Grants, standards
and toolkits.

Statewide hub for AI in Ohio schools, with the model policy, school and district supports, content-area integration guides for Ohio's Learning Standards, resources for students with disabilities, and funding information.

HB 96 required districts, community schools, and STEM schools to adopt an AI policy by July 1, 2026.

Reimbursement grants for small business expansion projects, with eligible costs including equipment, training, software development and technological improvements.

Funding:

Up to $50,000 per project (typically no more than 50% of eligible investment)

Eligibility:

Businesses with over $100K revenue in a JobsOhio targeted industry, in a distressed zip code or owned by an underrepresented population; retail and B2C excluded

Rolling; engage through a JobsOhio regional partner

Reimburses Ohio employers for the cost of short-term, industry-recognized technology credentials earned by current or prospective employees, including AI, data, IT, cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing credentials.

Funding:

Up to $1,000 per person per credential; up to $30,000 per employer application

Eligibility:

Ohio employers registered with the Secretary of State, with an Ohio location and W-2 Ohio resident employees; public entities ineligible; one application per FEIN per period

Deadline Oct 30, 2026 · 31 days left

National AI literacy framework with five foundational content areas and seven delivery principles to guide workforce training programs. Aimed at state workforce agencies, American Job Centers, community colleges, and apprenticeship programs.

Voluntary framework for managing risks of AI systems across the Govern, Map, Measure, and Manage functions. It is the most widely referenced US baseline for trustworthy AI governance.

A national program that funds one AI readiness Coordination Hub in each state and territory. Hubs coordinate AI education, workforce development, business support and sector adoption. Later topic-driven Catalyst Award competitions are planned.

Funding:

$1 million per year for 3 years per hub (possible 1-year extension); $168M-$224M total for up to 56 hubs

Eligibility:

Organizations eligible under the NSF PAPPG; one proposal per institution; unaffiliated individuals not eligible.

Deadline Dec 15, 2026 · 77 days left

City small business training program run with 11 entrepreneurial support organizations, offering free training in AI adoption, marketing, strategic planning and website design, including twice-monthly AI skills meetups.

Eligibility:

Businesses located in the City of Columbus (or Columbus residents with home-based businesses)

2026 cohorts and sessions ongoing

Southwest Ohio seed-stage venture investor backing software/AI, industrial IoT and life sciences founders, with founder support as a state ESP partner.

Eligibility:

Early-stage technology founders, primarily in Southwest Ohio

Rolling; founders submit through Pitch Us

Northeast Ohio nonprofit offering business assistance services and talent matching for tech startups, plus a venture arm investing seed through Series A in software, data analytics and other tech sectors.

Eligibility:

Tech startups, primarily in Northeast Ohio; investment criteria listed at jumpstart.vc

Rolling

Northeast Ohio manufacturing nonprofit offering consulting in Industry 4.0, automation, AI and data automation (smart quoting, dashboards, analytics) and cybersecurity.

Eligibility:

Manufacturers and manufacturing startups in Northeast Ohio

Ongoing

Central Ohio venture studio and investor that gives startups in SaaS/AI, deep tech and life sciences mentoring, market validation and venture-readiness support, plus Rev1 Labs workspace.

Eligibility:

Early-stage, high-growth startups; Columbus-based with Midwest focus

Rolling

Supports early-stage tech companies in Appalachian Ohio with intensive technical assistance, talent development and seed or co-investment.

Eligibility:

Early-stage, high-growth tech companies in Southeast Ohio

Rolling

State model policy required by House Bill 96 on appropriate AI use by students and staff, covering privacy, ethics, and vendor evaluation. Available in editable Word and PDF formats for local adoption.

Districts, community schools, and STEM schools had to adopt an AI policy by July 1, 2026; model policy released late 2025.

State grants to Ohio colleges and universities that fund STEM scholarships, including computing fields, with a required work-based learning experience for recipients.

Funding:

More than $26 million across 59 institutions (latest round)

Eligibility:

Students in STEM programs at participating Ohio institutions

Latest awards cover four years starting in the 2027-2028 academic year; students apply through participating institutions

State-funded network of regional partners giving tech entrepreneurs integrated support services, deal flow and access to early-stage capital.

Eligibility:

Technology-based startups and entrepreneurs in Ohio

Ongoing; contact your regional ESP partner

Reimburses Ohio employers for part of the wages of high school interns in technology roles such as AI, software development, data, cloud, IT infrastructure and cybersecurity.

Funding:

Up to 75% of intern wages, capped at $5,000 per intern

Eligibility:

Ohio employers hosting high school interns in tech roles; minimum 120 hours at $12/hour or more

Administered through six regional intermediaries; 2026 application round opened February 2026

Lets Ohioans earn short-term, technology-focused, industry-recognized microcredentials at no cost, with approved training providers reimbursed by the state.

Funding:

Providers reimbursed up to $3,000 per completed microcredential

Eligibility:

Ohio residents, with a focus on low-income, partially unemployed or unemployed Ohioans; provider requirements may apply

Individuals apply through participating training providers

Competitive grants for business-led regional partnerships of employers, schools and workforce organizations that build training pipelines for in-demand sectors, including technology.

Funding:

$5 million available in the Round 6 cycle

Eligibility:

Partnerships of 5+ private-sector employers plus 5+ education, workforce or economic development partners

Round 6 closed February 27, 2026; watch for the next round

Ohio's K-12 AI toolkit with guidance and resources for policymakers, teachers, and parents to advance AI readiness in schools. Also hosts regional OH AI forum recordings.

Supports corporations establishing new Ohio R&D centers that develop technology-enabled products in fields such as data analytics, cybersecurity, IoT and fintech.

Eligibility:

Corporations with 5+ years operating history, revenue over $10 million, at least $3 million new cash investment and at least 5 new jobs

Rolling

Milestone-based incentive for Ohio employers that enroll workers in approved technician associate degrees, certificates or registered apprenticeships, the first phase of a $300M experiential learning initiative that JobsOhio says will later add technology and AI pathways.

Funding:

Up to $10,000 per worker ($1,000 enrollment, $4,000 intermediate, $5,000 completion)

Eligibility:

Ohio employers in JobsOhio's 10 targeted industries paying participants at least $20/hour; workers must be Ohio residents in approved programs

Rolling; apply online

Statewide cyber range network offering virtual cybersecurity labs for colleges and high schools, camps and competitions, and bootcamps for adult learners and veterans that lead to CompTIA Network+ and Security+.

Eligibility:

Ohio students, educators, adult learners, veterans and researchers

Ongoing

Civilian teams of trained volunteers that give eligible Ohio municipalities cybersecurity assessments, education and incident response support.

Eligibility:

Eligible Ohio municipalities

Request support online anytime

State administrative policy governing AI planning, procurement, security, privacy, data governance, and AI Council approval for Ohio agencies, including human review of AI output. A strong model for Ohio local governments and public entities.

Statewide network of 20+ centers giving no-cost, confidential one-on-one business advising and training, including technology, innovation and cybersecurity support.

Eligibility:

Ohio small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs

Ongoing; no cost

Funds validation of university and research-institution technologies (Phase 1) and startups licensing those technologies (Phase 2), including software/IT and sensors.

Funding:

Phase 1: $200,000 to $1 million (or $100,000 intern option); Phase 2: up to $200,000

Eligibility:

Ohio higher education, nonprofit research institutions and federal labs (Phase 1); startups licensing their technology (Phase 2)

Round 46 proposals closed August 6, 2026, with awards expected October 2026; rounds recur periodically

Statewide strategy from Ohio's AI in Education Coalition, with recommendations from its Industry, Operations, and Instructional workgroups on bringing AI into the K-12 system.

Local centers across Ohio giving job seekers and employers hands-on help, including technology training, computer access and access to training funds where eligible.

Eligibility:

Ohio job seekers and employers; training funding eligibility varies by center

Ongoing; services vary by location

Joint guidance on protecting data across the AI lifecycle, including data supply chain risks, poisoned data, and data drift. Practical for any organization training, fine-tuning, or operating AI systems.

SBA Business Guide page explaining how small businesses can use AI tools, with benefits (efficiency, cost savings) and risks (intellectual property, security, ethics) to weigh. A plain-language starting point for owners.

Framework to help nonprofits assess, adopt, and govern AI tools responsibly through assessment, impact, and intervention questions. Part of NTEN's AI for Nonprofits resource hub, which also offers policy templates and a certificate program.

Seven-chapter guide for public-sector leaders on building AI capability, covering people, data, technology, AI maturity, and responsible implementation. Written for non-technical decision-makers.

Provides free Claude API credits to researchers at academic and nonprofit institutions working on high-impact scientific projects, with a particular focus on biology and life sciences.

Funding:

Up to $20,000 in API credits over 6 months

Eligibility:

Researchers at academic or nonprofit institutions; evaluated on scientific merit, impact, feasibility and team.

Rolling. Submissions are evaluated on the first Monday of each month.

Joint guide on the security risks of agentic AI services and controls to consider before granting AI agents access to systems and data. Timely for organizations piloting autonomous AI agents.

Funds colleges and universities to provide scholarships and build capacity in cybersecurity and AI. Scholarship recipients commit to government service after graduation.

Funding:

Scholarship Track up to $2.5M; Innovation Track up to $500,000 ($100K-$200K per year); up to 25 awards per year

Eligibility:

Scholarship Track: accredited US four-year institutions, one proposal per institution; community colleges may be sub-awardees. Innovation Track: two- and four-year institutions and nonprofit research or education organizations. Students must be US citizens or permanent residents.

Deadline Jul 20, 2027 · 294 days left

Guidance confirming that federal grant funds may support responsible AI uses such as AI-enhanced instruction, tutoring, and career pathway tools. Issued alongside a proposed supplemental grant priority for AI literacy and computer science.

Establishes the White House Task Force on AI Education to promote AI literacy in K-12 curricula, educator training in AI and early exposure to AI. It also created the Pledge to America's Youth public-private partnership and the Presidential AI Challenge.

Draft guidance on what AI-enabled medical device makers should document for FDA review and how to manage AI models over the product lifecycle. Key reference for medtech developers.

FTC hub for AI enforcement actions and business guidance on truthful AI claims, advertising, privacy, and data security. Helps businesses avoid deceptive AI marketing and unfair practices.

A public-private consortium linking DOE National Laboratories, industry and universities to speed up AI-driven scientific discovery. It runs a Partnership Exchange portal for team formation on future Genesis Mission funding calls.

Eligibility:

Private companies, academic institutions and technology organizations contributing compute, AI resources, expertise or in-kind support.

Membership and partner matching are ongoing, and a hands-on hackathon is listed for Oct 14, 2026. The April 2026 DOE Genesis Mission FOA closed May 19, 2026. Future calls are posted via the Partnership Exchange.

Ten guiding principles for developing safe and effective AI and machine learning medical devices across the product lifecycle. Adopted internationally through the International Medical Device Regulators Forum.

Department-wide strategy for using AI across HHS operations, research, and public health, with an accompanying M-25-21 compliance plan. Shows healthcare organizations the federal direction on AI.

International guidance on integrating AI-specific risk management into organizational processes, building on ISO 31000. Pairs well with ISO/IEC 42001 and the NIST AI RMF.

The first certifiable international standard for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving an AI management system (AIMS). Applies to organizations of any size that develop, provide, or use AI.

Hub of free AI lessons, educator courses, GenerationAI initiatives, and frameworks such as the Profile of an AI-Ready Graduate. Supports K-12 educators teaching with and about AI.

A free 7-day AI literacy course delivered by text message, about 10 minutes a day. It covers AI principles, uses, prompting, evaluating outputs and responsible use. Learners enroll by texting READY to 20202.

Eligibility:

Anyone with a mobile phone.

Ongoing; free.

Microsoft's AI skilling initiative. It offers free AI learning paths and credentials (AI Skills Navigator), Elevate for Educators professional development, community college AI bootcamps and nonprofit AI tools.

Eligibility:

Varies by offering; the learning paths are free and open to individuals.

Ongoing.

Eligible nonprofits can get annual Azure grants and discounted Microsoft 365, Copilot, Dynamics 365, Power Platform and security offerings to adopt AI-powered tools.

Eligibility:

501(c)(3)-equivalent nonprofits, public libraries and museums, and certain US healthcare organizations (Critical Access Hospitals, FQHCs, Rural Health Clinics and similar). Schools, universities and government agencies are not eligible.

Ongoing. Register through the Microsoft Nonprofit Hub.

Researchers and educators can request free allocations of federally coordinated compute, models, platforms and educational resources for AI research. Proposals are reviewed monthly on a rolling basis.

Funding:

In-kind computing, model and platform allocations (no cash)

Eligibility:

US-based researchers at academic institutions, nonprofits, federal, state, local or tribal agencies, and startups with federal grants. Graduate students may apply with faculty sponsorship. An institutional email is required.

Rolling. Proposals submitted by the 15th of a month get a decision by the end of that month. Open until the NAIRR Pilot ends or resources are fully committed.

A lightweight entry-level allocation for researchers and educators new to NAIRR resources. It covers small GPU or compute allocations on one resource for scaling studies or for learning the allocation process.

Funding:

In-kind; e.g., up to 2,000 GPU-hours on systems such as PSC Bridges-2, Purdue Anvil AI, SDSC Expanse AI or TACC Vista (3-month projects)

Eligibility:

US-based researchers and educators at US institutions: academic, nonprofit, government, and startups or small businesses with federal grants. An institutional email is required.

Rolling since May 16, 2025, until the pilot ends or resources are exhausted. Review decisions arrive in 2-3 weeks.

Cross-sector profile of the AI RMF that identifies risks unique to generative AI and lists suggested actions to manage them. Useful for organizations deploying chatbots, copilots, and content generation tools.

Companion to the AI RMF with suggested actions, references, and documentation guidance for each subcategory. Downloadable in PDF, CSV, Excel, and JSON.

Draft community profile built on NIST CSF 2.0 covering how to secure AI systems, use AI for cyber defense, and counter AI-enabled attacks. Aimed at security teams aligning AI adoption with existing CSF programs.

A national network of more than 450 service locations that helps small and medium-sized manufacturers adopt advanced technologies, including AI, robotics and automation. It also helps with operations, cybersecurity, supply chain and workforce needs.

Eligibility:

US small and medium-sized manufacturers.

Services are ongoing through each state's MEP center. The FY2026 Round 2 center competition (including Ohio, about $30.4M over 5 years) closed Aug 21, 2026.

Supports partnerships led by two-year colleges with industry and other partners to educate technicians for high-technology fields. Funded work includes curricula, faculty development and career pathways, and the pathways can cover emerging areas like AI.

Funding:

Approximately $69M-$74M per year across 45-80 new awards; award size varies by track

Eligibility:

Two-year institutions of higher education and partner academic institutions, industry and other entities, per NSF 24-584.

Deadline Oct 1, 2026 · 2 days left

Non-dilutive funding for startups and small businesses developing deep technologies, including AI, that advance US competitiveness and security. Applicants must first submit a Project Pitch and receive an invitation before a full proposal.

Funding:

Phase I up to $305,000; Phase II up to $1,250,000; Fast-Track up to $1,555,555 (about $210M per year total)

Eligibility:

US small businesses meeting SBIR/STTR size and ownership rules; STTR requires a research-institution partner.

Deadline Nov 4, 2026 · 36 days left

Funds state or multi-state consortia that combine institutional, industry, philanthropic and government resources to expand access to AI compute for scientific discovery.

Funding:

About $100M total; typical awards $4M-$12M per hub over 5 years (about 10 awards per cycle)

Eligibility:

Accredited US two- and four-year institutions of higher education and non-academic nonprofits such as museums, research labs and professional societies. One proposal per organization per competition.

Deadline Nov 4, 2026 · 36 days left

Supports research and development that uses AI and emerging technologies to advance K-12 STEM teaching and learning in formal and informal settings. It was launched as part of NSF's response to the AI education executive order.

Funding:

$25,000 to $750,000 per award, 1-3 years (about 40 awards)

Eligibility:

Organizations eligible under the NSF PAPPG.

Full proposals accepted anytime.

First intergovernmental standard on AI, with five values-based principles and five policy recommendations for trustworthy AI. Updated in May 2024 and adhered to by 47 countries plus the EU, including the United States.

Current federal policy on agency AI use, covering Chief AI Officers, AI strategies, and minimum practices for high-impact AI. It rescinds and replaces M-24-10, and is a useful governance reference for state and local government.

Federal guidance on buying AI systems and services, emphasizing competition, American-made AI, risk management, and cross-functional acquisition teams. A practical model for public-sector AI procurement.

Directs federal agencies to apply truth-seeking and ideological neutrality principles when procuring large language models, with contract and transparency requirements. Relevant to vendors selling LLMs to government.

A national competition for K-12 student teams and educators to create AI-based solutions to community problems, with state, regional and national championships. It was created under the April 2025 AI education executive order.

Eligibility:

K-12 students (teams) and K-12 educators in the US; see the official rules on the ORISE site.

The 2025-2026 cycle is complete (national champions honored June 2026). The official site says registration is closed and to check back in late September 2026 for the next cycle. Next-cycle dates are not yet posted.

Joint guidance for critical infrastructure and industrial operators on safely integrating AI into operational technology (OT) environments. Especially relevant to manufacturers, utilities, and plant operators.

SBIR.gov is the government-wide portal for Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer funding across participating federal agencies. It offers eligibility guidance, topic search and local assistance. The programs were reauthorized in 2026 through September 30, 2031.

Eligibility:

For-profit US small businesses with fewer than 500 employees, meeting US-ownership requirements; STTR requires a research-institution partner.

Deadlines vary by agency solicitation.

A final grant priority that ED can apply across its discretionary grant competitions. It favors projects that expand AI literacy and computer science education, prepare educators on AI, and use AI appropriately for personalized learning, special education and efficiency.

Eligibility:

Applies to applicants to ED discretionary grant competitions that adopt the priority.

Effective May 13, 2026. Which competitions use it is stated in each competition's Application Notice on Grants.gov.

Toolkit for education leaders to build school AI guidance, with seven principles, sample policies, presentation materials, and communication templates. Updated in 2025.

NIST MEP resource on how AI is changing manufacturing, including predictive maintenance and generative design, with a path to MEP National Network experts for hands-on adoption help. Ohio manufacturers can reach this support through Ohio MEP centers.

The federal AI strategy, built on three pillars: accelerating AI innovation, building AI infrastructure, and leading in international AI diplomacy and security. It calls for AI skill development across federal workforce and education programs, including apprenticeships, CTE and rapid retraining.