.

Requirement – Applicants must provide the following details for the AI-native network fabric:

• Network Architecture o Physical Layer (e.g., primary and edge): Provide detailed information on the physical and logical locations of compute resources and such resource capacity.

o Allocation (e.g., orchestration, load management): Describe how common compute resources are shared to enable both AI applications and other processing capabilities necessary to enable RAN functionality.

• Computing o Processing (e.g., types, performance): Describe processor types, FLOPS

(Floating-Point Operations Per Second) and processor clock speeds.

Applicants may also describe the number of available processors and overall processing capacity.

o Virtualization (e.g., VMs, containers): Provide details related to shared or stand-alone OS kernels enabling virtualized computing.

o Orchestration (e.g., Kubernetes, cluster managers): Describe the orchestration framework used to enable shared workloads in a cloud-based environment.

Detail load balancing, fail-over, scaling, automation, and update policy enforcement mechanisms.

o Acceleration (e.g., GPU/AI accelerators, SmartNICs): Detail the use of processing accelerators including types, where in the architecture they occur, and the functions they directly enable.

• Networking o Connectivity (e.g., protocols, metrics): Provide detailed information on how data is moved between network elements including specific protocols leveraged at Layer 2 for backplanes and wired data center interconnectivity.

Proposals should include throughput and latency metrics.

• Data o Storage (e.g., block, object, distributed file systems): Provide detailed information on data storage architectures and how data is compartmentalized and accessed across various network layers.

o Services (e.g., streaming, caching, databases): Describe how data is held and accessed by AI-enabled models, agents and applications.

• Management o Observability (e.g., metrics, logs, tracking): Describe how computing infrastructure is monitored for performance and other computing KPIs.

o Operations (e.g., service Mesh & APIs): Describe how challenges associated with traffic management, observability, and resiliency are measured and monitored.

4.3 Description of Field Demonstration

https://www.google.com/search?q=FLOPS&sca_esv=9a394fa4b313378f&ei=pgZpadHuKJ3jwN4PpeLisA0&oq=how+is+graphic+processor+unit+%28GPU%29+processing+power+&gs_lp=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&sclient=gws-wiz-serp&ved=2ahUKEwjHrYrTgI6SAxUB5MkDHVWvHFgQgK4QegQIAxAB

Note: NTIA recommends that applicants allocate no more than 10 pages to the description of the field demonstration. When addressing the requirements listed below, the applicant must discuss how the proposed solution will readily scale to a broad deployment.

Requirement: All applicants must conduct a field demonstration during their period of performance (POP). Specifically, the applicant must conduct a working demonstration of the provision of the service(s) defined in the business case (see Section 4.4) via the proposed AI-native RAN solution in a mobile communications field environment. This demonstration must include simultaneous active AI workloads and active mobile communications workloads. The field demonstration must include the generation and collection of data necessary to confirm the business case projections.

Applicants shall provide a description of how the field demonstration meets the following requirements:

• Environment: The prototype must be demonstrated in a field environment that is the same as or very similar to the projected commercial deployments.

• Scale: The demonstration must be conducted in such a manner to demonstrate the solution would readily scale to a broad mobile communications marketplace for export and domestic use.

• Data Collection: Quantitative and qualitative data points collected from the demonstration must confirm operational and business targets.

• Plans: Detailed plans for the prototype demonstration, including, but not limited to, location (with maps and other depictions necessary to fully describe the environment), architecture (physical and logical), equipment and vendor(s), interfaces, projected coverage, methods of testing, and success criteria.

4.4 Business Case

Note: NTIA recommends that applicants allocate no more than 10 pages to the business case.

When addressing the requirements listed below, the applicant must discuss how the proposed solution will readily scale to a broad deployment.

The rapid emergence of AI’s application to mobile communications is driving rapid change and pressing the industry to move forward quickly. However, as has been demonstrated by the deployment of 5G systems, without a commensurate increase of revenue generation or operational savings, technology is only an enabler. The key drivers to broad adoption and deployment are the business cases that define and demonstrate new revenue streams and/or significant operational savings enabled by the new technology.

Requirement – Applicants shall provide a business case demonstrating commercial viability, including export potential, of provision of services(s) uniquely enabled by the AI-native network fabric proposed. The business case must have sufficient detail and supporting data to readily demonstrate commercial viability of the proposed service(s), including sufficient return to support scaling for broad adoption and deployment. At a minimum, the business case must include the following:

• List of assumptions made within the business case and details supporting those assumptions

• Definition of specific service(s) including, but not limited to, descriptions of the following items o Target customer o Requirement to be supported by a mobile communications system o Expected user equipment/devices to be supported o Discussion of data required, its source(s), and if access to such data has been approved by its owner o Discussion of the service value chain (e.g., how value is exchanged, who the key players in the value chain are, and the motivations of each player) o Alternative options that could provide the same service (demonstration of unique opportunity proposed by applicant)

• Definition of how the service(s) are uniquely enabled by the proposed AI-native network fabric and the features enabled by that network fabric

• Pro forma (5 year) financial projections to support the commercial viability – revenue and/or cost savings sufficient to support broad deployment of the specific service set including, but not limited to, the following:

o Cost projections o Revenue and/or savings projections o Proposed revenue model o Return on Investment (ROI) analysis

• Analysis of commercial, technical, and other risks and the applicant’s strategies for mitigating them.

• Description of how the commercial deployment of the service(s) will help export U.S.

AI technology and increase the U.S.’ share of the wireless communications market.

4.5 Security Plan

Note: NTIA recommends that applicants allocate no more than 10 pages to the security plan.

When addressing the requirements listed below, the applicant must discuss how the proposed solution will readily scale to a broad deployment.

It is the policy of the U.S. to strengthen the security and resilience of its critical infrastructure against all hazards, including physical and cyber risks. Given the transformative impact of

AI-powered Radio Access Networks on future critical telecommunications infrastructure, entities receiving funds through this program must ensure that cybersecurity is integrated into the design, development, operation, and maintenance (including, but not limited to, Life

Cycle Management) of AI RAN solutions developed through this program, with particular attention to the unique security challenges introduced by artificial intelligence and machine learning systems.

Requirement – Applicants shall provide a Security Plan that demonstrates inclusion of security into the overall solution architecture, application of security principles to AI/ML processes, and alignment with existing security frameworks. Given the expected maturity of the solution at the end of the project, it is not expected, but encouraged, that proposed security features will be fully implemented into the demonstration. The development of a security plan facilitates the inclusion of security in the final product.

• Security-by-Design and Post-Quantum Cryptography Readiness: All projects shall incorporate “security-by-design” principles following industry best practices for telecommunications and AI/ML systems. This includes consideration of security controls defined in 3GPP Security Specifications (TS 33.501, TS 33.210) and O-RAN

WG11 Security Requirements (published by ETSI in TS 104 104 (2026 versions or later), TS 104 107). AI/ML security should specifically consider NIST AI Risk

Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0) and NIST AI 600-1 for generative AI (if employed) or their successor to manage AI/ML risks. Projects shall assess current cryptographic implementations and consider a migration plan to post-quantum cryptography using NIST IR 8547 and other such industry guidance.

• Software and Hardware Security: All projects shall use DevSecOps approaches and develop Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) per NTIA minimum requirements using SPDX 2.3+ or CycloneDX 1.4+ format, and Hardware Bill of Materials

(HBOM) per CISA HBOM Framework. Both shall include Vulnerability

Exploitability eXchange (VEX) for known…