Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) - FY 2023
| Agency: | U.S. Department of Commerce |
|---|---|
| CFDA: | 11.029 |
| Federal FON: | NTIA-ICG-TBCPO-2023-2008098 |
| Office: | National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) |
| Multipart Grant: | No |
| Next Due: | 03/22/2024 (Application) |
|---|---|
| Solicitation Date: | 07/27/2023 |
| Match Required: | No |
| Actual Funds: | $980,000,000 (Estimated) |
Summary:
The purpose of this program to improve the quality of life; spur economic development and commercial activity; and create opportunities for remote employment, online entrepreneurship, remote learning, and telehealth by expanding broadband access and providing digital training and inclusion programs to Native American communities. Funding will support the deployment and adoption of broadband service on tribal land as well as the promotion of broadband use to access remote learning, telework, or telehealth resources.
Applicants may propose projects in the following categories:
- Broadband infrastructure deployment: projects that expand the availability of broadband services by deploying new or upgraded broadband infrastructure on tribal lands, with priority given to projects that deploy broadband infrastructure to unserved households; in general, funds may be used to:
- Fund the costs of construction, improvement, replacement, extension, or acquisition of facilities and telecommunications equipment required to provide qualifying broadband service, including infrastructure for backhaul, middle, and last mile networks, as well as for submarine cable landing stations
- Fund the cost of long-term leases of facilities required to provide qualifying broadband service, including indefeasible right-of-use agreements
- Fund the costs of planning, feasibility, and sustainability studies
- Fund the costs of engineering and network design, including route mapping for broadband infrastructure, permitting, and work related to environmental, historical, and cultural reviews
- Fund the costs of performance bonds or irrevocable letters of credit or other surety
- Workforce training
- Fund other allowable costs necessary to carrying out programmatic activities of an award
- Broadband adoption and use: projects that expand the adoption of broadband services by Native communities; enable tribal anchor institutions to provide affordable broadband programs, remote learning, telework, or telehealth services; and build the capacity of Native communities to access and fully benefit from these online services; in general, funds may be used to:
- Acquire broadband-related equipment, instrumentation, networking capability, hardware, software, and other digital technology for broadband services, telehealth, and remote education
- Provide affordable broadband programs, including providing free or reduced-cost broadband service and preventing disconnection of existing broadband service
- Provide digital training, education, technology support, outreach, and awareness programs including curricula and web-based resources
- Facilitate access to broadband services including public computer centers; public WiFi networks; broadband in public housing; and improvement of broadband services and equipment in schools, libraries, health centers, workforce development centers, and other tribal anchor institutions
- Implement affordable broadband programs that facilitate greater access to broadband services, devices, and equipment, and that prevent disconnection of existing broadband services
- Conduct needs assessments and develop plans for increasing broadband adoption, digital inclusion, online education, telehealth, and digital workforce
- Gather data and conduct evaluation of the digital inclusion and broadband adoption programs funded by the award to determine their effectiveness and develop best practices to facilitate digital inclusion and broadband adoption on tribal lands
- Fund other allowable costs necessary to carrying out programmatic activities of an award
Refer to pages 37-40 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding allowable costs.
Last Updated: February 05, 2025
Eligibility Notes:
Eligible applicants are:
- Tribal governments
- Tribal colleges or universities
- The Department of Hawaiian Homelands on behalf of the Native Hawaiian community, including Native Hawaiian education programs
- Tribal organizations
- Alaska Native corporations
The funding agency encourages a regional approach to broadband infrastructure deployment projects through the submission of an application on behalf of a consortium of multiple tribal partners, each of which must be an eligible entity, that cover regional infrastructure gaps or other eligible projects in the most cost-effective manner, while providing access to unserved communities. Similarly, the funding agency encourages applicants to collaborate or participate as part of a consortium for broadband use and adoption projects.
There are several instances where applicants will need to obtain a tribal government resolution, as detailed on pages 16-17 of the NOFA file. Each eligible entity must coordinate internally in submitting its single application. In an instance where one eligible entity is a subsidiary of another, this will not affect the subsidiary's eligibility to submit its own application, so long as it includes the requisite tribal government resolution.
Applicants should take care to ensure they are either applying as a single entity or as part of a single consortium applications, as applicants may only be part of one application, regardless of type.
Eligible entities that previously received an award through this program may apply for additional funding.
Previous award recipients include:
- Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona (AZ)
- Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians of California (CA)
- Cherokee Nation (OK)
- Quileute Tribe of the Quileute Reservation (WA)
- Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians (OR)
Refer to the Award file for additional information on previous award recipients.
Eligible Applicants:
Academic InstitutionsConsortia
Native American Tribe
Tribal Organizations/Institutions
Application Notes:
Applications must be received or postmarked by 11:59 p.m. ET on January 23, 2024.
The due date for the application has been extended to 11:59 p.m. ET on March 22, 2024. Additional information is included in the NOFA file.
Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov (preferred), or mailed or emailed to the appropriate address provided in the Contact section. Applications submitted by mail may be in hard copy or electronic format, such as on a CD-ROM, disk, or thumb drive. Applications submitted by email must be machine-readable and not copy-protected. Faxed applications will not be accepted.
Applications must include:
- SF 424
- CD 511
- SF LLL
- Project information form
- Certification regarding compliance with cybersecurity and supply chain management requirements
- Required forms and documentation for broadband use and adoption projects (if applicable):
- SF 424A
- Project narrative (20 single-spaced pages or 40 double-spaced pages max)
- Budget narrative and detailed budget justification
- Indirect cost rate
- Required forms and documentation for broadband infrastructure deployment projects (if applicable):
- SF 424C
- Project narrative (20 single-spaced pages or 40 double-spaced pages max)
- Maps of proposed service areas
- Tribal resolution of consent
- Tribal government certification of unserved areas
- Community economic development strategy (optional)
- Request for extension of award period (optional)
- Budget narrative and detailed budget justification
- Indirect cost rate
- Pro forma financial information and analyses
- Physical network diagrams and system designs
Applications must be formatted in an easy to read font in a size no smaller than 10-point, although a smaller size may be used in figures and tables. Figures, graphs, images, and pictures should be of a size that is easily readable or viewable and may be landscape orientation. Applications may use single or double spacing, and must use one-inch margins on all sides. Except for figures, graphs, images, and pictures, pages must be in portrait orientation. Paragraphs must be clearly separated from each other by double spacing, paragraph formatting, or equivalent. Pages must be sequentially numbered. With the exception of maps or network or system diagrams, pages must be standard-sized. The budget narrative must be submitted in the form of a Word document, and the detailed budget justification must be submitted in the form of a spreadsheet formatted to fit on standard-sized paper. Physical network diagrams and system designs must be submitted in geographic information system (GIS) shapefile format.
The following are required in order to submit an application:
- Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
- SAM (System for Award Management) registration
Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam.
The recordings of webinars held for this program can be viewed online at broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov/funding-programs/tribal-broadband-connectivity/round-two-notice-of-funding-opportunity.
Applications for broadband use and adoption projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Project purpose and benefits (40 points)
- Project viability (30 points)
- Project budget and capacity building (30 points)
Applications for broadband infrastructure deployment projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Project purpose and benefits (45 points)
- Project viability (30 points)
- Project budget and sustainability (25 points)
Refer to the NOFA, Guide, and BudgetNarrativeGuide files for additional application information.
| Match Required: | No |
|---|---|
| Actual Funds: | $980,000,000 (Estimated) |
Match Notes:
Matching funds are not required for this program.
Funding Notes:
Approximately $980 million is available to support awards through this program. Award amounts will vary according to project category, as follows:
- Broadband infrastructure deployment projects: awards are expected to range from $1 million to $50 million
- Broadband use and adoption projects: awards are expected to range from $100,000 to $2.5 million
These award ranges are not required minimums or maximums; however, applicants requesting funding for projects outside of these ranges must provide a reasonable explanation for the variance in their project size. Additional funding level justification is not required for consortium applications for broadband use and adoption projects that do not exceed $2.5 million per consortium member or for consortium applications for broadband infrastructure deployment projects that do not exceed $50 million per consortium member. No more than $100 million is expected to be allocated to standalone broadband use and adoption projects.
Of the total funding available, no less than 3 percent will be allocated for the benefit of Native Hawaiians. In addition, up to $500,000 will be allocated to each of the federally recognized tribes delineated by the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Awards are expected to be processed by June 20, 2024, and the earliest start date for awards is expected to be July 5, 2024.
The project period may last up to four years, and may be extended if certain conditions are met.
Administrative costs, including indirect costs, are limited to 2 percent of the total award amount; however, applicants that propose to use funds for the construction of broadband infrastructure may use up to 2.5 percent of the total project costs for planning, feasibility, and sustainability studies related to the project.
Costs associated with preparing the application are limited to 5 percent of the total award amount.
Funds may not be used for:
- Costs incurred outside of the project period or outside of the award closeout process
- Infrastructure that was completed prior to the award period
- Profit, fee, or other incremental charges above actual cost
- Costs attributable to any other activities not authorized under the eligible use categories detailed on pages 37-40 of the NOFA file
- Projects proposing to conduct planning activities or prepare feasibility or sustainability studies that are not part of a project proposal to deploy broadband infrastructure or construct broadband networks
- Project costs that are duplicative or otherwise covered by other federal or state funding
- Purchasing or supporting any covered communications equipment or service as defined in Section 9 of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019
In December 2024, a total of $276,240,223 was distributed via 44 awards ranging from $403,528 to $46,303,150 through this program. In August 2023, a total of $3,449,227 was distributed via seven awards ranging from $466,902 to $500,000. In October 2022, over $601.6 million was distributed via 23 awards ranging from $2,623,357 to $52,559,385. Refer to the Award file for details.
Contacts:
Primary Contact:
Matt Rogotzke
Federal Program Officer
(202) 482-2048
Tbcpnofo2@ntia.gov
Grant Management Contact:
Nicola Bell
Grants Officer
(301) 628-1328
Nicola.Bell@noaa.gov
Mailing Address
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room 4878
Attn: Douglas Kinkoph, Associate Administrator
Washington, D.C. 20230
Contact Notes:
Questions should be directed to the appropriate program contact.
Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov (preferred), mailed to the address provided, or emailed to [email protected].
Files:
Guide File: US17206_Guide_FY2023.pdf (237.1 Kb)Other Pre-Award File: US17206_WebinarPresentation_FY2023.pdf (1.1 Mb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17206_BudgetNarrativeGuide_FY2023.pdf (511.7 Kb)
Application File: US17206_Application_FY2023.zip (189.0 Kb)
NOFA File: US17206_NOFA_FY2023.pdf (588.6 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17206_Notice_FY2023.pdf (157.9 Kb)
Award File: US17206_Award_FY2023.pdf (1.7 Mb)
Federal Forms:
SF 424 (144.4 Kb)CD 511 (130.2 Kb)
SF 424A (131.6 Kb)
SF 424C (1.7 Mb)
SF LLL (98.7 Kb)
File Notes:
The NOFA file contains the full solicitation for this program. The Guide file contains detailed application instructions. The Application folder contains the required forms for submission. The WebinarPresentation file contains the slides from a pre-application webinar held for this program. The BudgetNarrativeGuide file contains detailed guidance on the preparation of application budget narratives. The Notice file contains information regarding the updated due date for the application. The Award file contains information on previous award recipients. The attached federal forms may be used if submitting an application by mail or email.
February 5, 2025
Information regarding awards through this program has been released and appended to the Award file. A sample of award recipients has been added to the Eligibility section, and a brief summary of the awards has been added to the Financial section.
January 24, 2024
A revised solicitation containing an updated due date for the application has been released and attached as the NOFA file. In addition, a notice detailing the updated due date for the application has been released and attached as the Notice file. The Application and Financial sections have been updated accordingly.
December 28, 2023
A revised and fillable version of a required certification form for the application has been released and attached as the Certification file in the Application folder.
August 31, 2023
Detailed guidance for the preparation of application budget narratives has been released and attached as the BudgetNarrativeGuide file. Additionally, information regarding awards through this program has been released and appended to the Award file. A brief summary of the awards has been added to the Financial section, and a sample of award recipients has been added to the Eligibility section.
August 17, 2023
The recording of a pre-application webinar for this program has been released, and a link to the presentation is available in the Application section. Additionally, the slides from the webinar have been released and attached as the WebinarPresentation file.
August 11, 2023
Additional application instructions for this program have been released and attached as the Guide file.
Grant Keywords
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Community DevelopmentTraining & Vocational Services
Information Technology/Telecommunications
Human Services