State & Local Cybersecurity Grant Program

November 2025 Update

We are notifying recipients recommended for funding in the current round of the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program. The proposed list has been sent to the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency for review and approval. When their review is complete, we will provide recipients with guidance on contracts, timelines, and project requirements.

WaTech and the state Emergency Management Division, which administer the program together in Washington state, pulled together reviewers from state and local governments to score all applications. Final decisions were recommended by the state CIO and approved by the State Planning Committee.

New legislation that would renew the local cybersecurity grant program – the Protecting Information by Local Leaders for Agency Resilience (PILLAR) Act – passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 18, 2025. The legislation would reauthorize and modernize the grant program to address evolving threats, including those involving artificial intelligence and operational technology systems. It goes to the U.S. Senate next for consideration.

We will continue to monitor legislative developments and federal guidance. Any changes that affect grant awards or program timelines will be communicated directly to applicants or posted on this page.

• Additional cybersecurity resources 
  • In addition to the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP), here are some additional funding and cybersecurity resources.

About the program

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has providing funding, through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, to address cybersecurity risks and threats to information systems owned or operated by state, local and territorial governments.

EMD and WaTech leaders, in coordination with a planning committee that has broad-based membership, drafted a statewide strategic cybersecurity plan which was approved by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in July 2023.

Following approval of the plan, the state solicited projects from local jurisdictions, Tribes, and state agencies.  After a rigorous review, more than $6.2 million in grant funding was allocated from the FY22 and FY23 awards. To allocate the remaining FY23 funding, a new project solicitation round will be announced in early 2024.  

While the program continues to be established, this is a great time to assess baseline security measures currently in place. CISA has resources that can help including:

• Web Application Scanning is an "internet scanning-as-a-service." This service assesses the "health" of your publicly accessible web applications by checking for known vulnerabilities and weak configurations. Additionally, CISA can recommend ways to enhance security in accordance with industry and government best practices and standards.
• Vulnerability Scanning evaluates external network presence by executing continuous scans of public, static IPs for accessible services and vulnerabilities. This service provides weekly vulnerability reports and ad-hoc alerts. (Email CISA at vulnerability@cisa.dhs.gov with the subject line "Requesting Cyber Hygiene Services" to get started.)

Questions?

State, local and Tribal governments interested in applying for grants are encouraged to send their contact information to preparedness.grants@mil.wa.gov.