Ohio Court Technology Grant

The Ohio Court Technology Grant is administered by the Ohio Attorney General's Office to provide financial support for technology-based projects serving Ohio courts and clerks of the court of common pleas. The program is rooted in Ohio law, which requires the Attorney General's Office to provide funding for technological services, including hardware and software, to courts and clerks of the court of common pleas, whether elected or appointed. The stated purpose is to support local Ohio courts by providing financial resources that help implement new or improved technology projects. The grant is not described as a general operating support program. Instead, it is a targeted project grant focused on technology improvements tied to court operations and compliance needs. The funding opportunity is open for applications beginning March 6, 2026, with applications due April 19, 2026. Project periods may not exceed 24 months and may not begin before June 1, 2026. The source states that funding notifications are anticipated at the end of April 2026. The program therefore supports a relatively near-term award and startup timeline, followed by an implementation period that can extend through May 31, 2028. The grant summary indicates that the Attorney General's Office will consider awards for applicants that are eligible and that submit a complete application. The source also notes that the Attorney General's Office may limit award amounts if requests exceed available funding in order to maximize the impact of limited resources. Eligibility is narrowly defined. Ohio courts and clerks of the court of common pleas may submit one application containing one technology-focused project for funding consideration. Applicants must reside in a county with a total population of less than 125,000 based on the most recent federal census, must be authorized by an appropriate authority to apply, and must either already comply with several state-mandated provisions or request funding that will bring the court into compliance with those provisions. The listed compliance areas include online dockets for Common Pleas, electronic filing, electronic reporting of dispositions to BCI through the approved systems, and compliance with Superintendence Rule 5(E) and 5(F) with a plan in place or in development. Because the eligible applicant description is limited to specific court entities rather than broad nonprofit, business, governmental, or individual categories, this is a highly specialized public-sector opportunity. The grant supports technology-focused projects, and the source explains that funding is intended for technological services including hardware and software. The financial details state that there is no minimum award size and no maximum award size. However, the Attorney General's Office reserves the right to limit award amounts by application if total requests exceed available funding. The source gives an estimated total funding amount of $3,350,000 and an average award size of $100,000. Applicants are instructed that requested amounts should match the submitted vendor quote or quotes. This makes the quote package central to both budget support and cost reasonableness review. There is no matching requirement for this opportunity. The submission process is conducted online through the state grants portal at grants.ohio.gov, and authorized individuals must create an OHID account in order to apply. The application requires supporting documents. One required attachment is the Eligibility Certification Form, which must be signed by Ohio Court Technology Grant applicants to certify that they are eligible to apply and are compliant with the listed state-mandated provisions, or that the requested funding will bring the court into compliance. Applications received without this form by the deadline will not be considered for funding. Vendor quotes are also required by the deadline. Those quotes must be valid, detailed, include a breakdown of expenses sufficient to assess cost reasonableness, include vendor information, and be submitted in PDF format. The source further states that submitted quotes should match the total amount of grant funding requested. The contact listed for the opportunity is Mary Cannon, Director of Grants Management, with an email address of mary.cannon@ohioago.gov and a phone number of (614) 466-6729. The main agency identified is the Ohio Attorney General. The application materials section also notes that only PDF, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Excel formats will be accepted when applicable, though the specifically required certification form and vendor quotes are identified as PDF submissions. Overall, this opportunity is a state-administered court technology grant for a narrow class of Ohio judicial applicants in smaller counties, with a defined application window, a 24-month maximum project period, no required match, and a documentation-heavy submission centered on eligibility certification and vendor-supported project budgeting.

Confirm that the court or clerk is in an eligible county under the population threshold, ensure the applicant is authorized to apply, document current compliance or explain how funding will bring the court into compliance, and make sure the requested amount matches the submitted vendor quote package.