Fiscal Year 2027 Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Grant Program
Open Posted
- Opportunity number
- DHS-27-GPD-161-00-99
- Agency
-
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Department of Homeland Security
- Applications due
- Award size
- $822,338 to $18,665,396
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Category
-
- Law, Justice and Legal Services
- Eligible applicants
-
- State Governments
- Points of contact
-
- FEMA GO Help Desk femago@fema.dhs.gov (877) 585-3242
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is distributing $250 million in Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) grant funding across all 56 states and territories, with applications due November 16, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Eligible applicants are State Administrative Agencies only; tribal governments may participate as subrecipients through their state SAA, and subrecipients may include local governments, law enforcement, correctional agencies, fire services, and other public safety entities. Operation of mitigation technologies is restricted to state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement or correctional agencies with FBI National Counter-UAS Training Center (NCUTC) certification that meet training, certification, accreditation, and authorized technology requirements under 6 U.S.C. 124n and 6 C.F.R. 124.
Expected award amounts range from $760,000 to $25 million per recipient, with approximately 56 awards anticipated. State Administrative Agencies must pass through at least 97% of awarded funds to subrecipients, retaining up to 3% for administration and up to 20% for justified state-level equipment purchases. The period of performance runs from December 10, 2026 through December 9, 2029.
Allowable costs follow the Planning, Organization, Equipment, Training, and Exercises (POETE) framework for unmanned aircraft system detection, identification, monitoring, tracking, and mitigation technologies. DHS strongly encourages procurement of active or passive radar systems to detect autonomous and non-emitting UAS. The program prioritizes support for the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles (designated as a National Special Security Event) and the Olympic torch relay.
Scoring evaluates NSSE/SEAR event support (40 points), mitigation capabilities (30 points), detection-track-identify capabilities (8 points), deployment connectivity (4 points), data sharing alignment (6 points), trainer readiness (2 points), capability type (1–2 points), and implementation timeline (up to 2 points). Funding allocation is based on location risk multiplied by project effectiveness, with awards recommended in rank order at the discretion of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The Assistance Listing number is 97.161.
Synopsis
Using C-UAS Grant Program funds, eligible governments and their subrecipients may purchase unmanned aircraft system (UAS) Detection, Identifying, Monitoring, Tracking, and Mitigation (DIMT-M) technologies to support public safety officials in the protection of the public and critical infrastructure from nefarious or unlawful use of UAS consistent with 6 U.S.C. § 124n and 6 C.F.R. 124. The operation of certain detection and all mitigation technologies will be limited to accredited law enforcement and correctional agencies that meet the training, certification, accreditation, and authorized technology requirements of 6 C.F.R. 124 described in this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
For Fiscal Year 2027, the remaining $250 million will be distributed to all 56 states and territories, with a focus on building national detection and response capacity across the nation, generally, as well as an expanded focus on supporting the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. Crucially, this round of funding must be strategically leveraged to support the Olympic torch relay, representing a vital operational priority to secure the relay's expansive domestic route and ensure seamless interagency coordination before the opening ceremonies. The 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles have been designated as a National Special Security Event (NSSE), and official ancillary events have been designated as Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) events. Jurisdictions will receive statutory minimums established under the State Homeland Security Grant Program, with additional funds allocated based on the DHS Terrorism Risk Methodology and the anticipated effectiveness of proposed projects.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| FY27_C-UAS_Grant_Program_NOFO_-_Clean_pdf_final.pdf | ||
| Example_Consent_form.docx | DOCX document | |
| C-UAS_Application-IJ-budget-Imp_plan.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet |
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