CCApplicationGuideFY23 Extended to post.pdf

Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide-FY 2023 Extended December 19, 2023

Together, America Prospers

Table of Contents Introduction and General Information Important Updates:

Applying for a Grant Completing the Grant Application Required Application Schedules

Rural Utilities Service Telecommunications Program

Community Connect Grant Program

The Community Connect Grant Program (Community Connect Program) is designed to provide financial assistance to provide service at the Broadband Grant Speed in rural, economically-challenged communities where broadband service does not currently exist. Grant funds may be used to: (1) deploy service at the Broadband Grant Speed to essential community facilities, rural residents, and rural businesses, (2) construct, acquire, or expand a community center, and (3) equip a community center that provides free access to service at the Broadband Grant Speed to community residents for at least two years. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis for entities to serve all premises in eligible rural areas at the Broadband Grant Speed to ensure rural consumers enjoy the same quality and range of broadband services as are available in urban and suburban communities.

For additional information concerning this grant program, please use the

Contact Us form located at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants#contact.

Additional information and forms are available on our website at:

https://www.rd.usda.gov/community-connect

Introduction and General Information

!! BEFORE YOU GET STARTED!!

You must read:

7 CFR 1739, Subpart A

And

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) published on the Community Connect Web Site and Grants.gov on March 20, 2023 and revised on December 19, 2023.

The regulation MUST be used in conjunction with this Application Guide.

Should any differences result in the interpretation of this Application Guide and the regulation, the regulation takes precedence over information contained in this Application Guide.

https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants#contact https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants#contact https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants#contact https://www.rd.usda.gov/community-connect

When and Where to Submit Application:

GRANT applications must be submitted by:

Applications must be submitted in the RUS online application system available on the Community Connect web site https://www.rd.usda.gov/community-connect.

Applications must be submitted by 11:59 am Eastern Standard Time on February 20, 2024. The online application system will disable the ability to submit the application after this time, and any application which has not been submitted before the window closes will not be considered.

Prior to official submission of applications, applicants may request technical assistance or other application guidance from the Agency. It is recommended requests be made prior to February 5, 2024. Requests made after this date will be handled as best RUS is able, but applicants should be aware RUS has finite capacity to assist and may not be able to fully address requests submitted after February 5, 2024. Technical assistance is not meant to be an analysis or assessment of the quality of the materials submitted, a substitute for agency review of completed applications, nor a determination of eligibility, if such determination requires in-depth analysis. The Agency will not solicit or consider scoring or eligibility information that is submitted after the application deadline. The Agency reserves the right to contact applicants to seek clarification information on materials contained in the submitted application.

Applications Submitted Electronically:

Electronic applications will only be accepted when submitted through the Community Connect Grant Portal (link available at https://www.rd.usda.gov/community-connect).

Applications will not be accepted via facsimile machine transmission or electronic mail, and are no longer accepted through Grants.gov.

Before submitting an application on-line, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) strongly encourages you to obtain all necessary sign-ups, credentials and authorizations well in advance of the deadline.

Unique Entity Identifier – In April 2022, the federal government replaced the DUNS number with the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) as the authoritative identifier for organizations that apply for federal contracts or financial assistance. Applicants must provide a UEI when applying for Community Connect funding. Obtain your organization’s UEI when you create or update your SAM.gov entry. You can obtain your UEI at SAM.gov even if you have no updates to your SAM.gov record. If your organization is currently registered in SAM.gov with either an active or inactive registration, you have already been assigned a UEI. Your UEI is viewable on your entity's registration record in SAM.gov. Note that the UEI must belong to the

February 20, 2024

Applicants may register with SAM at https://www.sam.gov/. Applicants should keep in mind that it can take up to 15 business days to register with SAM, so applicants should plan accordingly and begin the process well in advance of the application deadline. In order to register with SAM, your organization will need a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. Beginning February 2019, applicants now complete a number of government wide certifications in SAM. Applicants must have their registration active prior to submitting their application and must have made all required certifications. Please refer to pages 33 and 34 of SAM’s Quick Start Guide for Grant Registrations.

The RUS Community Connect Portal system, like all web facilities, has finite capacity. It is possible system usage could be very high in the final days or hours of the application window and system issues may be experienced. Please plan accordingly.

On December 19, 2023, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) published a correction notice in the Federal Register. The correction notice makes important changes to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Community Connect Program for Fiscal Year 2023, published on March 20, 2023, and extends the Community Connect Program application window until February 20, 2024.

The correction notice revises the definition of an eligible Proposed Funded Service Area (PFSA) under the Community Connect Program to ensure the program is administered in compliance with the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). Under the revised definition, a PFSA must lack access to broadband service of 10 Megabits per second (Mbps) downstream plus 1 Mbps upstream to be eligible for consideration for Community Connect Program funding. Additionally, any areas that have received other federal funding to construct terrestrial broadband facilities providing at least 10/1 Mbps service in the project’s PFSA will be deemed ineligible.

Any applicant that applied for the Community Connect Program under the March 20, 2023, NOFO must resubmit their application in order to be considered for funding. RUS recognizes that this requirement may result in delays and additional work for FY 2023 applicants. In an effort to minimize the amount of time required to resubmit an application from the FY 2023 funding window, applicants with previously submitted applications will have access to the submitted application data and will have the opportunity to make any edits before resubmitting the application. It is strongly encouraged that applicants review the new eligibility information to ensure that the previously submitted application is still eligible. The extended application window will also be open to new applicants that meet Community Connect Program eligibility requirements.

The Broadband Grant Speed was raised in the March 15, 2023 notice and remains increased from 25 Mbps/3 Mbps to 100 Mbps/20 Mbps (down/upload).

Important Updates:

http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.fsd.gov/sys_attachment.do?sys_id=f51d017e1bab7c105465eaccac4bcb9f

Under the Community Connect Program, rural area is defined as any area, as confirmed by the most recent decennial Census of the United States (decennial Census), which is not located within (1) A city, town, or incorporated area that has a population of greater than 20,000 inhabitants; or (2) An urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to a city or town that has a population of greater than 50,000 inhabitants, and which excludes certain populations pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(H) and (I). For purposes of the definition of rural area, an urbanized area means a densely populated territory as defined in the most recent decennial Census.

Due to the removal of the term “urbanized area”, the Agency will recognize any Census-designated “urban” area with a population per the 2020 Decennial Census as an “urbanized area”. Additionally, non-contiguous parts of any “urban” area will be considered eligible for funding consideration. The “non rural” layer within the application system has been updated to reflect this revision, please consult with this layer to ensure that your Proposed Funded Service Area remains eligible from the perspective of rurality.

Applications must undergo a Public Notice process where the service areas of each application will be posted to allow potential service providers within the area applied for to challenge eligibility of the project. Those providers will have 45 days from the date the notice is published to file their responses. Any response filed will be subject to validation by RUS staff.

Projects funded under the Community Connect Grant Program are subject to a Buy American requirement. See 7 CFR 1787 for the specific requirements which apply to the Community Connect Grant Program.

For applications from Non-Federal Entities as defined under 2 CFR 200.1 (any State, local government, Indian tribe, Institution of Higher Education, or nonprofit organization), the Buy America requirements shall be governed by the requirements of Section 70914 of the Build America, Buy America Act (BABAA) within the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Pub. L. 117-58. Any requests for waiver of these requirements must be submitted pursuant to USDA’s guidance available online at:

https://www.usda.gov/ocfo/federal-financial-assistance-policy/USDABuyAmericaWaiver.

The NOFO requires that grants funds be used to fund at least 2, but not more than 10 computer access points. Previously, matching funds could be used for this purpose. Under the FY 2023 program, grant funds MUST be used to purchase these computers.

Multiple applications may be submitted, but in such a case, only the highest scoring of those applications may be awarded.

Substantially Underserved Trust Areas provisions apply to projects located within trust land. If the Administrator determines that a community in trust land (as defined in section 3765 of title 38, United States Code) has a high need for the benefits of the Infrastructure Program, he/she may designate the community as a substantially underserved trust area (SUTA), as defined in section 306F of the RE Act. To receive SUTA consideration, the applicant must attach all of the information requested in 7 CFR 1700, Subpart D to the application and indicate which of the discretionary authorities are being requested. If the application as submitted is dependent on the application of a SUTA provision to be eligible, the applicant understands it is applying https://www.usda.gov/ocfo/federal-financial-assistance-policy/USDABuyAmericaWaiver https://www.usda.gov/ocfo/federal-financial-assistance-policy/USDABuyAmericaWaiver at its own risk and the application may be rejected as ineligible if the SUTA consideration is not approved.

In accordance with Community Connect Program NOFO, a certification from the appropriate tribal official is required if service is being proposed over or on Tribal Lands.

The appropriate tribal official is the Tribal Council of the Tribal Government with jurisdiction over the Tribal Lands at issue. Any applicant that fails to provide a certification to provide service on the Tribal Lands identified in the PFSA will not be considered for funding.

Additional reporting requirements will apply to any awarded project. Annual reporting will be made through the RUS reporting system, and awardees will be required to report annually until 3 years after project completion.

For FY 23 the Community Connect Program will have 10% of available funding set aside for Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD) projects. SECD supports projects that promote and implement strategic community investment plans. These plans use the unique strengths of rural communities to advance prosperity. USDA Rural Development helps finance these projects to build community prosperity by using community assets, identifying resources, convening partners and leveraging federal, state, local or private funding. Those interested in applying for SECD funds should indicate this in the Executive Summary and include the RD Form 1980-88. See the SECD website at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/strategic-economic-and-community-development for more information on how to qualify for a SECD award. Applications for SECD must meet all other Community Connect Program requirements in order to be considered for SECD funding.

Eligible applications which request SECD funding but are not awarded SECD funding will still be considered within the scoring provisions of the standard Community Connect funding;

applying for SECD does not disadvantage an applicant from funding under the non-SECD funds.

https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/strategic-economic-and-community-development https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/strategic-economic-and-community-development

Major Definitions and Limits:

1. Grant Request Limits a The minimum grant request amount is: $100,000 b The maximum grant request amount is: $5,000,000

2. Broadband Speeds a Broadband Service means any terrestrial technology having the capacity to provide transmission facilities that enable subscribers of the service to originate and receive high-quality voice, data, graphics, and video at the minimum data rate of ten (10) megabits per second downstream and one (1) megabits per second upstream for fixed service. Satellite and mobile services are not considered broadband service. Any proposed service area that is currently served with broadband service is ineligible to receive funding.

b Broadband Grant Speed means the minimum data rate of one hundred (100) megabits per second downstream and twenty (20) megabits per second upstream for both fixed and mobile service that an applicant must propose to deliver to every customer in the proposed funded service area in order for the Agency to approve a broadband grant.

3. Proposed Funded Service Area (PFSA) – Applications will serve one proposed funded service area. Applicants define their PFSA by using the mapping module within the RUS online application system. The PFSA must be a single contiguous geographic area that may consist of a single or multiple community(ies), a single or multiple county(ies), and may be located in more than one State. The entire PFSA must be rural with no Broadband Service available. It is important to note that all premises (households & businesses) in the service area must be offered service at the Broadband Grant Speed.

4. Matching Fund Contribution - The match the applicant is required to contribute towards the project remains at 15 percent of the requested grant amount. The match must be in cash and can be used to fund operations or facilities of the project. The match must be in the form of cash that is available at closing. In-kind contributions are not eligible to be used to satisfy the required match.

5. Operating Expenses – Operating expenses are not an eligible grant purpose, with the exception of the following:

a Bandwidth expenses to provide free broadband service at the Broadband Grant Speed to all the Essential Community Facilities for two years; and, b Leasing of facilities which may include spectrum, land, towers or buildings that will be used to deploy service at the Broadband Grant Speed.

6. Community Center – Grant funds for the community center will be limited to the lesser of 10% of the requested grant amount or $150,000. If grant funds are used for the construction of a community center, then the building must reside on property owned by the applicant.

Grant Processing

Completed applications must be submitted through the Community Connect Portal system by February 20, 2024 in order to be considered for funding. Grant applications will be reviewed and scored in accordance with the provisions of 7 CFR 1739 and the NOFO.

Only one proposal per applicant is eligible for approval. If an applicant submits more than one proposal, then the Agency will only consider the application with the highest score.

Applicant Eligibility

Only entities legally organized as one of the following are eligible for funding:

i. An incorporated organization;

ii. An Indian tribe or tribal organization, as defined in 25 U.S.C. 5304;

iii. A State;

iv. A unit of local government;

v. Any other legal entity, including a cooperative, private corporation, or limited liability company organized on a for-profit or not-for-profit basis.

NOTE: The applicant may not be an individual or partnership.

Applicants must have the legal capacity and authority to own and operate the broadband facilities as proposed in the application, to enter into contracts and to otherwise comply with applicable federal statutes and regulations. If the applicant is seeking to partner with another entity to operate the system, an agreement or draft agreement to do so must be provided with the application. This agreement must address the specific financial terms of this partnership and the specific entity/entities must be identified, along with their qualifications to operate the system.

Applications which rely on such a partnership but do not provide pertinent details will be rejected, as RUS cannot determine the technical and financial feasibility of the project lacking such information. RUS may consider an application based on such an agreement submitted with the application, but if the application is ultimately awarded, RUS reserves the right to require modifications to such agreements if they are found to contain terms which are unacceptable to

RUS.

Unique Entity Identifier – In April 2022, the federal government replaced the DUNS number with the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) as the authoritative identifier for organizations that apply for federal contracts or financial assistance. Applicants must provide a UEI when applying for Community Connect funding. Obtain your organization’s UEI when you create or update your SAM.gov entry.

You can obtain your UEI at SAM.gov even if you have no updates to your SAM.gov record. If your organization is currently registered in SAM.gov with either an active or inactive registration, you have already been assigned a UEI. Your UEI is viewable on your entity's registration record in SAM.gov.

Note that the UEI must belong to the Applicant, not an affiliate, subsidiary, or parent company.

Applying for a Grant

Project Eligibility

To be eligible for a grant, the Project must:

Serve a Proposed Funded Service Area (PFSA) where Broadband Service (10 Mbps/1 Mbps) does not currently exist, to be verified by RUS prior to the award of the grant.

The PFSA is defined as a contiguous geographic area within an eligible rural area. When determining if a PFSA has no existing Broadband Service, we encourage applicants to refer to the Federal Communication Commission as one of their sources (https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov or https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/maps..

Information is also available through the mapping functionality in the RUS Community Connect Portal system. The applicant is ultimately responsible for verifying lack of service availability and should consult all applicable resources.

Offer service at the Broadband Grant Speed to ALL residential and business customers within the PFSA.

Offer service at the Broadband Grant Speed, free of all charges for at least 2 years starting from the time service becomes available to each Essential Community Facility, as defined in 7 C.F.R. 3570.53, located within the PFSA.

Provide a Community Center located in the PFSA, with at least two (2) Computer Access Points and wireless access at the Broadband Grant Speed (100 Mbps/20 Mbps), free of all charges, to users for at least 2 years and open and accessible to the public before, during and after normal working hours and on Saturdays or Sundays. Working hours are generally understood to be 9 am- 5 pm and at least 40 hours a week, though the applicant should address the specific needs of their community. Up to 10 Computer Access Points may be funded with grant funds, and at least 2 Computer Access Points MUST be funded with grant funds.

Not overlap with the service areas of current RUS borrowers and grantees.

Areas receiving, or under consideration for other Federal funds are eligible for Community

Connect funding as long as an entity has not received final approval to receive other Federal funding to construct terrestrial facilities providing at least 10/1 Mbps service in the proposed funded service areas as of the date of the NOFO With respect to the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), final approval for this notice means an RDOF awardee's long-form application has received final approval as ready-to-authorize or has been authorized to begin receiving support. Applicants submitting a project to serve an area in which an entity has already received final approval for other Federal funding must explain in the application why Community Connect funding is being requested and why RUS should provide additional funding, as funds must not be used for duplicative purposes. Awardees that receive both other Federal funds and Community Connect funding must submit a statement certifying that the funds requested from Community Connect have not and will not be reimbursed by another Federal award nor used to reimburse another Federal award, and that the Awardee will keep separate accounts for each source of funding to track the uses of the funding to support the certification statement submitted with the Community Connect application. RUS can consider adjusting the service area or award amount of a project selected for Community Connect funding if in the course of evaluating an application, the Agency learns that the service area or a portion of it is already sufficiently served or has received final approval for Federal funding to construct facilities that will provide sufficient access to broadband as defined under this notice.

https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/ https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/maps

A certification from the appropriate tribal official is required if service is being proposed over or on Tribal Lands. The appropriate certification is a Tribal Government Resolution of Consent. The appropriate tribal official is the Tribal Council of the Tribal Government with jurisdiction over the Tribal Lands at issue. Any applicant that fails to provide a certification to provide service on the Tribal Lands identified in the PFSA will not be considered for funding.

Eligible Grant Purposes

Grant funds may be used to finance:

1. The construction, acquisition, or leasing of facilities, including spectrum, land, towers or buildings, used to deploy service at the Broadband Grant Speed to all residential and business customers located within the PFSA and all participating Essential Community Facilities, including the funding for at least two (2) but no more than ten

(10) Computer Access Points to be used in the Community Center. Buildings constructed with grant funds must reside on land owned by the applicant. Leasing costs will only be covered for a three-year period during the advance of funds period which will be listed in the award documents.

2. The improvement, expansion, construction, or acquisition of a Community Center that is used for providing free access to service at the Broadband Grant Speed, provided that the Community Center is open and accessible to area residents before, during, and after normal working hours and on Saturday or Sunday. Grant funds provided for the Community Center shall not exceed the lesser of 10% of the total grant amount requested or $150,000. The costs of the computer access points, their installation, or connection to the broadband system are not included in this limitation.

Note: If the total construction cost of the Community Center exceeds the maximum limit mentioned above, it will be the responsibility of the applicant to finance the additional costs.

3. The cost of providing the necessary bandwidth to provide service at the Broadband Grant Speed free of charge to the Essential Community Facilities for 2 years.

NOTE: All equipment purchased for this Project must be new or non-depreciated.

Ineligible Grant Purposes

1. Grant Funds may not be used to finance the duplication of any existing Broadband Service provided by other entities.

2. Operating expenses are ineligible with the exception of lease costs for facilities used to deploy broadband service and bandwidth expenses. All other operating expenses can be funded by the required matching contribution. The cost associated with the leasing of building space for a Community Center is ineligible for grant funding.

However, the matching contribution can be used for this purpose.

NOTE: Costs incurred by the applicant, or others on behalf of the applicant, for facilities, installed equipment, or other services rendered prior to submission of a completed application, shall not be considered as eligible grant or match purposes.

Matching Funds Requirement

When the application is submitted, the awardee must provide or demonstrate available cash reserves equal to at least 15% of the total amount of financial assistance being requested.

Matching contributions must be used solely for the Project. Those selected for a Community

Connect Grant Program award must submit quarterly schedules to RUS that identify how the match contribution was used to support the project until the total contribution is expended.

Matching funds shall be in the form of cash and can be used for any expenses related to the project, including any operating expenses.

Ineligible sources of matching contributions:

1. Manufacturer or service provider discounts.

2. In-kind contributions.

3. Income generated from the proposed project.

4. Any financial assistance from Federal sources unless there is a Federal statutory exception authorizing the Federal financial assistance to be considered as a matching contribution.

5. All non-cash items.

Special Matching Provisions for American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Under Federal law, applications from these areas are exempt from matching requirements up to $200,000.

If the Administrator determines that a community in trust land (as defined in section 3765 of title 38, United States Code) has a high need for the benefits of the Infrastructure Program, he/she may designate the community as a substantially underserved trust area (SUTA), as defined in section 306F of the RE Act. To receive SUTA consideration the applicant must request it and must identify which of the provisions it is requesting. One of the provisions that may be requested is a waiver of the matching requirement. If the application as submitted is dependent on the application of a SUTA provision to be eligible, the applicant understands it is applying at its own risk and the application may be rejected as ineligible if the SUTA consideration is not approved and the application is determined to not be otherwise eligible for failing to meet match if the ability to meet that match has not been demonstrated in the application.

The application will be submitted through the Community Connect Portal system. There is a separate guidance document on accessing the system available at on the Community Connect web site (https://www.rd.usda.gov/community-connect), please consult it for full instructions on how to complete an application. When first accessing the system, there is a credentialing process to be completed, please start this process early to ensure access to the system. Once an applicant has access to the system it will be used to draw the Proposed Funded Service Area map and upload the required schedules of the application.

Completing the Grant Application

Figure 1: Home Page in Community Connect Grant Application System (Once Logged in)

On this screen, if you have not yet started an application, hit the “Get Started” button to begin a new application. If you have begun an application(s), it is available as shown in Figure 1 to be edited. Once submitted, the application is locked and can no longer be edited.

When an application is created or selected (if existing) you are taken to the application page where you will create the map for the application and upload the required schedules.

Figure 2: Application Screen in the Community Connect Grant Application System

Please note, the Non-Rural Areas layer has been updated from the March 20, 2023 window to reflect 2020 Census information. Please review carefully as this may have changed if you had previously worked on an application. In addition, the Tribal Lands layer has been broken out into three separate component layers, the Tribal Area, Tribal Statistical Area, and Tribal Supplemental Area layers based on information hosted by BIA.

Figure 3- Project Details Section

The Project Description field is limited to 600 characters and is intended to be a high level summary of the project. The contents of this field may be made available to the public, so please do not write any information you consider sensitive in this field.

The following is a list of required attachments that must be uploaded in the Community Connect Portal system in order for an application to be deemed complete and considered for funding.

Please make sure that all the necessary information is included in the appropriate section. Failure to submit all required schedules will result in the application being determined to be ineligible.

Please download the checklist from our web site at https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/CC_Application_Checklist_Final.xlsx Please fill out, sign and date the checklist and attach the signed checklist to your application. Schedules K-2, K-3, K-4, and K-5 do not need to be printed and signed separately, the applicant acknowledges they are certified to by signing the checklist. For K-2 and K-3 attach a narrative explaining the answers to the questions contained in the form. K-1 must be signed an attached to the application. If you have any questions about your application, please contact RUS prior to submitting the application and certification. Each schedule must be uploaded as an attachment in the Community Connect Portal system.

The following is a list of required attachments that must be uploaded in the Community Connect Portal system in order for an application to be deemed complete and considered for funding.

Please make sure that all the necessary information is included in the appropriate section. Failure to submit all required schedules will result in the application being determined to be ineligible.

A. Standard Form 424, SAM Registration and Other Documentation

B. An Executive Summary of the Project C. Scoring Criteria Documentation D. System Design E. Service Area Map and

Demographics F. Scope of Work

G. Community-Oriented Connectivity Plan

H. Financial Information and Sustainability

I. A Statement of Experience J. Additional Funding K. Compliance with Other

Federal Statutes and Regulation

Required Application Schedules https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/CC_Application_Checklist_Final.xlsx

A. Standard Form 424, SAM Registration and Other Documentation

The following Schedules must be included in this Section:

Schedule A-1

All applicants requesting funding under the Community Connect Grant Program must complete the Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424). A copy of the form and instructions has been attached to this document. Additional instructions for specific line items also are included below. The form and any attachments referenced in this Guide can also be found on our website at https://www.rd.usda.gov/community-connect.

Additional Instructions for SF-424 Form

Block 8: There are multiple entries in this block. We will use the contact information provided in this box for all contact and correspondence. Please complete this in full and attach a sheet if you want to provide additional contacts. It is crucial that we have accurate information, including a reliable e-mail address for rapid correspondence. Otherwise, correspondence will be sent by mail. You must provide full, accurate contact information for someone with the authority to answer any questions that RUS staff may have about your application.

If you wish to supply a contact from outside your organization, attach a letter immediately behind the SF-424 listing these items: person's name, organization, contact information (phone, fax, e-mail, mailing address), relationship to your organization. Make sure the letter contains language granting authority to the person to answer our questions or provide additional information on your behalf, and any time limit you wish to apply to that person's authority. This letter must be signed by the signatory on the SF-424.

Unique Entity Identifier – In April 2022, the federal government replaced the DUNS number with the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) as the authoritative identifier for organizations that apply for federal contracts or financial assistance. Applicants must provide a UEI when applying for DLT funding. Obtain your organization’s UEI when you create or update your SAM.gov entry.

You can obtain your UEI at SAM.gov even if you have no updates to your SAM.gov record. If your organization is currently registered in SAM.gov with either an active or inactive registration, you have already been assigned a UEI. Your UEI is viewable on your entity's registration record in SAM.gov. Note that the UEI must belong to the Applicant, not an affiliate, subsidiary, or parent company.

Block 10: The Name of the Federal Agency is Rural Utilities Service.

Block 11: The Catalog of Federal Assistance Number is 10.863.

Block 12: Funding Opportunity Number is RDRUS-CC-2023. The Title is “Community Connect Grant Program”.

Block 14: Please provide the name of the Community(ies), County(ies), and State(s) where the grant funds will be used.

Block 15: Brief descriptive title of project.

Block 16: Please provide the Congressional District(s) for the service area you are proposing to cover in your project.

Block 19: Please select “C” “Program is not covered by E.O. 12372”.

Block 20: You must supply an explanation of the delinquency if you check “yes”.

Block 21: Please be sure to check “I agree”. The application must be signed by an authorized representative of the organization that will own and operate the project if the grant is awarded. If the authorized representative is not a corporate officer, evidence must be included that demonstrates that the authorized representative has authority to obligate the organization.

Schedule A-2

SAM Registration and Supporting Documentation

The applicant must provide a printout of the organization’s SAM.gov registration which confirms the registration was active before the application was submitted. The SAM.gov registration must remain active with current information while RUS is considering an application and while a Federal Grant Award is active. To maintain the registration in the SAM.gov database the applicant must review and update annually. Beginning February 2019, applicants now complete a number of government wide certifications in SAM. Applicants must make the certifications and representations required of entities that are applying for or have received funding under any federal financial assistance project or program (aka the “Financial Assistance Representations and Certifications”) to be eligible for a CC grant. Please refer to SAM’s instructions a https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration for more details, additional relevant instruction is also provided below. A SAM registration that lacks the Financial Assistance Representations and Certifications will cause an application to be deemed ineligible.

Additional Guidance for Completing the Financial Assistance Representations and Certifications in SAM.gov • Applicants will be asked “Does [Entity Name] wish to apply for a Federal financial assistance project or program, or is [Entity Name] currently the recipient of funding under any Federal financial assistance project or program?” The system default answer to this question is “No” Applicants must make the certifications and representations required of entities which are applying for or have received funding under any Federal financial assistance project or program to be eligible for the CC program. To do this, applicants must change the answer to “Yes” as shown below.

https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration

For this schedule, please provide a printout of your organization’s SAM registration which confirms the registration was active before the application was submitted. In addition, please address that yours is an eligible organization. Only entities legally organized as one of the following are eligible for funding:

i. An incorporated organization;

ii. An Indian tribe or tribal organization, as defined in 25 U.S.C. 5304;

iii. A State;

iv. A unit of local government;

v. Any other legal entity, including a cooperative, private corporation, or limited liability company organized on a for-profit or not-for-profit basis.

The Entity Name, UEI Number and SAM.gov registration must be for the applicant. It cannot be for a parent, subsidiary or other affiliated entity.

It is important that the exact name of the legal entity applying for the grant be listed in block 8 of the SF 424, Application for Federal Assistance, and that the entity be legally eligible to receive the award and take legal ownership over items acquired under the grant.

Applicants must have the ability to enter into a contract with the Federal Government and must be able to own and manage grant-funded assets as required by the Grant Agreement and applicable regulations, including 2 CFR Part 200. Accordingly, RUS will not transfer awards to another entity because the applicant has later determined that it cannot close the award, execute the standard Grant Agreement, which is publicly available, or hold the grant assets in its name.

B. An Executive Summary of the Project

The Executive Summary of the project is one of the most important parts of the application. It gives reviewers their first overall view of the area to be served, what problems the residents face, and how the proposed project will help alleviate those problems, increase quality of life, and provide enhanced opportunities for businesses and rural residents. This is your opportunity to discuss the core aspects of the project. Be clear and provide convincing links between the project and the benefits to the Proposed Funded Service Area (PFSA).

The Executive Summary must provide a general project overview covering the following five categories:

1. A description of the PFSA and why the project is needed;

2. A description of the applicant which includes but is not limited to, the history of the organization and any past or current projects and community related activities or awards;

3. An explanation of the total Project costs;

4. A general overview of the broadband system to be constructed, including the types of equipment, technologies, and facilities that will be used;

5. Documentation describing the procedures used to determine the unavailability of existing Broadband Service in the PFSA. Applicants are encouraged to refer to the Federal Communication Commission’s National Broadband Map, contact the appropriate General Field Representative (GFR) (https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/telecom-gfr) and to contact the local phone and video providers serving the PFSA in order to determine if Broadband Service is available. In order to provide this documentation, applicants can complete a table like the one below:

Resource Contact Person

Results

FCC N/A Consulted FCC data and it does not appear that Broadband Service is available within the PFSA.

Local Phone Companies

VP of Operations

The VP of Operations confirmed that the company does not offer, nor do they intend to offer, Broadband Service anywhere in the PFSA.

Local Video Companies

President The President confirmed that the company does not offer, nor do they intend to offer, Broadband Service anywhere in the PFSA.

https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/telecom-gfr https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/telecom-gfr

Local WISP Serving Within the County

Owner The owner confirmed that the company does not offer, nor do they intend to offer, Broadband Service anywhere in the PFSA.

A list of the participating Essential Community Facilities (such as schools, public medical clinics, police and fire departments, public hospitals, etc.) and evidence that any remaining Essential Community Facility located in the PFSA has rejected the offer for free service at the Broadband Grant Speed. This can be in the form of a letter preferably on official letterhead from the organization, if available. The Community Center must be addressed and to the extent it depends on other entities, these commitments should be addressed (letters of intent, lease agreements, etc.)

If the applicant intends to request SUTA consideration, this should be addressed in this schedule.

To receive SUTA consideration, the applicant must attach all of the information requested in 7 CFR 1700, Subpart D to the application and do both of the following:

1. Notify the Agency in writing that it seeks consideration as a substantially underserved trust area.

2. Identify the discretionary authorities of 7 CFR 1700, Subpart D that apply to the request.

If the application as submitted is dependent on the application of a SUTA provision to be eligible, the applicant understands it is applying at its own risk and the application may be rejected as ineligible if the SUTA consideration is not approved and the application is determined to not be otherwise eligible.

If the applicant is proposing to provide service on or over Tribal Lands and the applicant is not the Tribe whose lands are being impacted, a certification from the appropriate tribal official is required if service is being proposed over or on Tribal Lands. The appropriate certification is a Tribal Government Resolution of Consent. The appropriate tribal official is the Tribal Council of the Tribal Government with jurisdiction over the Tribal Lands at issue. Any applicant that fails to provide a certification to provide service on the Tribal Lands identified in the PFSA will not be considered for funding. This evidence must be provided in this schedule, if applicable.

Applications that are seeking consideration under the Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD) funding should indicate this in the Executive Summary and include the RD Form 1980-88. See the SECD website at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/strategic-economic-and-community-development for more information on how to qualify for a SECD award and information to address within this schedule to maximize chances of successfully getting SECD funding.

C. Scoring Criteria Documentation

The ranking of the benefits of the Project will be based on documentation in support of the need for services, benefits derived from the proposed services, characteristics of the Proposed Funded Service Area (PFSA), local community involvement in planning and implementation of the Project, and the level of experience of the management team. In ranking applications, the https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/strategic-economic-and-community-development https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/strategic-economic-and-community-development

Agency will consider the following criteria based on a scale of 100 possible points:

1. PFSA Needs (up to 50 points):

An analysis of the challenges found within the PFSA using the following criteria, and discussion of how the Project proposes to address these issues:

a The economic characteristics. Describe the economic conditions of the PFSA including current quality of life, household income, unemployment data, employment by sector (manufacturing, agriculture, retail, etc.), and any major employers in the area. Scored out of 15 points with a preference to areas with low income compared to the state MHI, high unemployment, and overall economic trend (stagnant or declining economic characteristics will score higher).

b Educational challenges. Describe the challenges facing educational institutions within the PFSA and provide an assessment of these institutions’ current use of technology (e.g., distance learning programs, computer classes, use of online tools for classroom presentations by instructors and students). In addition, describe in detail how the proposed project will not only increase but improve the use of technology at these institutions. Scored out of 15 points with preference given to applications that have specific support of challenges identified with support for these challenges.

c Health care needs. Provide a complete list of public medical clinics and hospitals in the PFSA and their current use of broadband services, if any, such as telemedicine.

Statements can be provided from medical professionals describing their need for broadband services to provide advanced medical technology and describe how the proposed project can support these advances. Scored out of 10 points with preference given to applications that have specific support of health care needs identified and a full proposal for how the project will improve health care conditions.

d Public safety issues. Include a listing of police, fire and rescue services which cover the PFSA. Address the current state of any public safety issues and how the proposed project will lead to improvements of the technology being used. Scored out of 10 points with preference given to applications that that have specific support of issues provided and fully address how the project will improve these public safety issues.

2. Stakeholder Involvement (up to 40 points):

Documentation that demonstrates the extent of participation and support by local residents and Essential Community Facilities in the Project’s planning, development, and implementation.

The application should include evidence of local involvement in such activities as community meetings, public forums, and surveys. Preference will be given to applications that provide support from residential, business, and local, state or Federal interests shown to be within the PFSA applied for. Support letters should address specific needs and where there is interest in participating in the project (donation of space for the Community Center, for example) should specifically document that intent.

3. Management Experience (10 points):

Qualifications and ability of the key personnel who will construct, manage, and operate the broadband system. Include any past experiences and successes of operating a broadband system which is similar to the proposed broadband system.

Note: Administrator Consideration

In making the final selection among and between applications with comparable rankings and geographic distribution, the Administrator may take into consideration the characteristics of the PFSA. Only information that is provided in the application will be considered; therefore, RUS strongly encourages the applicant to specifically address each of the following criteria to differentiate their application(s) from other applications:

a Persistent poverty counties that will be served within the PFSA;

b Out-migration communities (continuous movement of population out of the community) that will be served within the PFSA;

c The rurality of the PFSA;

d The speed of broadband service that is offered to all the subscribers in the

PFSA;

e Substantially Underserved Trust Areas (SUTA) that will be served within the

PFSA. If the Administrator determines that a community in “trust land” (as defined in section 3765 of title 38, United States Code) has a high need for the benefits of the Community Connect Program, he may designate the community as a “substantially underserved trust area” (as defined in section 306F of the RE Act) ;

f Community members with disabilities that will be served within the PFSA;

g Any other additional factors that may be outlined in the NOFO.

D. System Design

The system design contains all the technical information on the applicant’s existing (if applicable) and the proposed system. The following information must be included in this section:

1. A detailed description of the existing network, if applicable, which includes the following:

a. The current service area(s).

b. The types of services (voice, video and/or data) offered and the number of subscribers taking each type of service.

c. The total number of establishments served. For wireline networks, specify the number of establishments passed with the network. For wireless networks, specify the total number of establishments covered by the network.

d. The types of technologies used in the network.

e. A description of the current connection to the Internet Service Provider (ISP).

2. A detailed description of the proposed network which includes the following:

a. The PFSA as proposed in the application.

b. Any upgrades that will be made to the…