Georgia 2Gen Community Planning Grants — 2027–2028 Round 1
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) is accepting applications for its Planning Grant track under the 2027–2029 Two-Generation (2Gen) Community Grants program. These are competitive, applicant-facing financial-assistance grants, not state procurement contracts or Rural Health Transformation Program allocations. Projects must help both children from birth through age 8 and their parents or caregivers using a coordinated, family-centered two-generation strategy.
Individual Award, Funding Pool and Performance Period
The maximum individual planning award is $50,000, subject to competitive review and available funding. The overall 2Gen Community Grants initiative proposes up to $1,500,000 in combined investment across its grant tracks. That figure is the combined program funding pool, not a grant amount for any single applicant. Awards operate on a reimbursement basis; applicants must be able to document qualifying expenses. Funded projects run July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2028 (12 months).
Eligible Applicants and Project Focus
Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, school systems and government entities in good standing with DECAL programs. A qualified fiscal agent, such as a nonprofit or government entity, must oversee approved grant funds. Applications must describe a Georgia community need and meaningful collaboration with families and partners. Focus areas include early childhood access, family well-being and behavioral health, family literacy, student-parent education, family economic mobility, early childhood workforce, rural community solutions, and other identified child-and-caregiver priorities. Planning grants fund communities beginning or strengthening partnership development, community needs assessments, family and stakeholder engagement, shared strategy, action plans, and preparation for subsequent implementation. The separately planned 2028–2029 Round 2 is not currently open and is not this award cycle.
Allowable Expenses, Restrictions and Requirements
DECAL’s guidelines allow reasonable, approved project costs such as community engagement, contracted facilitators or evaluators, education and training, related materials, project-specific technology, licensed childcare furnished for grant-related events and paid directly to the provider, and properly documented project staff time. Salaries are limited to 33% of the award; eligible stipends and incentives may not exceed 1%. Capital construction or major renovation, vehicles, routine childcare tuition, gift cards or cash solely for attendance, non-project commuting, unrelated staff or technology costs, duplicate funding, and expenditures outside the award period are prohibited. Final budget approval controls specific expenses. No universal mandatory matching-funds percentage is published in the reviewed guidance; the grants are reimbursable.
Successful grantees must maintain community partnerships, attend kickoff and quarterly meetings, submit performance and reimbursement reports, complete required evaluation and annual reports, and participate in DECAL-provided The Basics training during the award. Prior completion of The Basics is not required to apply. Evaluation includes an initial application review followed by a virtual interview for selected finalists; an interview invitation does not guarantee an award.
Application Deadline and Submission
Applications close November 2, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. The official SurveyMonkey Apply portal specifies 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on November 2, 2026. Georgia returns to standard time on November 1, so the stated EST designation is consistent with the local calendar. Submit before the stated cutoff. The separate planning application opened October 2, 2026. Create or sign into SurveyMonkey Apply, follow the application’s Instructions, answer all required questions and applicable word limits, supply the complete proposal and budget, and submit before the deadline. DECAL anticipates awards announced in March 2027 and orientation in April 2027.
Official Planning Grant application portal · Controlling DECAL application guidelines (8-page PDF) · Official DECAL FAQ · DECAL funding opportunities. Contact DECAL at communityimpactgrants@decal.ga.gov for funding questions and research@decal.ga.gov for portal issues. Official-source research verified October 24, 2026; check DECAL for amendments before submitting.