TBCP.Technical Amendments to NOFO 2.Application Review Information.Public Notice.Final (1).docx

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration Notice of Technical Amendments to the Second Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Notice of Funding Opportunity ACTION: Notice The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP), authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Division N, Title IX, Section 905(c), Public Law 116-260, 134 Stat. 1182 (Dec. 27, 2020) (Act) and amended by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Division F, Title II, Section 60201, Public Law 117-58, 135 Stat. 429 (Nov. 15, 2021) (IIJA), codified at 47 USC 1705 et seq., provides new federal funding for grants to Eligible Entities (terms defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the second NOFO referred to below) to expand access to and adoption of broadband service on Tribal Land or for programs that promote the use of broadband to access remote learning, telework, or telehealth resources.

On July 27, 2023, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued a second Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to describe the requirements under which it will award grants for the second round of TBCP funding (the second NOFO). The second NOFO originally established a 180-day period for Eligible Entities to submit applications for TBCP funding. On January 22, 2024, NTIA issued a Notice extending the original application submission deadlines identified in Section D.4. of the second NOFO from January 23, 2024 to March 22, 2024.

On March 13, 2024, NTIA issued this Notice describing certain technical amendments it made to the second NOFO. Specifically, NTIA amended the second NOFO to correct an error in the points allocated to the two subcategories under the Project Purpose and Benefits category for Broadband Infrastructure Deployment projects as described in Sections E.2.a.i and ii. With this technical correction, the Level of Need on the Tribal Land subcategory increased from 30 points to 35 points and the Affordability of Services Offered subcategory decreased from 15 points to 10 points. Within the Level of Need on the Tribal Land subcategory, NTIA also added the phrase “up to” prior to several specific point thresholds. Additionally, NTIA added language in Section E.3.c.i, Programmatic Review Process, and in Section E.4, Selection Factors and Selection Process, clarifying that the prioritization criteria described in Section E.3.b.i under Merit Review also apply to these phases of the application review process.