Arlington County’s Digital Equity Initiative is making up to $500,000 in one-time funding available to support community-driven digital inclusion programs.

This funding opportunity is designed to:

• Expand access to digital navigation services that provide individualized, trusted support
• Scale or pilot digital skills training programs that build confidence and workforce-relevant competencies
• Increase community engagement and awareness around technology use and emerging tools
• Strengthen the local digital inclusion ecosystem through partnerships and capacity-building

Arlington County is seeking proposals that are strategic, collaborative, and results-driven, with a clear focus on reaching residents most impacted by digital inequities. Funding is available through two tracks to support both large-scale partnerships and smaller, innovative pilots. Through this investment, the County aims to accelerate progress toward a more equitable and connected community.

Focus Areas

Funding Tracks

Submission Requirements

Applicants are limited to one application per organization per track (for institutes of higher education, one application per Department per track will be allowed). 

Pre-Application

All applicants intending to submit a full application must submit a pre-application electronically through Submittable no later than 5:00 pm on June 5, 2026. Organizations that do not submit a pre-application by the deadline will not be permitted to submit a full application. All applications that are submitted by the Pre-application deadline will be evaluated for the following:

1. Alignment with one or more focus areas of the FY27 Digital Equity Grant. 

2. Consistency with the eligibility requirements of each Grant track. 

3. Completeness of pre-application contents, meaning that an application includes all required documents.

The application will include preliminary information to perform a threshold check on eligibility and general alignment with the digital equity focus areas. At this stage, applicants will share basic information related to the organization and project. If applying for a Partnership Implementation Grant, the pre-application must identify two additional core partners and their roles.  All applications at this stage must include the applicant’s tax-exempt status, including 501c3 and submission of latest tax season’s IRS Federal Form 990, to confirm eligibility. 

Applicants will be notified by June 12, 2026 if they are invited to submit a full application. 

Full Application

All proposals, including any attachments, must be submitted electronically through Submittable no later than 5:00 pm on July 10, 2026. Applicants may submit the following attachments that may support their application, including but not limited to: 

· Partnership Agreements, such as MOUs, letters of intent, or other formal documentation that details the partner and their role in the project. [This is required for the Partnership Implementation Grant. Applications without letters documenting the partnership will be disqualified]. Documentation must include: 

 i. A brief statement about the partner, 

 ii. The partner’s mission and focus, 

 iii. Statement of the partner’s role in the project, and 

 iv. Project execution details.

• Letters of support that meaningfully share the      organization’s reputation and ability to address a documented need in the      community
• Funding commitments, letters of intent, or other      formal documentation
• Staff resumes 
• Program marketing information 

Applications will be reviewed for completeness and to ensure all narrative questions were answered and required information submitted. If an application is missing components, they will have a twenty-four hour cure period. If the issue is not corrected, the application will be disqualified. 

Applicants electing a capacity-building grant will be prompted to answer additional questions at the end of the application.

Project Selection

Projects will be reviewed by a small interdepartmental County staff team using the full scoring rubric in Appendix 4 of the NOFA. Selection will be based upon the proposal’s ability to:

1. Incorporate a detailed and thoughtful project that addresses barriers to technology use and advances the County’s goals to expand digital inclusion activities targeted to populations and areas in need. 

2. Deliver the project creatively, minimizing duplication of efforts compared to other organizations and County offerings while promoting partnership to maximize resources.

3. Organize an experienced project team that has documented success delivering similar programs and will provide measurable impact to the community it serves.

4. Propose a clear, transparent budget that supports a measurable value-add to delivering the project and sustaining and growing the project over time.