Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B-5) SMART Grant
This grant funds states and territories to improve early childhood education data and technology systems for better program coordination, quality, access, and informed family choice for children birth through age five.
Funder: Administration for Children and Families
Due Dates (Anticipated): November 2026 (Full application deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: Estimated total program funding: $224,000,000 | Award ceiling: $15,000,000 | Award floor: $500,000 | 1-year project period
Summary: Supports states and territories in making targeted, one-year investments in early care and education technology and data infrastructure to advance Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) goals.
Key Information: Cost sharing or matching is required; eligibility limited to specific states and territories to be named in the NOFO.
Description
This funding opportunity, administered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), supports the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) SMART Grant: Strategic Measurement, Analytics, and Results using Technology. The grant is designed to help eligible states and territories make focused, one-year investments in statewide early care and education (ECE) technology and analytic data infrastructure. Projects should advance PDG B-5 objectives such as:
- Strengthening coordination across the mixed-delivery ECE system
- Improving program quality and access
- Supporting informed family choice
- Leveraging data to better understand and address the needs of children from birth through age five
Applicants are expected to propose targeted, feasible investments that strengthen the state's ability to generate actionable information for decision-making and yield measurable results by the end of the project period.
