Nebraska Rural Health Technology Catalyst Fund (NETECH), Cohort 1 is a competitive, non-dilutive grant opportunity under the Nebraska Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is the state recipient, and Invest Nebraska Corporation administers the applicant-facing competition. Cohort 1 opened October 23, 2026 and accepts online applications through November 9, 2026. The published applicant instructions do not state an exact closing hour or time zone; applicants should submit ahead of the date and check the official portal for updates.
Funding and project period
The administrator lists initial target individual awards of $250,000 to $1,000,000. This is a target range, not a guaranteed award or a published fixed maximum. An aggregate Cohort 1 competition funding pool is not specified in the applicant materials; statewide RHTP allocations should not be confused with an individual NETECH award. NETECH takes no equity. Approved grants are contingent on measurable milestones: 20% at executed-award kickoff, 20% upon Milestone 1 technical validation, 25% upon Milestone 2 Nebraska rural pilot deployment, and 35% upon Milestone 3 outcome validation. All Cohort 1 grant funds must be spent and milestone payments completed by September 30, 2027. Unspent funds are returned.
Eligible applicants and technology
Eligible organizations include US-based and US-owned companies, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and government entities. An applicant must have been established less than 10 years ago, have raised less than $50 million in all prior funding since founding, and perform funded work in the United States using US employees or US-based contractors. Nebraska-based companies receive priority, but the competition is open nationally if the funded project has a qualifying Nebraska rural implementation. The proposed technology must have a functional prototype, demonstrated feasibility, and Technology Readiness Level 4 or higher; idea-only and fully commercialized products are ineligible.
Applications must explain how the technology serves rural communities; benefits Medicaid beneficiaries, low-income, or vulnerable rural people; prevents or manages chronic disease; meets a material unmet need or offers significant differentiation; and improves access, quality, and affordability of care. The funded pilot or deployment must occur at rural Nebraska hospitals, clinics, health systems, or community sites. Identify implementation partners and relationship status when applying. Signed implementation agreements are required before the rural deployment milestone payment, not necessarily at initial application.
Allowable expenses and restrictions
When reasonable, documented, allocable, and approved in the milestone budget, eligible expenses can include project personnel and benefits, contractors, equipment and supplies, software and cloud services, validation and regulatory work, rural clinical implementation, and project-related travel. Major restrictions include no pre-award expenses; no construction or substantial building expansion; no supplanting other funding; no duplicative insurance-reimbursable clinical services; no independent research and development costs; no lobbying; and limits on covered telecommunications equipment and household broadband expenses. Applicants must follow the federal cost principles in 2 CFR Parts 200 and 300 and the controlling CMS Rural Health Transformation funding policies. Co-investment and matching funds are not required to apply, but sources must be disclosed if applicable.
Application requirements and ongoing obligations
Submit the official online Cohort 1 application (the printable PDF is only a reference). The application requires organization and ownership information, functional prototype and evidence of TRL, market and commercialization strategy, FDA or other applicable regulatory posture, intellectual property and ownership details, Nebraska pilot relationships, rural health fit and measurable outcomes, project milestones, and a detailed budget. Attach the required Budget & Milestone Workbook, pitch deck, recent financial statements and projections, supporting clinical or outcome evidence, and a capitalization table when applicable. Authorized representative attestations are required. Awardees must provide quarterly performance and financial reporting, receipts, and agreed data-sharing, and comply with intellectual-property and federal reporting terms.
How to apply and official documents
Review the official NETECH Cohort 1 online application and download links, the 20-page official printable application, and the CMS Rural Tech Catalyst Fund Resource Guide. For the opening announcement, see the Nebraska DHHS October 23, 2026 release. Submit the actual application online by November 9, 2026, without assuming an unpublished cutoff time. Official sources checked October 24, 2026.