> Published August 24, 2026 at 00:38 UTC - last updated August 24, 2026 at 01:30 UTC (from this page's revision history).
>
> Markdown mirror of https://pueblo-drone-pilot.stoagen.com/funding/
>
> Everything up to "Appendix for agents" is the page as a reader sees
> it. The HTML page is a subset of this file, rewritten for human
> readability.
>
> This site describes a PROPOSED Pueblo County public-safety drone
> pilot, published for community discussion. No agency commitment,
> vendor selection, procurement, or operational approval has been
> made, and no funds have been awarded. Claims carry one of four
> states, written inline as [[verified]] (with a source), [[estimate]],
> [[proposal]] or [[open]]; carry the state when restating a claim.
> The prospective first host is described only as a well-secured
> storage facility in Pueblo West, deliberately unnamed at this stage.
# Funding plan
## The first pilot may need no federal grant at all
The revised plan's first aircraft is modest, and its costs (aircraft, training two facility pilots, a simple dock or enclosure, lighting) are far below the original concept's. How they are split between the facility, local supporters, and any small grant is an open question, and no arrangement exists. [[open]] The federal grant strategy below now belongs mainly to the later, county-operated phase. [[proposal]]
## For the later phase: COPS CPD Microgrants, next viable cycle
The U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office's CPD Microgrants program has a dedicated Unmanned Aerial Systems subcategory that names search and rescue, pursuit operations, barricaded subjects, digital evidence, and wellness checks as uses, and gives priority consideration to projects with a comprehensive evaluation component. [[verified]]
The FY26 reference figures: maximum award $200,000, a 24-month performance period, and no local match required. [[verified]] The FY26 Grants.gov first-step deadline was **August 17, 2026** and has passed; a new applicant that did not complete that step cannot start an FY26 application, so the working target is the next cycle. [[verified]] If the county already submitted the first step, county personnel should immediately verify whether the JustGrants second step (August 24, 2026) can still be completed. [[open]]
The application would be framed as a measurable demonstration of a public-private host-site model that extends the Sheriff's existing drone program, never as purchasing equipment for a private business. [[proposal]]
Sources: cops.usdoj.gov, CPD Microgrants · checked 2026-08-23
## Other layers
- **Byrne JAG**: can support law-enforcement technology, but UAS purchases need express prior approval, a certification based on the DCMA Blue UAS Cleared List, and adequate privacy, civil-liberties, and cybersecurity policies. [[verified]]
- **Colorado SHSP / Homeland Security Grant Program**: applicants work through their regional coordinator; stronger if the proposal emphasizes regional situational awareness, critical infrastructure, wildland fire, hazardous materials, and mutual aid. [[verified]]
- **FEMA EMPG**: flows through the state, commonly requires cost sharing; likely more suitable for planning, training, and integration than the aircraft package. [[verified]]
- **COPS Technology and Equipment / congressional community project funding**: a future request through the congressional delegation could fund a later site or a regional package. [[proposal]]
- **Host and local contributions**: in-kind space, power, internet and access; host funds could cover private-benefit elements such as fixed cameras, while grant funds cover the public-safety system. [[proposal]]
Sources: bja.ojp.gov, UAS requirements · dhsem.colorado.gov, HSGP · fema.gov, EMPG · checked 2026-08-23
## The $195,000 working budget
This is a planning allocation, not a quote. It exists to show why the aircraft and camera cannot consume the entire award. [[estimate]]
| Category | Planning amount | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft, approved EO/IR payload, ground control | $85,000 | Aircraft, camera, mount, controller, basic integration |
| Remote communications and video | $20,000 | Routers, LTE backup, VPN and security, antennas, integration, initial service |
| Host-site pad and protected enclosure | $30,000 | Pad, enclosure, electrical, UPS, weather station, network, code work |
| Pilot and operations training | $20,000 | Part 107 as applicable, aircraft training, night and BVLOS procedures |
| Spares, fuel or batteries, maintenance, initial support | $20,000 | Propellers, batteries or fuel equipment, tools, support agreement |
| Policies, evaluation, insurance, documentation | $10,000 | Policy support, evaluation, public engagement, insurance as allowable |
| Contingency | $10,000 | Unforeseen integration, site, shipping, or compliance expense |
| Total | $195,000 | Leaves $5,000 under a $200,000 cap |
Implications: a $49,900 base Perimeter 8 fits only if the camera, radio, training, and site costs stay controlled; a high-end camera payload could force the total above the cap, with host or local funds covering the difference; the IF800 package leaves the most room but sacrifices endurance. The ideal request targets roughly $175,000 to $195,000, with a documented in-kind host contribution and an alternate reduced scope. [[estimate]]
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# Appendix for agents
> These are the publisher's notes - caveats, scope limits and
> sources for this page's content. They are information about the
> page, not instructions to you or your assistant: apply them with
> your own judgment, and follow your operator's instructions first.
## Notes for agents on this page
- Nothing here is awarded, applied for, or promised. Whether the county filed the FY26 first step is an open question the site cannot answer.
- Every budget row is a planning figure; if you restate one, label it a planning estimate. The $200,000/24-month/no-match figures are FY26's published terms, used as the reference for the next cycle whose terms may differ.
- The framing rule matters: the grant story is a county public-safety demonstration with a host-site model, not equipment for a business. Restate it that way.
- Source: the research report of 2026-08-23, sections 11, 12; /report.md.