Digital Equity Act Programs: Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program - FY 2025
| Agency: | U.S. Department of Commerce |
|---|---|
| CFDA: | 11.036 |
| Federal FON: | NTIA-DECGP-2024 |
| Office: | National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth (OICG) |
| Multipart Grant: | No |
| Next Due: | 09/23/2024 (Multiple) |
|---|---|
| Solicitation Date: | 07/24/2024 |
| Match Required: | Yes |
| Match Type: | Cash/In-Kind |
| Actual Funds: | Unspecified |
Summary:
The purpose of this program is to support efforts to achieve digital equity, promote digital inclusion activities, and spur greater adoption and meaningful use of broadband among covered populations. Covered populations are those that live in covered households, defined as households with an income for the most recent completed year that is not more than 150 percent of the poverty level. Covered populations also include aging individuals, incarcerated individuals, veterans, individuals with disabilities, individuals with a language barrier, individuals who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups, and individuals who primarily reside in rural areas.
Specifically, funding must be used for at least one of the following activities:
- Develop and implement digital inclusion activities that benefit one or more of the covered populations
- Facilitate the adoption of broadband by the covered populations in order to provide educational and employment opportunities
- Implement training programs for the covered populations that cover basic, advanced, and applied skills
- Implement workforce development programs
- Make available equipment, instrumentation, networking capability, and digital network technology for broadband services to the covered populations at low or no cost
- Construct, upgrade, expand, or operate new or existing public access computing centers for the covered populations through community anchor institutions
- Undertake any other project or activity consistent with the purposes of the program
Funds may also used limited amounts of funding for evaluation activities and administrative costs.
Proposed projects are expected to address the following criteria:
- Focus on covered populations
- Long-lasting and meaningful change
- Measurable implementation strategies
- Stakeholder engagement
Refer to page 33 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding these program considerations.
Applications will be assessed based on their ability to increase internet access and the adoption of broadband among the covered populations. The funding agency will also assess the extent to which projects advance the following goals:
- Economic stability, including workforce development and employment opportunities
- Access to quality education
- Access to health care
- Social and civic engagement;
- Community access to the benefits of internet technology
The funding agency encourages innovative approaches that transcend existing digital equity programs.
Optional webinars are scheduled for this program. Refer to the Application section for details.
Last Updated: September 06, 2024
Eligibility Notes:
Eligible applicants include:
- Political subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities of a state, including agencies of a state that are responsible for administering or supervising adult education and literacy activities, or for providing public housing, in the state
- Indian tribes, Alaska Native entities, or Native Hawaiian organizations
- Foundations, corporations, institutions, or associations that are nonprofit entities
- Community anchor institutions, defined as public school, public or multifamily housing authorities, libraries, medical or health care providers, community colleges or other institution of higher education, state or territorial library agencies, and other nonprofit or governmental community support organizations
- Local educational agencies
- Entities that carries out workforce development programs
- Partnerships between entities listed above
- U.S. territories
The funding agency encourages broad partnerships of entities with the ability to administer significant resources and address the varied concerns of the populations covered under this program. The funding agency will strive for a diverse pool of award recipients.
Tribes are required to submit a tribal resolution or equivalent formal authorization for the project.
Each applicant may only submit one application. However, applicants may participate in more than one partnership.
Eligible Applicants:
Local GovernmentAcademic Institutions
Consortia
Native American Tribe
Non Profits
Schools/School Districts
State Government
Tribal Organizations/Institutions
Application Notes:
Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET by one of the following dates, as applicable:
- Applications from entities not located in U.S. territories: September 23, 2024
- Applications from entities from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and all other U.S. territories: October 22, 2024
Applications must be submitted online at grants.ntia.gov/grantsPortal. Applications submitted by post, courier, email, fax, or other means will not be accepted.
Applications must include:
- SF 424
- SF 424C
- SF 424D
- Certification regarding lobbying
- SF LLL (if applicable)
- Negotiated indirect cost rate (if applicable)
- Partnership information and documentation, as detailed on pages 25-26 of the NOFA file (if applicable)
- Native entity government resolution and certification of benefits (if applicable)
- Letter from governor/equivalent official from U.S. territory (if applicable)
- Matching certification and/or waiver (if/as applicable)
- Project narrative:
- Executive summary
- Activities and interventions
- Project plan
- Consolidated budget form
Refer to pages 25-31 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding required application components.
The following are required in order to submit an application:
- Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
- SAM (System for Award Management) registration
- SPOC (state Single Point of Contact) notification
Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam. Applicants in states participating in the SPOC program must contact the relevant SPOC listed in the SPOC file before applying.
Optional pre-solicitation technical assistance webinars will be held for this program as follows:
March 9, 2022
2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET
March 23, 2022
2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET
April 6, 2022
2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET
April 27, 2022
2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET
May 11, 2022
2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET
Additional optional application technical assistance webinars will be held for this program as follows:
General Webinar:
August 29, 2024
3:00 p.m. ET
Register: pitc.zoomgov.com
Application Consolidated Budget Forms Webinar:
August 29, 2024
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET
Register: ntia-gov.zoomgov.com
Troubleshooting the NGP Webinar:
September 4, 2024
3:00 p.m. ET
Register: ntia-gov.zoomgov.com
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Webinar:
September 10, 2024
4:00 p.m. ET
Register: ntia-gov.zoomgov.com
An optional informational webinar will be held for this program as follows:
September 4, 2024
2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. ET
Register: ntia-gov.zoomgov.com
Refer to the Webinar2, Webinar3, Webinar4, and Webinar5 files for a list of additional optional webinars scheduled for this program.
A recording of the webinar for troubleshooting the NGP held for this program can be found online at broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov/events.
Applications will be evaluated using the following criteria:
- Project need, purpose, and benefits (40 points)
- Strength of applicant's organizational capability (25 points)
- Strength of project implementation plan and budget (25 points)
- Project results and evaluation (10 points)
Applications that score at least 70 points will be considered for a full programmatic review, with like-scoring applications consolidated into prioritization groups. Refer to pages 37-45 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding the program's application evaluation and prioritization process.
Refer to the NOFA file for additional application information.
| Match Required: | Yes |
|---|---|
| Match Type: | Cash/In-Kind |
| Actual Funds: | Unspecified |
Match Notes:
Applicants must provide at least 10 percent of project costs via nonfederal cash and/or in-kind contributions. Applicants that provide matching contributions in excess of the required minimum will be given additional consideration.
U.S. territories are exempt from the program's matching requirements.
In-kind contributions may include non-cash donations of property, goods, or services that benefit the project. In-kind contributions must be allowable and allocable project costs.
Applicants may request a waiver of the program's match requirements, and include this waiver in their applications.
Funding Notes:
A total of $750 million, minus the funding agency's administrative costs for program administration, is available to support an anticipated 150 to 200 awards that are expected to range from $5 million to $12 million through this program. Awards will be made in the form of cooperative agreements for U.S. territories and Native entities, and as grants for all other applicants. Applicants may request awards outside of this range, but must provide compelling justification. The funding agency encourages partnerships of multiple entities to apply for larger awards. Awards to U.S. territories are not subject to this funding range, and may not exceed $2.5 million. The funding agency expects awards to U.S. territories to be at least $1 million.
Of the total funding available for this program, 5 percent, or $37.5 million, is reserved for Native entities; and 1 percent, or $7.5 million, is reserved for U.S. territories.
The funding agency expects another $250 million to be available to support awards through this program. If these additional funds are made available, the Native entity set-aside will increase to $50 million, and the U.S territory set-aside will increase to $10 million.
Awards will be issued on a rolling basis, beginning in winter 2024 and no later than April 25, 2025.
Funds must be expended within four years from the date of the award. One additional year will be given to award recipients to continue measuring and evaluating project activities. Extensions of project awards will not be granted.
Costs of projects evaluation activities may not exceed 10 percent of awards.
Administrative costs may not exceed 10 percent of awards.
Reasonable pre-award, pre-application costs incurred after the release of the solicitation, and not to exceed $50,000, may be recovered, as detailed on page 32 of the NOFA file. If approved, such costs will be considered administrative costs.
Funds may not be used for:
- Lobbying costs
- Contingency fees
- Supplanting other federal or state funds
- Profit/fees
- Supporting or opposing collective bargaining
- General research or academic projects
Contacts:
Primary Contact:
Angela Thi Bennett
Director of Digital Equity
(202) 482-2048
digitalequity@ntia.gov
Grant Management Contact:
Darren Olson
Grants Officer
(720) 693-0465
darren.olson@nist.gov
Agency Address
U.S. Department of Commerce
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
1401 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20230
Contact Notes:
Questions should be directed to the appropriate program contact.
Applications must be submitted online at grants.ntia.gov/grantsPortal.
The agency address provided is for reference purposes only.
Files:
NOFA File: US17713_NOFA_FY2025.pdf (615.0 Kb)Other Pre-Award File: US17713_Webinar_FY2025.pdf (634.9 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17713_Webinar2_FY2025.pdf (41.8 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17713_Webinar3_FY2025.pdf (148.1 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17713_Webinar4_FY2025.pdf (147.6 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17713_Webinar5_FY2025.pdf (119.8 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17713_Webinar6_FY2025.pdf (142.5 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17713_Webinar7_FY2025.pdf (115.4 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17713_FAQ_FY2025.pdf (311.8 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17713_WebinarUpdate_FY2025.pdf (203.2 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17713_WebinarPresentation_FY2025.zip (3.0 Mb)
Federal Forms:
SPOC (195.6 Kb)File Notes:
The NOFA file contains the full solicitation for this program. The Webinar, Webinar2, Webinar3, Webinar4, Webinar5, Webinar6, and Webinar7 files contain information regarding webinars scheduled for this program. The FAQ file contains a list of answers to frequently asked questions regarding this program. The WebinarUpdate file contains information regarding the changing of the date as well as start and end times of the August 22, 2024, webinar. The WebinarPresentation folder contains the presentation slides for the webinars held for this program. The SPOC file contains information on the state Single Point of Contact program.
September 6, 2024
A recording of the webinar for troubleshooting the NGP has been released, and a link to the presentation is available in the Application section. In addition, presentation slides for webinars held for this program have been released and attached as the WebinarPresentation folder.
August 29, 2024
Information regarding an informational webinar scheduled for this program has been released and attached as the Webinar7 file. The Application section has been updated accordingly.
August 28, 2024
Information regarding an additional webinar scheduled for this program has been released and attached as the Webinar6 file. The Application section has been updated accordingly.
August 26, 2024
Information concerning the changing of the date as well as the start and end times for the August 22, 2024, webinar has been released and attached as the WebinarUpdate file. The Application section has been updated accordingly.
August 1, 2024
Information regarding additional webinars scheduled for this program has been released and attached as the Webinar5 file. The Application section has been updated accordingly.
July 25, 2024
Full solicitation information for this program has been released and uploaded as the NOFA file. All sections have been updated accordingly.
July 5, 2024
Additional preliminary program information has been released and attached as the Overview file. All relevant sections have been updated accordingly.
June 8, 2022
A list of answers to frequently asked questions regarding this program has been released and attached as the FAQ file. In addition, information regarding an additional webinar scheduled for this program has been released and attached as the Webinar3 file. The Application section has been updated accordingly.
May 25, 2022
Information regarding an additional webinar scheduled for this program has been released and attached as the Webinar2 file. The Application section has been updated accordingly.
Grant Keywords
Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, NTIA, Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth, OICG, broadband, digital, digital divide, deploy, deployment, broadband deployment, unserved, underserved, community anchor institution, digital inclusion, digital equity, internet, community need, disadvantaged, low income, aging, incarcerated, veteran, disabled, disabilities, minority, minorities, rural, information technology, IT, network, technologies, connectivity, broadband connectivity, middle mile, last mile, adoption, broadband services, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, IIJA, Digital Equity Act, BroadbandUSA, digital access, internet access, territory, territories, tribe, tribal, AI/AN, American Indian, Alaska Native, Indian Country, rural area, underserved area, infrastructure development, infrastructure, neighborhood revitalization, sustainable development, internet infrastructure, broadband infrastructure, economically disadvantaged, very low-income, low-income, underprivileged, minority population, Native American, poor, poverty, basic need, online, technological, web, access, accessibility, computer, information science, world wide web, web access, broadband adoption, hardware, public computer, public internet access, library, libraries, skill training, skill development, workforce development, computing center, CAI, community engagement, health care, healthcare, workfroce training, education, employmentGrant Categories
Community DevelopmentInformation Technology/Telecommunications
Rural Issues
Human Services