A new half-billion-dollar federal grant program is now available to help state and local governments across the United States detect and respond to unauthorized drone activity. Established under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, the Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Grant Program is designed to strengthen the capabilities of communities and law enforcement agencies to identify, track, and monitor drones that pose a risk to public safety.

How the funding is structured

The program rolls out in two phases. In FY 2026, the first $250 million is targeted at the 11 states and the National Capital Region hosting major national security events — including the FIFA World Cup 2026 and America 250 celebrations. In FY 2027, the remaining $250 million (plus any unused FY 2026 funds) opens up to all states and territories, with awards distributed competitively based on project quality and security needs.

Each state and the District of Columbia is guaranteed a minimum of 0.35% of total program funds. Smaller territories such as Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands are guaranteed at least 0.08%.

Who can apply

Only State Administrative Agencies (SAAs) may submit applications directly to FEMA. However, local governments, tribal entities, fire services, emergency medical services, and other qualifying public safety organizations can participate as subapplicants through their SAA. Tribal governments cannot apply independently but are welcome as subapplicants.

What the money can be used for

Funding covers a broad range of activities organized under the POETE framework — Planning, Organization, Equipment, Training, and Exercises. Some examples include:

• Procuring radar systems, infrared cameras, and radio frequency detection equipment

• Purchasing drone detection software, including SaaS subscription models

• Developing emergency response plans and standard operating procedures for drone incidents

• Staff salaries and operational overtime for C-UAS personnel

• Training at the FBI National Counter-UAS Training Center (required for mitigation technologies)

• Running tabletop and full-scale exercises simulating drone threat scenarios

Note: Physical mitigation technologies — such as radio frequency jamming or drone interception systems — may only be used by law enforcement personnel who have received or are scheduled to receive training at the FBI's dedicated C-UAS training facility.

How to apply

Applications for FY 2026 funding must be submitted by email to FEMA-GPD-GrantPrograms@fema.dhs.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on December 5, 2025. Once the appropriations issue is resolved, the process is expected to return to the standard FEMA GO online platform.

Applicants should ensure their Unique Entity Identifiers are current in SAM.gov well in advance — registration can take four weeks or more. Required documents include an Investment Justification, SF-424 forms, budget information, and lobbying certifications.

Scoring criteria

Applications are scored competitively. The two biggest factors are support for SEAR 1 or 2 events (up to 50 points) and the strength of proposed detection and mitigation capabilities (up to 30 points), covering radar, infrared cameras, passive RF detection, and deployment planning.

Source: FEMA C-UAS Grant Program Fact Sheet, Release No. 002, November 10, 2025.