FY2026 Appropriations Requests
Senator Warren is now accepting Congressionally Directed Spending and Programmatic Funding / Language Requests for the FY2026 Appropriations process. All FY2026 requests MUST be submitted electronically through the online portals linked below by April 4, 2025 at 11:59 pm ET. The Senator’s office is no longer accepting applications for FY26.
Congressionally Directed Spending Requests (CDS)
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey are now accepting preliminary requests for Massachusetts-based projects for FY26 Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) items. The requests must be submitted by Friday, April 4, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET.
In order to give applicants sufficient time to prepare CDS requests, Senators Warren and Markey are opening the request portal on a provisional basis. The FY26 CDS Applicant Form is subject to change pending final guidance from the Appropriations Committee. This guidance will include a list of the types of projects and entities that are eligible for CDS. This page will be updated when guidance becomes available.
Unfortunately, due to nuanced eligibility criteria and limited available funds, many requests will not be able to move forward, and not all projects that advance in the process will ultimately receive funding. Moreover, there is no guarantee at this stage that CDS requests will ultimately be included in the FY26 spending bills.
If CDS requests are ultimately included, it could be an 18-month long process, or longer, from the time of request to when your organization receives an award. We encourage applicants to keep these caveats in mind as they prepare their applications for funding.
Each Senator may request CDS funding for projects in their state. CDS requests are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only tribal, state, and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive CDS funding.
While funding projects through CDS is a federal funding option, applicants should also pursue other sources of funding. CDS is not a long-term option to stabilize an organization’s budget. Instead, it should be used for one-time projects that can be seen to completion with help from this funding, or to help establish new initiatives that will draw from funding sources other than CDS in the long-term. CDS funding is awarded only when an appropriations bill passes both chambers of Congress, and therefore is most suitable for projects that will be underway 1-2 years from now.
If you submitted a project for FY25 that has been included in one of the Senate’s FY25 Appropriations bills, please get in touch with staff about reapplying for FY26. Prior requests do not automatically carry over. Questions may be directed to appropriations@warren.senate.gov or appropriations@markey.senate.gov.
A specific list of the CDS accounts and eligibility requirements in the FY25 process is available here. This website and form will be updated accordingly when the FY26 guidance is available.
Please note that the final FY26 guidance will likely differ from the FY25 guidance, and you may need to adjust your FY26 request in light of the final FY26 guidance.
Programmatic and Language Requests
Programmatic Funding and Language Requests are general funding requests for national and regional programs, and/or bill and report language requests that directs, encourages, or urges an Agency or Department to carry out an action. All applications must be submitted electronically through the portal linked below: