FORECAST · GRANT
FY26 US DOT Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grants (DIIG) Program
69A345 Office of the Under Secretary for Policy · Transportation
- Expected deadline
- Not stated
- Who can apply
- Others
- Award range
- $500,000 to $9.0 million
- Expected awards
- 5
- Total program funding
- $9.0 million
- Your own money required
- Yes, cost sharing or matching is required
- Opportunity number
- DOT-HASS-FY26-DIIG
- Posted
- Jul 20, 2026
- Assistance listing
- 20.765
More on who can apply
An eligible applicant must be one of the following:•A State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States, or a political subdivision thereof.•A unit of local government.•A Tribal government.•A metropolitan planning organization.•A consortia of more than one of the entities listed above.
What it funds
The Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grants (DIIG) Program will provide grants to eligible government entities to facilitate the use of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), referred to herein as drones, in critical infrastructure inspection. The objective is to increase the widespread adoption of drones and relevant technologies in support of more efficient Inspection, Operation, Construction, Maintenance, and Repair (IOCMR) of critical infrastructure to improve worker safety related to critical infrastructure projects. The program is established by Section 912 of Public Law 118-63 and Public Law 119-75. Eligible uses of grant funds include purchasing, leasing, or enhancing drone systems; contracting for services when internal expertise is lacking in the government entities; and supporting program management for these systems and operations. The DIIG Program prioritizes projects that create and utilize innovative drone inspection technologies and systems, address inspection data management and data platform interoperability, and streamline inspection workflows and processes while accounting for the complexities inherent in multi-jurisdictional regions. Total available funds of $9,000,000 in the DIIG Program (Fiscal Year 2026) are to be awarded on a competitive basis. In selecting applications, the Department will prioritize projects carried out in a variety of communities and projects that address safety risks in the IOCMR of critical infrastructure.The Federal share of the total project cost may not exceed 50 percent.· A lead applicant may request an increase in the Federal share up to 75 percent.· A request for an increased Federal share must be submitted in writing as part of the application.· The request must demonstrate that additional Federal assistance is necess…
Open the official notice on Grants.gov ↗What to do next
- This is a forecast: the agency expects to post the full notice later. Open it on Grants.gov and subscribe there to be told when it posts.
- Get your SAM.gov registration ("all awards") and Grants.gov account active now; both take time.
- Use the forecast's award range and eligibility to decide whether to prepare.
- Watch for the notice; the dates here are estimates and can change.
New to this? Applying for a federal grant, step by step · Register to apply · How to read the notice · Write the narrative · Build the budget · Agency contact: thy.nguyen@dot.gov
From Grants.gov's official daily extract of Oct 25, 2026. The notice on Grants.gov and its attachments are what count. UX Contract is independent and not a government website.