NTIA-CMCPP-2021.pdf

Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program

Notice of Funding Opportunity – 1

August 3, 2021

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

CONNECTING MINORITY COMMUNITIES PILOT PROGRAM

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A. Federal Agency Name

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), U.S. Department of

Commerce

B. Funding Opportunity Title

C. Announcement Type

Initial

D. Funding Opportunity Number

NTIA-CMCPP-2021

E. Assistance Listing (CFDA Number)

11.028, Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program

F. Key Dates

Complete applications must be received by www.grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern

Standard Time (EST) on December 1, 2021.

Applicants should be aware, and factor in their application submission planning, that the

Grants.gov system periodically closes for routine maintenance. Applicants should visit

Grants.gov for information about any scheduled closures.

NTIA expects to complete its review, selection of successful applicants, and award processing by

March 1, 2022. NTIA expects the earliest start date for awards under this Notice of Funding

Opportunity (NOFO) to be March 14, 2022.

Applicants are strongly urged to read Section IV.D, Attachment of Required Documents, with great attention. Applicants should carefully follow the instructions and recommendations regarding attachments and use the Download Submitted Forms and Applications feature on www.grants.gov to check that all required attachments were contained in their submission.

Applications submitted without the required documents will not pass the Initial Administrative

Review.

http://www.grants.gov/ file://///nthnetapp002g/Users/MVasquez/Desktop/Grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/calendar.html http://www.grants.gov/

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August 3, 2021

When developing the submission timeline, please keep in mind that: (1) all applicants are required to have current registrations in the electronic System for Award Management

(SAM.gov) and Grants.gov; (2) the free annual registration process in SAM.gov generally takes between three (3) and five (5) business days but can take more than three weeks; and

(3) applicants will receive e-mail notifications over a period of up to two (2) business days as the application moves through intermediate systems before the applicant learns via a validation or rejection notification whether a federal agency’s electronic system has received the application.

(See Grants.gov for full information on application and notification through Grants.gov). Please note that a federal assistance award cannot be issued if the designated recipient’s registration in

SAM.gov is not current at the time of the award.

G. Application Submission Address

Complete application packets must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov.

Complete applications or portions thereof submitted by postal mail, courier, email, or by facsimile will not be accepted. See Section IV of this NOFO for detailed information concerning application submission requirements.

H. Funding Opportunity Description

NTIA issues this NOFO to describe the requirements under which it will award grants for the

Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) Pilot Program, authorized by the Consolidated

Appropriations Act, 2021, Division N, Title IX, Section 902, Public Law 116-260, 134 Stat.

1182 (Dec. 27, 2020) (“the Act”). The Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program provides new federal funding for the Assistant Secretary to make grants for the expansion of broadband internet access, connectivity, and digital inclusion. The Act authorizes new federal funding for the Assistant Secretary to make grants to eligible recipients in anchor communities:

for the purchase of broadband internet access service or any eligible equipment, or to hire and train information technology personnel; to facilitate educational instruction and learning, including through remote instruction; to operate a minority business enterprise (MBE); or to operate a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. The Act also authorizes grants to a consortium, led by an eligible recipient institution (i.e., educational institution), that includes an MBE or a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. See Section I of this NOFO for the full Program Description.

I. Funding Instrument

Grant.

J. Eligibility

The Act defines an eligible recipient as: (1) a historically Black college or university (HBCU);

(2) a Tribal College or University (TCU); (3) a Minority-serving institution (MSI); or (4) a consortium that is led by a historically Black college or university, a Tribal College or

University, or a Minority-serving institution and that also includes: (a) an MBE; or (b) an https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants.html

Notice of Funding Opportunity – 3

August 3, 2021 organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code.1

Additionally, an eligible recipient must be in an “anchor community,” defined in part as having an estimated median annual household income of not more than two hundred and fifty percent

(250%) of the poverty line.2 A consortium is eligible for a grant under the Connecting Minority

Communities Pilot Program if it is led by an eligible institution as defined above.

See Section III of this NOFO for additional information regarding the eligibility requirements for this program.

K. Anticipated Amounts

NTIA will make up to $268,000,000 available for federal assistance under the Connecting

Minority Communities Pilot Program. NTIA expects to make awards under this program within the following funding range: $500,000 to $3,000,000, but this range is not a required minimum or maximum. The period of performance for grants issued pursuant to this program is two years, unless such period is otherwise extended in writing by the Grants Officer. See Section II of this

NOFO for additional information pertaining to award amounts and to the period of performance for grants issued pursuant to this NOFO.

The Act requires that NTIA set aside certain amounts of grant funds specifically for historically

Black colleges or universities and student-focused broadband connectivity. Accordingly, NTIA will set aside at least 40 percent of the grant funds awarded pursuant to the Connecting Minority

Communities Pilot Program for distribution to qualifying historically Black colleges or universities.3 NTIA will also set aside at least 20 percent of grant funds awarded pursuant to the

Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program for eligible HBCUs, TCUs and MSIs to provide broadband internet access service and/or eligible equipment to their students.4 These statutory set asides are not mutually exclusive (i.e., funds awarded to an HBCU to provide broadband internet access service and/or eligible equipment to its students would count toward both set asides).

L. Cost Sharing/Matching

The Act authorizing the establishment of the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program does not contain a statutory cost sharing or matching funds requirement for this grant program.

Therefore, NTIA will not require an eligible entity applying for a grant under the Connecting

Minority Communities Pilot Program to provide a cost match and NTIA will not give favorable consideration to applications proposing voluntary cost share. However, applicants may propose to contribute a binding, voluntary committed non-federal cost share amount (as described in the

1 See Section 902(a)(8) of the Act.

2 See Section 902(a)(1) of the Act.

3 See Section 902(c)(1)(B)(vi) of the Act; 47 C.F.R. § 302.6(a)(2).

4 See Section 902(c)(1)(B)(vii) of the Act; 47 C.F.R. § 302.6(a)(3).

Notice of Funding Opportunity – 4

August 3, 2021 definitional section of 2 C.F.R. 200.1) and, if they do propose such non-federal cost share, must document their capacity to provide such matching funds in their applications. Matching funds may be in the form of either cash or in-kind contributions consistent with the Uniform

Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2

C.F.R. Part 200.5 See Section III.E of this NOFO for more information pertaining to the cost sharing requirements for this program, Section IV of this NOFO for the application requirements for this program, and Section V of this NOFO for Evaluation Criteria and Selection Factors for this program.

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

Table of Contents

I. Program Description

II. Federal Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

IV. Application and Submission Information

V. Application Review Information

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

VIII. Other Information

I. Program Description

NTIA issues this NOFO to describe the requirements under which it will award grants for the

Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program, authorized by the Consolidated

Appropriations Act, 2021, Division N, Title IX, Section 902, Public Law 116-260, 134 Stat.

1182 (Dec. 27, 2020) (“the Act”). The purpose of the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot

Program is to provide federal funding to eligible recipients in anchor communities: for the purchase of broadband internet access service or any eligible equipment, or to hire and train information technology personnel; to facilitate educational instruction and learning, including through remote instruction; to operate an MBE; or to operate a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.

A. Overview of the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program:

Through the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program, NTIA will directly address the lack of broadband access, connectivity, adoption and equity at our nation’s Historically Black

Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority-

Serving Institutions (MSIs), and in their surrounding anchor communities. Accordingly, Congress has directed NTIA to provide grants to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to facilitate educational instruction and learning, including through remote instruction; and to consortia including MBEs or tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations to operate that MBE or tax-exempt

501(c)(3) organization. Eligible recipients may use grant funds to: (1) purchase broadband

5 2 C.F.R. Part 200, available at http://go.usa.gov/SBYh.

http://go.usa.gov/SBYh

Notice of Funding Opportunity – 5

August 3, 2021 internet access service, including the installation or upgrade of broadband facilities on a one-time, capital improvement, basis to increase or expand broadband capacity and/or connectivity at the eligible institution; (2) purchase or lease eligible equipment and devices for student or patron use, subject to any restrictions and prohibited uses; and (3) hire and train information technology personnel who are a part of the eligible anchor institution, MBE, or tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.

The Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program seeks to expand educational instruction and remote learning opportunities, spur economic development, create opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship, by building the digital capacity of the eligible institutions and furthering broadband access, adoption, and digital skills within those institutions and in their surrounding anchor communities.

NTIA believes that broadband is a critical conduit for economic development and opportunities and a gateway for increased productivity, growth, and economic access. NTIA recognizes the important role that HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs play for their students and their communities. Yet many students, communities, and critical anchor institutions experience significant gaps in broadband access, adoption, digital skills, and equity, particularly within communities of color and vulnerable populations. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated these digital inequities for students, faculty, and staff of HBCU, TCU, and MSI anchor institutions and their surrounding communities. NTIA will collaborate with HBCU, TCU, and MSI anchor institutions to develop innovative solutions to address these digital gaps.

Section 902(c)(1)(A) of the Act required NTIA to promulgate rules establishing the Connecting

Minority Communities Pilot Program, which NTIA has at 47 C.F.R. §§ 302.1-302.12 (86 FR

31638).6 Section 902(c)(1)(B) of the Act requires that NTIA in these rules establish a method to:

identify, determine, and verify applicant eligibility; identify which eligible recipients in anchor communities have the greatest unmet financial needs; and ensure that grants under the CMC

Pilot Program are made to eligible recipients in a manner that best achieves the purposes of the

CMC Pilot Program, among other requirements. More details on NTIA’s method to establish and verify program eligibility are provided in Section III below.

Additionally, Section 902(c)(1)(B)(iii) of the Act requires that an eligible recipient that receives a grant award to provide broadband internet access service or eligible equipment to students must, as a condition of that grant, prioritize students in need, as measured by the following criteria:

(1) Students who are eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants;

(2) Students who receive any other need-based financial aid from the Federal government, a

State, or the eligible recipient;

(3) Students who are qualifying low-income consumers for the purposes of the program carried out under 47 C.F.R. Part 54, Subpart E, or any successor regulations;

6 See Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program Final Rule, 86 FR 31638 (June 15, 2021), available at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-06-15/pdf/2021-12454.pdf.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-06-15/pdf/2021-12454.pdf

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August 3, 2021

(4) Students who are low-income individuals as that term is defined in section 312(g) of the

Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058(g)); or

(5) Students who have been approved to receive unemployment insurance benefits under any

Federal or State law since March 1, 2020.

The Act also requires that any grant recipient that lends or provides eligible equipment to students or patrons must prioritize the lending or providing of such equipment or devices to students or patrons that the recipient believes do not have access to such equipment. NTIA will factor such information as it considers applications eligible for award, and will require applicants to certify compliance with these statutory requirements in their applications, and grantees to certify compliance on an annual basis.7

The Act requires that NTIA set aside certain amounts of grant funds specifically for historically

Black colleges or universities and student-focused broadband connectivity. Accordingly, NTIA will set aside at least 40 percent of the grant funds awarded pursuant to the Connecting Minority

Communities Pilot Program for distribution to qualifying historically Black colleges or universities.8 NTIA will set aside at least 20 percent of grant funds awarded pursuant to the

Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program for eligible HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to provide broadband internet access service and/or eligible equipment to their students.9 These statutory set asides are not mutually exclusive (i.e., funds awarded to an HBCU to provide broadband internet access service and/or eligible equipment to its students would count toward both set asides).

Applicants may request funding for projects that have at least one of the following purposes:

i. Builds the broadband and IT capacity of eligible HBCU, TCU, and MSI institutions;

ii. Provides broadband education, awareness, training, access, equipment, and support to students and patrons at eligible institutions, MBEs, and tax-exempt

501(c)(3) organizations in anchor communities;

iii. Provides subsidized broadband access and equipment to qualified low-income/in-need students and communities;

iv. Improves use of broadband services by eligible MBEs and community-based organizations to deliver digital skills, digital inclusion, workforce development programs, and technology services in anchor communities;

7 See 47 C.F.R. §§ 302.7(b)-(c), 302.8; Appendix A to this NOFO: Certification regarding Compliance with Statutory and Programmatic Requirements.

8 See Section 902(c)(1)(B)(vi) of the Act; 47 C.F.R. § 302.6(a)(2).

9 See Section 902(c)(1)(B)(vii) of the Act; 47 C.F.R. § 302.6(a)(3).

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v. Stimulates the adoption and community use of broadband services for telehealth, remote learning, telework and entrepreneurship, economic growth, and job creation in anchor communities;

vi. Builds digital skills and IT workforce capacity in HBCU, TCU, and MSI institutions, anchor communities, and MBE and tax-exempt consortia members, including STEM/STEAM, coding, cybersecurity, technician, and work-based learning programs;

vii. Assesses the needs of HBCU, TCU, and MSI anchor institutions and surrounding anchor communities and conducts planning related to online education, digital inclusion, workforce, and digital skills development; and/or

viii. Gathers data and conducts evaluation of the digital inclusion, broadband access and adoption, and professional development programs funded by the grant to determine their effectiveness and document best practices.

Additionally, where applicants plan to use grant funds for allowable capital expenses to improve and/or expand broadband connectivity and access, NTIA encourages the submission of project proposals that deploy or utilize future-proof infrastructure. Since this is a pilot program, NTIA welcomes innovative approaches to technology training, workforce development, and community engagement around broadband, broadband access, and connectivity. To further replicate and scale these programs, applicants will be expected to evaluate, track and document their program outcomes and best practices.

NTIA has set the initial award period as no more than two years from the receipt of grant funds.

The Assistant Secretary, however, may extend the initial award period if the eligible recipient certifies that (1) it has a plan for the use of the grant funds, (2) the execution or implementation of the project is underway, or (3) extenuating circumstances require an extension of time to allow the project to be completed.

NTIA issues this NOFO to: invite eligible recipients to submit applications for the Connecting

Minority Communities Pilot Program; provide information on the amount of funding available for award; discuss how it will allocate funds to qualifying applicants; give instructions on the application process; and describe the evaluation criteria for application review and the factors for award selection. The definitions applicable to this NOFO are set forth below.

B. Definitions.—The following definitions are applicable to the Connecting Minority

Communities Pilot Program:

a. Anchor Community means any area that—

(1) except as provided in the definition of Certain Tribal Colleges or Universities below, is not more than 15 miles from a historically Black college or university, a Tribal College or

University, or a Minority-serving institution; and

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(2) has an estimated median annual household income (based on U.S. Census Bureau

American Community Survey data) of not more than 250 percent of the poverty line, as that term is defined in section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42

U.S.C. 9902(2)).10 NTIA will use data from the most recent time period for which both household income and poverty line data are available.

b. Certain Tribal Colleges or Universities means, with respect to a Tribal College or

University that is located on land held in trust by the United States, the Assistant

Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, may establish a different maximum distance for the purposes of designating an anchor community if the Assistant

Secretary is able to ensure that, in establishing that different maximum distance, each anchor community that is established as a result of that action is statistically comparable to other anchor communities described in the definition of Anchor Community above.11

After consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and review of the relevant statistical data, the Assistant Secretary has determined that, for TCUs located on land held in trust by the United States that are also located within a reservation, the boundary of the reservation on which the TCU falls will be substituted for the 15-mile buffer to create an

Area of Interest (AOI) for each institution. The AOI will be used to define the institution’s anchor community boundary.

c. Assistant Secretary means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and

Information and Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information

Administration (NTIA).12

d. Broadband internet access service has the meaning given the term in 47 C.F.R. § 8.1(b), or any successor regulation.13

e. Commission means the Federal Communications Commission.14

f. Connected device means a laptop computer, tablet computer, or similar device that can connect to broadband internet access service.15

g. Director means the Director of the Office.16

h. Eligible equipment means—

10 See Section 902(a)(1)(A) of the Act.

11 Id. at § 902(a)(1)(B).

12 Id. at § 902(a)(2).

13 Id. at § 902(a)(3).

14 Id. at § 902(a)(4).

15 Id. at § 902(a)(5).

16 Id. at § 902(a)(6).

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(1) a Wi-Fi hotspot;

(2) a modem;

(3) a router;

(4) a device that combines a modem and router;

(5) a connected device; or

(6) any other equipment used to provide access to broadband internet access service.17

i. Eligible recipient means—

(1) a historically Black college or university;

(2) a Tribal College or University;

(3) a Minority-serving institution; or

(4) a consortium that is led by a historically Black college or university, a Tribal College or University, or a Minority-serving institution and that also includes—

a. a minority business enterprise; or

b. an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code.18

j. Historically Black college or university has the meaning given the term “part B institution” in section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).19

k. Minority-serving institution means any of the following:

(1) An Alaska Native-serving institution, as that term is defined in section 317(b) of the

Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)).

(2) A Native Hawaiian-serving institution, as that term is defined in section 317(b) of the

Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)).

(3) A Hispanic-serving institution, as that term is defined in section 502(a) of the Higher

Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)).

(4) A Predominantly Black institution, as that term is defined in section 371(c) of the

Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(c)).

(5) An Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution, as that term is defined in section 320(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.

1059g(b)).

(6) A Native American-serving, nontribal institution, as that term is defined in section

319(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059f(b)).20

l. Minority Business Enterprise means a business which is owned or controlled by one or more socially or economically disadvantaged persons (as defined in 15 C.F.R. § 1400.2, or any successor regulation).21

17 Id. at § 902(a)(7).

18 Id. at § 902(a)(8).

19 Id. at § 902(a)(9).

20 Id. at § 902(a)(10).

21 Id. at § 902(a)(11).

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m. Office means the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives established pursuant to the

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Division N, Title IX, Section 902(b)(1).22

n. Pilot Program means the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program established under the rules promulgated by the Assistant Secretary.23

o. Tribal College or University has the meaning given the term in section 316(b) of the

Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)).24

p. Wi-Fi means a wireless networking protocol based on Institute of Electrical and

Electronics Engineers standard 802.11, or any successor standard.25

q. Wi-Fi hotspot means a device that is capable of—

(1) receiving broadband internet access service; and

(2) sharing broadband internet access service with another device through the use of Wi-

Fi.26

II. Federal Award Information

A. Funding Availability

NTIA will make up to $268,000,000 available for federal assistance under the Connecting

Minority Communities Pilot Program.

B. Project/Award Period

The initial award period for the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program is no more than two years from the receipt of grant funds.

1. Extensions: The Assistant Secretary may extend the initial two-year award period for an eligible recipient that proposes to use the grant funds for program purposes if the eligible recipient certifies that:

(i) the eligible recipient has a plan for use of the grant funds;

(ii) the execution or implementation of the project is underway; and/or

(iii) extenuating circumstances require an extension of time to allow the project to be completed.

22 Id. at § 902(a)(12).

23 Id. at § 902(a)(13).

24 Id. at § 902(a)(14).

25 Id. at § 902(a)(15).

26 Id. at § 902(a)(16).

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2. Petition for Extension: The eligible recipient may submit a request for an extension of the two-year award period with its application or not later than ninety (90) calendar days before the end of the award period.

C. Award Amount

NTIA will make the amounts appropriated under the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot

Program available to eligible recipients, as defined in Section I.B.i of this NOFO, to implement pilot program projects, as outlined in Section I of this NOFO.

NTIA expects to make awards under this program within the following funding range: $500,000 to $3,000,000. This range is not a required minimum or maximum, but eligible recipients requesting amounts for projects outside of this range must provide a reasonable explanation for the variance in their project size.

Given the limited amount of funding available to award for this pilot program and the potentially large number of eligible recipients that may submit applications for this grant program, to determine whether an application merits an award, NTIA will consider eligible applications that best achieve the statutory purposes and funding requirements set forth by the Act, evaluated in accordance with the objective evaluation criteria contained in Section V.A of this NOFO.

D. Treatment of Unallocated Funds

If necessary, the Assistant Secretary will reallocate any funds that remain available after awarding grants to eligible recipients that submitted approved applications during the initial round of funding for the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program, or any unused funds that are returned by recipients, through a subsequent NOFO. Any subsequent NOFO will be published by NTIA and publicly accessible via www.grants.gov.

E. Type of Funding Instrument

The funding instrument for awards made pursuant to the NOFO will be a grant.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

An applicant must be an eligible recipient as defined in Section I.B.i of this NOFO. Specifically, the term “eligible recipient” means: a historically Black college or university; a Tribal College or

University; a Minority-serving institution; or a consortium that is led by a historically Black college or university, a Tribal College or University, or a Minority-serving institution and that also includes an MBE or an organization that is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal

Revenue Code of 1986 and that is exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code. The consortium does not need to be documented in a formal legal agreement at the time of application submission but should be expressed in the application as a general intent to cooperate or partner in implementing the project proposed for an award. For each consortium application, Notice of Funding Opportunity – 12

August 3, 2021 the applicant must submit a Letter of Commitment from each participating MBE or tax-exempt

501(c)(3) organization that clearly states the scope of work to be undertaken by the member of the consortium and its relevance to the proposed project. Additionally, an MBE or tax-exempt

501(c)(3) organization may participate in more than one consortium.

B. Designation of Lead Applicant

An HBCU, TCU, or MSI must serve as the lead applicant (e.g., in a consortium application) and would enter into the grant agreement with NTIA and assume primary operational and financial responsibility for completing the project should an award be made.

C. Eligibility Methodology

Section 902(c)(1)(B) of the Act requires that NTIA establish a method to identify, determine, and verify applicant eligibility; to identify which eligible recipients in anchor communities have the greatest unmet financial needs; and to ensure that grants under the Pilot Program are made to eligible recipients in a manner that best achieves the purposes of the Pilot Program. The program rules for applicant eligibility are located at 47 C.F.R. § 302.3.

Accordingly, NTIA has developed the following methodologies and supporting rationales utilizing publicly available data, information, processes, and calculations from the agency’s

Geographic Information System platform - National Broadband Availability Map (NBAM) and in consultation with several Federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Minority Business Development Agency

(MBDA), U.S. Census Bureau and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

1. NTIA method to identify and verify that an applicant is a HBCU, TCU, or MSI eligible recipient.

NTIA will analyze available data to establish HBCU, TCU, and MSI program eligibility as follows:

a. Eligible institutions of higher education are designated by type and are included in one of the seven categories outlined by the U.S. Department of Education as authorized by the Higher Education Act of 1965.

b. Where the school type has been legislatively defined and a list of institutions is available from the Federal government, as is the case for HBCUs and TCUs, NTIA will use the data/information provided by the NCES to verify their historical designation.

c. Where the U.S. Department of Education provides eligibility criteria, but does not publish a definitive list of institutions (for example, Asian American and Native

American Pacific Islander-serving institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSI), Predominantly Black institutions (PBI), Alaska Native-serving institution/Native Hawaiian-serving institutions (ANNH), and Native American-

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August 3, 2021 serving, non-Tribal institution (NASNTI) designations), NTIA has defined the universe of eligible institutions as those institutions that the U.S. Department of

Education defines as eligible or potentially eligible in that category within the U.S.

Department of Education’s most recently released Eligibility Matrix.27

2. NTIA method to identify anchor communities that are within a 15-mile radius of each eligible HBCU, TCU, or MSI and that meet the estimated median annual household income of not more than 250 percent of the poverty line.

To identify anchor communities surrounding an otherwise qualifying institution in which the

“estimated median annual household income [is] not more than 250 percent of the poverty line,”

NTIA will use median household income estimates from the most recent U.S. Census Bureau’s

American Community Survey (ACS) for each census tract falling wholly or partially within the applicable area (so long as corresponding poverty threshold data is also available for that time period, to ensure comparison of similar datasets).28 Census tracts are the smallest geographic units for which median household income estimates are available, enabling more precise identification of the eligible areas defined in the statute. Currently, the most recent available data estimates are from 2015-2019. For each relevant census tract, NTIA will compare the median household income estimate with the most recent poverty thresholds published by the

Census Bureau (so long as corresponding household income data is also available for that time period, as discussed above). Currently, the most recent available data is from 2019.

For purposes of this pilot program, NTIA will use the weighted average poverty threshold that corresponds to the mean household size in each tract.29 If the mean household size is between two whole numbers, NTIA will round up to the next whole number to determine the applicable weighted average poverty threshold. This will help to ensure that the program’s eligibility standards include as many communities in need as possible. If the median household income of a census tract does not exceed 2.5 times the applicable weighted average poverty threshold, that tract will be considered part of the anchor community. NTIA notes that the median household income data sets have a small margin of error that may affect the potential eligibility of certain census tracts.30 For more information regarding how the CMC Pilot Program addresses the

27 Currently, this is the 2020 Eligibility Matrix, but NTIA will update this approach to include the U.S.

Department of Education’s 2021 Eligibility Matrix, and any subsequent Eligibility Matrix, as applicable, upon release. See U.S. Dep’t of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, Eligibility Designations and Applications for Waiver of Eligibility Requirements, https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/eligibility.html (last visited June 14, 2021).

28 See Section 902(a)(1) of the Act.

29 For any future iteration of the CMC Pilot Program, NTIA plans to use the latest Census Bureau data and information regarding median household incomes and poverty thresholds, as that data becomes available.

30 ACS estimates are based on a sample and are subject to sampling error. The margin of error measures the degree of uncertainty caused by sampling error. The margin of error is used with an ACS estimate to construct a confidence interval about the estimate. The interval is formed by adding the margin of error to the estimate (the upper bound) and subtracting the margin of error from the estimate (the lower bound).

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/eligibility.html

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August 3, 2021 challenge process, margin of error, and the option for an applicant to submit data to support the eligibility of certain census tracts, see Sections IV.C and V.B.1 of this NOFO.

A further breakdown of NTIA’s approach is as follows:

a. The 250 percent threshold will be determined for household size based on the most recent poverty thresholds available from the U.S. Census Bureau, so long as household size data for that time period is also available.31

b. The 250 percent poverty threshold by household size will then be applied to the average household size in each census tract according to the most recent

American Community Survey data available, so long as poverty threshold data for that time period is also available.

c. Utilizing capabilities within the NBAM platform, a 15-mile buffer will be drawn around each eligible institution as described above.

d. A digital overlay will be used to select all census tracts for each anchor community boundary. If any part of a census tract falls within the boundary, NTIA will include that entire census tract in order to avoid excluding potentially eligible communities. The median household income in each anchor community census tract will be compared to the 250 percent poverty threshold as defined above to determine if the anchor community tract does not exceed the prescribed poverty threshold.

As stated above, in determining anchor community eligibility, NTIA will be as inclusive as possible in the application of the Census Bureau’s poverty threshold for qualifying census tracts.

Accordingly, NTIA will use the following calculations to determine a census tract’s anchor community eligibility status utilizing the Census Bureau’s poverty thresholds and average household size data:

250% Poverty

Threshold

Census 2019 Poverty

Threshold

Average Household

Size

$32,528 $13,011 1 or less

$41,303 $16,521 >1 and <=2

$50,838 $20,335 >2 and <=3

$65,430 $26,172 >3 and <=4

It is expected with 90 percent confidence that the interval will contain the full population value of the estimate. The Census Bureau provides more information regarding its estimates and margins of error along with percentages and percent margins of error on its website. See American Community Survey, Data Profiles-Economic Characteristics, https://www.census.gov/acs/www/data/data-tables-and-tools/data-profiles/ (last visited June 15, 2021).

31 See U.S. Census Bureau, Poverty Thresholds, https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-poverty-thresholds.html (last visited June 15, 2021).

https://www.census.gov/acs/www/data/data-tables-and-tools/data-profiles/ https://www.census.gov/acs/www/data/data-tables-and-tools/data-profiles/ https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-poverty-thresholds.html https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-poverty-thresholds.html

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$77,553 $31,021 >4 and <=5

$87,823 $35,129 >5 and <=6

$100,040 $40,016 >6 and <=7

$111,153 $44,461 >7 and <=8

$132,188 $52,875 More than 8

3. NTIA method to determine a comparable maximum distance for a TCU anchor community located on land held in trust by the United States that is statistically comparable to anchor communities defined as not more than 15 miles from an HBCU, TCU, or MSI.

In the Act, Congress also directed that NTIA may establish, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, a separate anchor community boundary for those Tribal schools located on land held in trust by the United States, if NTIA can ensure that each anchor community that is established is statistically comparable to other anchor communities within the Connecting Minority

Communities Pilot Program.32 After consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and upon review of the applicable data and information for the purposes of Connecting Minority

Communities Pilot Program consideration, NTIA will apply this standard as follows: for TCUs located on land held in trust by the United States that are also located within a reservation, the boundary of the reservation on which the TCU falls will be substituted for the 15-mile buffer to create an Area of Interest (AOI) for each institution. The AOI will be used to define the TCU’s anchor community boundary.

4. NTIA method to identify which eligible recipients have the greatest unmet financial need.33

To determine which eligible recipients have students with the greatest unmet financial need, each applying eligible HBCU, TCU, or MSI institution must provide the following information in their application for funding (or as much of the information as is reasonably available to the institution), to include any supplementary information to explain the data:34

(i) Student population size;

(ii) Number and percentage of students that are eligible to receive Federal Pell

Grants;

32 See Section 902(a)(1)(B) of the Act.

33 NTIA has interpreted that this requirement refers to both the “eligible institution” and the “students that attend the eligible institutions” and therefore, for ease of application, will analyze student need data in addressing this statutory requirement. See Section 902(c)(1)(B)(i) of the Act; see also 47 C.F.R.

§§ 302.4(a)(1)(i), 302.6(a)(1).

34 NTIA understands that institutions of higher education may not have ready access to student data regarding low-income status and approvals to receive unemployment insurance benefits (student need measurements (iv)-(vi) above). Therefore, applicants may submit information to address these standards to the extent practicable (i.e., the institutions have access to and can report this information).

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(iii) Number and percentage of students that receive other need-based financial aid from the Federal government, a State, or that institution;

(iv) Number and percentage of students that qualify as low-income consumers;35

(v) Number and percentage of students that are low-income individuals;36 and

(vi) Number and percentage of students that have been approved to receive unemployment insurance benefits under any Federal or State law since March 1, 2020.

NTIA will analyze the submitted information for each of these criteria and will develop an assessment of each institution’s student-body-based unmet financial needs. These assessments will be compared across all submitted applications during the merit review phase and program eligibility determinations will be made based on an evaluation of the data provided and accompanying explanatory information. Final recommendations for project approval and grant funding will be made for those eligible anchor institutions that have demonstrated the highest unmet financial need.

5. NTIA method to verify that a designated Minority Business Enterprise or a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization applying as a member of a consortium is an eligible recipient.

NTIA will require that a consortium applicant that is an MBE self-certify that it is an MBE-designated entity. See Appendix B to this NOFO: Certification For CMC Pilot Program

Consortium Applicants - Minority Business Enterprises.

For consortium applicants that claim tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status, NTIA will utilize the Internal

Revenue Service’s 501(c)(3) certification portal/database to verify the organization’s 501(c)(3) status. The IRS Tax Exempt Organizations Search portal is available for applicant and public access at: https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/allSearch?einTerm=27-2898736. NTIA also retains the right to require that a consortium applicant submit evidence of the tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status of its consortium member(s) (e.g., IRS tax-exempt determination letter).

D. Announcement of Eligible Recipient Anchor Community Qualifying Areas

In the interests of promoting transparency and strengthening the selection process, NTIA has developed a publicly available and searchable CMC Anchor Community Eligibility Dashboard

(CMC Dashboard) that lists the eligible recipient institutions (by type) and shows the qualifying census tracts within a 15-mile radius of each institution. The CMC Dashboard was developed utilizing NTIA’s National Broadband Availability Map (NBAM) platform, and contains publicly available data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Education. The CMC

Dashboard reflects NTIA’s application of the anchor community eligibility methodology as

35 As defined under 47 C.F.R. part 54, subpart E, or any successor regulations.

36 As defined in section 312(g) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058(g)).

https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/allSearch?einTerm=27-2898736

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August 3, 2021 described in Section III.B.2 above.37 The posting of this dashboard will provide potential applicants (eligible recipient institutions) the opportunity to view NTIA’s anchor community eligibility determinations (based on household size and poverty threshold calculations) that an eligible recipient could designate for program activities.

CMC applicants and the general public can view, search, and access their own “anchor community” profiles for all eligible recipient institutions (i.e., HBCUs, TCUs, ANNH, PBI, ANNAPISI, HSI and NASNTI) at https://broadbandusa.ntia.gov/cmcdashboard.

The CMC Dashboard is for informational purposes only and is intended solely to assist potential applicants in better understanding the CMC Pilot Program and the eligibility requirements set forth in the Final Rule for this program and this NOFO. The CMC Dashboard does not and is not intended to supersede, modify, or otherwise alter applicable statutory or regulatory requirements, or the specific requirements set forth in the Final Rule and NOFO. In all cases, statutory and regulatory mandates, and the requirements set forth in the Final Rule and NOFO, shall prevail over any inconsistencies contained in the CMC Dashboard.

E. Cost Sharing or Matching

The Act authorizing the establishment of the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program does not contain a statutory cost sharing or matching funds requirement. Accordingly, NTIA will not require an eligible recipient applying for a grant under the Connecting Minority

Communities Pilot Program to provide a binding cost share match and NTIA will not give favorable consideration to applications proposing voluntary cost share. However, applicants may propose to contribute a voluntary committed non-federal cost share amount and, if they do propose such non-federal cost share, must document their capacity to provide such matching funds in their applications. Matching funds may be in the form of either cash or in-kind contributions consistent with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and

Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. Part 200.38 Non-federal cost share committed to an award by an eligible recipient will be treated as voluntary committed cost sharing (as defined in 2 C.F.R. § 200.1) and will be a binding commitment under the award. The failure of an eligible recipient to meet its voluntary committed cost share may result in a proportional decrease in federal grant funds.

In-kind contributions, which include third party in-kind contributions, are non-cash donations of property, goods, or services, which benefit a federally assisted project, and which may count toward satisfying the non-federal matching requirement of a project’s total budgeted costs when

37 To determine the center of the 15-mile radius, NTIA utilizes the eligible recipient’s official address as reported to and provided by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Center for Education

Statistics’ national database, available at https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ (last visited June 15, 2021). If any part of a census tract falls within the 15-mile boundary, NTIA will consider that entire census tract eligible for the purposes of the CMC Pilot Program, in order to avoid excluding potentially eligible communities.

38 See 2 C.F.R. Part 200, available at http://go.usa.gov/SBYh. See also 2 C.F.R. § 200.306.

https://broadbandusa.ntia.gov/cmcdashboard https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ http://go.usa.gov/SBYh

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August 3, 2021 such contributions meet certain criteria.39 In-kind contributions must be allowable and allocable project expenses. The rules governing allowable in-kind contributions are very detailed and encompass a wide range of properties and services. NTIA encourages applicants to thoroughly consider potential sources of in-kind contributions that, depending on the particular property or service and the applicable federal cost principles, could include employee or volunteer services;

equipment; supplies; indirect costs; computer hardware and software; and use of facilities. It is important to note that federal funds may not be used as non-federal match, except as expressly provided by federal statute.40

F. Other

1. Eligible and Ineligible Uses of Project Funds – See Section IV.J of this NOFO for information concerning the eligible and ineligible uses of project funding (including non-federal cost share) under the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program.

2. Single Application — An eligible recipient (including a consortium) may submit only one application for the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

Application forms and instructions are available on the Grants.gov website (www.grants.gov).

To access these materials, go to http://www.grants.gov, select “How to Apply for Grants,” and then select “Search for Opportunity Package.” Enter the CFDA number (11.028) and/or the funding opportunity number (NTIA-CMCPP-2021). Select “Grant Opportunity Package,” and then follow the prompts. To download the instructions, go to “Preview Opportunity Package” and select “Download Instructions.” NTIA recommends that applicants visit Grants.gov prior to filing their applications so that they fully understand the process and requirements. Failure to properly register and apply for funds under the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program by the deadline established in this NOFO may result in an eligible recipient losing this grant opportunity. Applications are accepted until the deadline and are processed as received.

Application packages, or portions thereof, submitted by email, paper, or facsimile will not be accepted.

With respect to electronic methods for providing information about funding opportunities or accepting applicants’ submissions of information, NTIA is responsible for compliance with

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by the Workforce Act of 1998.

B. Content and Form of Applications

39 See 2 C.F.R. § 200.306.

40 See id.

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Applications for the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program must be complete and follow the format described in this NOFO. A complete application packet consists of the following forms and required submissions, which are discussed in more detail below.

1. Standard Form 424: Application for Federal Assistance

This is the title page (SF-424). This form (and all additional forms requiring a signature) must be signed by the applicant’s authorized organization representative (AOR). Electronic signatures submitted through www.grants.gov satisfy this requirement.

o SF-424, Item 8.d Zip/Postal Code field, should reflect the Zip code + 4 (#####-

####) format.

o SF-424, Item 12, should list the NOFO number as NTIA-CMCPP-2021.

o SF-424, Item 18, should list…