Request for Proposals (RFP): Youth AI Mastery & Proficiency Grants

 

Issued By: Pull Up Fund

Focus Area: Prince George’s County, Maryland

Grant Term: Three Years (2026–2029)

Apply Here: Application Form

 

1. Summary

 

Pull Up Fund is seeking proposals from innovative nonprofit organizations dedicated to empowering the youth of Prince George’s County, Maryland. As Large Language Models (LLMs) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) redefine the global workforce, we believe Prince George’s County students, particularly those in middle and high school, should achieve mastery of these technologies and position themselves to be leaders in this space.

This RFP focuses on AI Mastery and Proficiency, which we define as helping to ensure that middle and high school students in our community possess the technical and critical thinking skills to master AI tools for future success.

Please contact info@pullupfund.org if you have any questions.

 

2. Core Objective: “Mastery and Proficiency”

 

The spirit of this RFP is opportunity. Recognizing the diverse economic landscape of Prince George’s County, we believe AI proficiency can be a powerful equalizer — bridging resource gaps and equipping a new generation of leaders, regardless of their starting point.

We are looking for programs that move beyond passive use and inspire students to use AI to drive their own professional and academic futures. We want the youth in Prince George’s County, MD to be the most AI-proficient in the country.

We are particularly excited by proposals that address:

• Entrepreneurship & Wealth Creation: Teaching young people how to leverage AI to launch businesses, automate side hustles, and generate passive income. We want to see students learning how AI can be used to create value and build assets for themselves and their families.
• The Creative Economy: Equipping students to use LLMs and/or other generative tools for high-quality content creation, digital branding, and multimedia production that competes on a global stage.
• Academic & College Readiness: Using AI as a sophisticated co-pilot for personalized learning, mastery of complex subjects, SAT/ACT prep, and the college application and scholarship search process.
• Financial Literacy & Management: Training students to use AI tools to navigate personal finance, investment strategies, and economic planning to ensure the money they make is managed and grown.
• Leadership & Career Edge: Setting students up for career success by making them the most AI-proficient candidates in any room, whether it’s a boardroom, recording studio, or a research lab.
• Responsible Use & Safety: Prioritizing the security and privacy of students and educators by proactively addressing AI risks and harms. We seek to ensure that as students increasingly use AI, they do so with the highest ethical standards and protections in place.
• The goal is simple: We want the youth of Prince George’s County to be at the absolute cutting edge, leveraging AI to outpace the competition and transform their economic reality.

While we want the youth of Prince George’s County to be at the cutting edge, Pull Up Fund prioritizes the safety and privacy of students and educators. We are conscious about the potential unintended consequences of AI and expect that applicants will provide insight into how they plan to identify and mitigate potential risks, such as algorithmic bias, data privacy concerns, or impacts on student mental health and well-being.

 

3. Funding Tiers

 

Pull Up Fund will award three-year grants across three distinct tiers. Organizations should apply for the tier that matches their scale of impact and organizational capacity. 

Tier	Average Annual Funding*	Total 3-Year Award	Description
1	$100,000	$300,000	Exploratory Projects: Focused on “proof-of-concept” stage projects, including small-scale experimentation or shovel ready implementation.
2	$500,000	$1,500,000	Targeted Expansion: Aimed at projects demonstrating early success with a desire for expanding their reach or refining implementation.
3	$1,000,000	$3,000,000	Scaling Initiatives: Aimed at scaling up and expanding mature projects. This top tier is for high-impact initiatives that have a proven track record of effectiveness and demonstrate sustainable long-term impact.

 

*Don’t worry about splitting costs perfectly evenly over three years. If your project budget requires year-to-year variation, that’s ok as long as you stay within the Total 3-Year Award limit.

4. Eligibility & Priorities

 

• Geography: Organizations are invited to apply wherever they are based, but this grant must exclusively serve young people residing in Prince George’s County, Maryland. We hope that insights gleaned from these investments will support learnings and inform future approaches in Prince George’s County and around the nation.
• Target Demographics: While any age of youth in K-12 education is eligible, including elementary and postsecondary students, the bulk of the funding is anticipated to support programs for middle and high school students. This RFP will not support postsecondary aged young adults. 
• Focus: Competitive proposals will demonstrate a clear plan to build AI proficiency and mastery.
• Nonprofit status: 501(c)(3) organizations only

 

5. Timeline

 

• RFP Announcement: February 2, 2026
• Submissions Open: February 2, 2026
• Submission Deadline: March 13, 2026 (11:59 PM EST)
• Grant Awards Decided: Expected April 2026

 

6. Submission Instructions

 

Applications must be submitted via the Youth AI Mastery & Proficiency Grant Application Form below. You will be able to provide a narrative response and an attachment with additional information: 

• Narrative:  You will be asked to describe your program design, curriculum, and expected student outcomes to advance AI mastery and proficiency in Prince George’s County students.
• Attachments: You may upload a single PDF (max 5 pages) for supplemental data, such as letters of support or budget spreadsheets.

To assist with preparing your application, we have provided a PDF to preview and prepare your questions for the form: Downloadable Application Preview

Apply Here: 2026 Pull Up Fund Youth AI RFP Application Form

 

7. Reporting Requests 

 

Pull Up Fund asks that grantees provide written updates every six months on the progress of the project or program. These updates are intended to be light-touch check-ins rather than administrative burdens. We plan to draw from these reports to inform our learning and research as a grantmaker and stay connected to the work.

 

8. Assessment Criteria

 

Proposals will be assessed based on three criteria:

1. Operational Feasibility: How well does the proposal outline the inputs (staff, technology, and curriculum) required to execute the program within the grant timeframe? 
2. Youth AI Mastery: How well does the project equip a new generation of leaders with LLM proficiency? How does the initiative define clear objectives that suggest this will be successful?
3. Community Impact: How wide-reaching and accessible is the initiative’s impact? Does the proposal promote responsible and ethical usage of AI?

General Overview

 

Q: What is the primary goal of this grant? 

A: Pull Up Fund is looking for programs that provide middle and high school students with mastery of Large Language Models (LLMs) and/or AI tools to drive their own professional and academic futures.

Q: What populations is this RFP intended to serve? 

A: This funding is intended to improve the AI proficiency of students in Prince George’s County, Maryland. While any age is eligible, including elementary and postsecondary students, the bulk of the funding is anticipated to support middle and high school students. 

Q: What “Focus Areas” is Pull Up Fund most interested in? 

A: We are prioritizing proposals that touch on:

• Entrepreneurship & Wealth Creation
• The Creative Economy 
• Academic & College Readiness
• Financial Literacy & Management
• Responsible Use & Safety
• Leadership & Career Edge

Q: Can I view the full application before completing it?

A: To assist with preparing your application, we have provided a PDF to preview and prepare your questions for the form: Downloadable Application Preview.

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Eligibility & Funding

 

Q: Who is eligible to apply? 

A: Applicants must be registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Organizations with reach beyond Prince George’s County are eligible to apply, but the program funded through this RFP must strictly serve youth in Prince George’s County.

Q: Can I apply if I am a former Pull Up Fund grantee?

A: Yes, former grantees are eligible to apply.

Q: Can I submit multiple applications?

A: No, please submit one application per organization.

Q: Does the program have to take place in Prince George’s County, Maryland? 

A: Yes. Programs must serve communities and populations who reside in Prince George’s County.

Q: How are the funding tiers structured? 

A: Pull Up Fund will award three-year grants across three distinct tiers. Organizations should apply for the tier that matches their scale of impact and organizational capacity. 

• Tier 1: $100,000 annually ($300,000 total).
• Tier 2: $500,000 annually ($1,500,000 total).
• Tier 3: $1,000,000 annually ($3,000,000 total).

Q: Can I apply for multiple funding tiers?

A: No, please only apply for one funding tier. 

Q: What if my projected budget differs slightly each year?

A: Don’t worry about splitting costs perfectly evenly over three years. If your project budget requires year to year variation, that’s ok as long as you stay within the Total 3-Year Award limit.

Q: How will I know if I am receiving a grant?

A: Pull Up Fund is expected to reach out to organizations’ primary points of contact via email in April 2026 to provide status updates on their application. 

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Application Process

 

Q: How do I submit my proposal? 

A: All applications must be submitted via Pull Up Fund’s RFP application form. The application opens February 2, 2026. You may visit Pull Up Fund’s website to learn more about the opportunity or contact info@pullupfund.org with any specific questions. 

Q: What is the deadline for submission? 

A: The deadline is Friday, March 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM EST. Late submissions will not be considered.

Q: What attachments are required? 

A: You may upload one single PDF (max 5 pages). This file should include your 501(c)(3) letter of determination or your most recent Form 990. You may also include supplemental data like budget spreadsheets or letters of support within this same PDF.

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Evaluation & Reporting

 

Q: How will my proposal be assessed? 

A: Proposals are assessed based on three criteria:

1. Operational Feasibility: How well does the proposal outline the inputs (staff, technology, and curriculum) required to execute the program within the grant timeframe? 
2. Youth AI Mastery: How well does the project equip a new generation of leaders with LLM proficiency? How does the initiative define clear objectives that suggest this will be successful?
3. Community Impact: How wide-reaching and accessible is the initiative’s impact? Does the proposal promote responsible and ethical usage of AI?

Q: What are the reporting requirements? 

A: Pull Up Fund asks that grantees provide written updates every six months on progress of the project or program. We hope that insights gleaned from these investments will support learnings and inform future approaches in Prince George’s County and around the nation.