FY26 US DOT Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grants (DIIG) Program

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 necessary to facilitate acceptance and full use of the grant, such as by alleviating economic hardship, meeting additional workforce needs, or other appropriate reasons determined by the Department. Applications from private companies, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and other non-governmental entities are not eligible unless such entities participate only as contractors, vendors, or other non-applicant partners to an eligible governmental entity.

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.

In selecting an application for a grant under this section, the Secretary shall prioritize applications that propose to� (1) carry out a project in a variety of communities, including urban, suburban, rural, Tribal, or any other type of community; and (2) address a safety risk in the inspection, operation, construction, maintenance, or repair of an element of critical infrastructure.

The Federal share of the cost of a project carried out using a grant provided under this section shall not exceed 50 percent of the total project cost.