Implement the north carolina digital equity plan developed pursuant to the state digital equity planning grant program

The Department of Information Technology (DoIT) in North Carolina received a $22,456,097.01 Project Grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) under the State Digital Equity Planning and Capacity Grant Program (CFDA 11.032). The grant will fund the implementation of North Carolina's Digital Equity Plan, which aims to:

1. Leverage partnerships to identify and develop standards for online accessibility and inclusivity;
2. Expand digital navigator and literacy programs to meet the digital needs of underserved populations;
3. Adopt digital skills standards, including cybersecurity, privacy, and health literacy;
4. Increase the supply of no-/low-cost internet-enabled devices and public access at community anchor institutions;
5. Use qualified partners for device deployment and technical support.

The project's expected outcomes include decreased barriers to digital inclusion, increased digital literacy and workforce readiness, and improved quality of life for residents, particularly unserved and underserved populations across North Carolina. The grant has an award date of January 1, 2025, and a planned completion date of December 31, 2029. The recipient plans to subaward funds to implement the digital equity activities.

Purpose

The purpose of this grant is to implement the north carolina digital equity plan developed pursuant to the state digital equity planning grant program.

Activities

The proposed project activities include: leveraging partnerships with state and local governments and organizations serving covered populations to identify and develop standards for online accessibility and inclusivity; leveraging digital navigator and digital literacy programs to expand partnerships with organizations serving covered populations to meet their specific digital needs; partnering with workforce and education agencies to identify and adopt digital skills standards including cybersecurity, digital privacy, and digital health literacy; increasing the supply of no-/low-cost internet-enabled devices, both new and refurbished, into north carolina's digital ecosystem; increasing public access to internet-enabled devices at community anchor institutions; using trained and qualified partners for device deployment and technical support.

Expected outcomes

The proposed projects will result in: decreased barriers to digital inclusion for many covered populations, increased number of individuals able to effectively connect and use the resources and services they want and need for quality of life, increased number of residents with digital literacy skills and resources enabling them to meet the needs of today's workforce, thereby obtaining and maintaining employment.

Intended beneficiaries

Residents of the state of north carolina and principally unserved and underserved covered populations statewide.

Subrecipient activities

The recipient does plan to subaward funds. The purpose is for implementing the DE plan activities.