On August 4 and 5, 2021, NTIA’s BroadbandUSA program staff discussed the Broadband Infrastructure Program, providing further detail on the competitive grant program, which is currently accepting applications until August 17, 2021. This program has $288 million in grant funding available. The grants will range from $5 million to $30 million and must be to covered partnerships for competitively and technologically neutral projects for the deployment of fixed broadband service to areas that do not have access to qualifying broadband service (25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload broadband speeds with low latency).
Moderated by Susannah Spellman, Broadband Team Lead with NTIA, presenters included:
- Jennifer Duane, Director of Grants, NTIA;
- Natalie Romanoff, Grant Management Specialist, NTIA; and
- Katherine Bates, Team Lead, Broadband Infrastructure Program, NTIA.
Duane provided an overview of key points regarding the Broadband Infrastructure Program, including qualifying broadband service, the program’s definition of unserved areas, eligible uses of funds, and the prioritization factors that will be considered when NTIA reviews applications. Duane detailed cost restrictions relevant to all members of a covered partnership, as well as those that apply to the provider of broadband service in particular.
Romanoff reviewed the pre-application, submission, and review stages of the application process, providing requirements, dates, and insight into Standard Forms and other documentation required, walking through mandatory and recommended sections. Grant application requirements are listed in the “Content and Form of Applications” section (pg. 11) of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
Bates covered the review process in additional detail, discussing how NTIA will evaluate and score applications during initial administrative and eligibility, merit, and programmatic review stages. NTIA has made several Frequently Asked Questions documents available on the BroadbandUSA website in an attempt to provide applicants with answers, informed by the NOFO and statute, to any technical, programmatic, or other questions that may arise.
As a reminder, complete applications for the Broadband Infrastructure Program must be received by www.grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on August 17, 2021.
More information about the program, including answers to more FAQs and requirements for grant applications, can be found on the program’s page on BroadbandUSA’s website. Also, please visit the website for:
- Video, slides, and transcript for this webinar, Broadband Infrastructure Webinar, Sessions 5a and 5b;
- More information on upcoming sessions; and
- More information about all three of NTIA’s grant programs, including Notices of Funding Opportunity and FAQs, as it becomes available.