Ntia innovation fund upgrade#

Project Needs and Benefits (up to 35 points): Level of demonstrated community need and how the project will address those needs.

Then, during the merit review, NTIA’s reviewers will score each project as follows:

The CMC Pilot will include a programmatic review to verify the proposed project’s eligibility. It’s worth your time to understand the scoring. A well-rounded application will score better with the reviewers. In CTC’s initial analysis of the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program, we noted that strong proposals would include workforce development, equipment lending, and education components, and should prioritize low-income students and community members. It makes sense that you should craft your application to mirror that structure. Keep in mind that 20 percent) of grant funding is earmarked to provide broadband service or equipment to students. If you are asking for more than $3 million, be prepared to provide justification as to why your application is reasonable. Competitive applications will most likely fall in that range. The CMC pilot has an expected award range of $500,000 to $3 million. However, general in-building or classroom wiring, deploying fiber through existing conduit or trenches, installing wireless equipment (e.g., access points, routers), and installing wireless transmission equipment are not considered construction and therefore can be included.īe strategic in what you include in your proposed project and its budget. The rules prohibit ground disturbance (construction) activities that require state or federal historic preservation or environmental review approvals. While the program will fund one-time upgrades to facilities, the intent is to outfit existing structures, not create new ones. What’s missing from this list? You cannot use the CMC pilot to fund an infrastructure build for broadband services. The purchase or lease of equipment and devices for student or patron use.The hiring and training of IT personnel.

Ntia innovation fund upgrade#

The installation and upgrade of campus facilities on a one-time, capital-improvement basis.The purchase of broadband internet services.Take the time to understand what the CMC pilot will fund. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education website. The Eligibility Matrix for MSIs is available on the U.S. A list of eligible HBCUs and TCUs can be found on the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) College Navigator Website. If you believe the Dashboard is in any way incorrect, plan to submit supplementary information. You can check out the eligibility status of your communities by consulting the CMC Anchor Community Eligibility Dashboard. The AOI will be used to define the institution’s anchor community boundary. NTIA was purposeful with its definition of “anchor community”: Any area within a 15-mile radius of an HBCU or other MSI (other than some TCUs) that has an estimated median annual household income of no more than 250 percent of the poverty line.įor TCUs located on land held in trust by the United States that are also located within a reservation, the reservation boundary will create an area of interest (AOI) for each institution. The CMC pilot program also covers qualifying surrounding communities as a way to provide further support for low-income students and businesses. Native American-serving nontribal institutions (NASNTI).Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions (AANAPISI).Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian-serving institutions (ANNH).

Minority-serving institutions (MSI), which include:.Historically black colleges and universities (HBCU).Local governments can apply in partnership with eligible applicantsįor purposes of applying to the CMC pilot, eligible institutions include: In other words, this is not a broadband infrastructure program-it is an opportunity for local governments to fund workforce development, curriculum development, and service with their higher education partners. The program will fund purchasing broadband services and equipment, hiring information technology personnel, and upgrading on-campus facilities. The $285 million CMC grant program was established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to support MSIs and their surrounding communities. Now is the time for local governments to speak to their MSI partners to identify potential projects. Local governments and minority serving institutions (MSI) have a unique partnership opportunity in the Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) Pilot Program-which has a fast-approaching application deadline on December 1, 2021. Lydia Weinberger, Civic Technology Analyst