Image
Fast, affordable Internet access for all.
Capital Projects Fund Deadline Extended for Tribes to August 15
Tribes Can Get $167,000 for Infrastructure Projects
By
on
The application deadline for the Capital Projects Fund, which will direct $100 million in federal funding to Tribal governments to build broadband infrastructure, has been extended to August 15th, 2022. It's a relateively simple application, offering $167,000 in grant funds to each Tribal government.
The fund explicitly emphasizes capital outlay for new infrastructure projects. From the Department of Treasury, uses include:
Capital assets designed to directly enable work, education, and health monitoring.
Project[s] designed to address a critical need that resulted from or was made apparent or exacerbated by the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Project[s] designed to address a critical need of the community to be served by it.
Examples of projects provided by the Treasury include:
Purchasing digital connectivity devices, such as desktop computers, laptops, or tablets, to facilitate internet access
Purchasing digital connectivity technologies, such as public Wi-Fi, to facilitate internet access
Supplementing another federal government broadband program (e.g., Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, or other funds) that meet minimum service standards provided by the Capital Projects Fund Guidance
Installing or enhancing broadband infrastructure to serve communities by meeting minimum service standards provided by the Capital Projects Fund Guidance
Constructing or improving buildings, such as multi-purpose community centers, that are designed to jointly enable work, education, and health monitoring
It's worth pointing out, via the Treasury guidance page, that "as of April 4, 2022, applicants are required to provide a Universal Entity ID (UEID) number when applying for CPF funds, and will no longer need to provide a DUNS number." More instructions here.
Additional resources:
- A breakdown of the program, FAQs, a checklist, and sample applications here.
- More guidance for Tribal governments here.
- The Tribal Resource Center help page, with additional instructions, case studies, form and agreement templates, and a host of other resources, here.
- Instructional videos from the Tribal Resource Center on how to apply.
Related Stories
RantanenTown Ranch Turns Into Broadband Playground For Tribal Broadband Bootcamp 11
Photo-filled look at the many days of prep and three days of immersive programming that went into creating Tribal Broadband Bootcamp 11 at RantanenTown Ranch.
Massachusetts and New York Look To Make Affordable Housing Broadband Ready
Massachusetts and New York officials hope to entice affordable housing property owners with new grant programs that would pay the retrofitting costs to expand high-speed Internet connectivity into decades-old affordable housing developments. Given that many of these multi-dwelling units (MDUs) were built before the advent of the Internet, a significant number of low-income tenants are living in buildings that are not wired to support reliable broadband connections or where residents can’t afford monopoly provider prices.
Selma, 17 Other Alabama Communities Will See Construction of $230 Million Open Access Fiber Network
Selma, Alabama – and parts of 16 other communities in eight different counties – will soon be connected to a new, $230 million open access fiber network that aims to bring affordable broadband to historically marginalized sections of the Yellowhammer State. The deployment comes courtesy of a public private partnership (PPP) the city has struck with Meridiam Infrastructure and Meridiam-owned YellowHammer networks – an agreement that will launch the expansion of fiber access across Alabama’s Black Belt region.
Burning Desire to Bring Affordable Fiber Service To Rural Washoe County, Nevada
Officials in Washoe County, Nevada have struck a new public private partnership (PPP) with Digital Technology Solutions (DTS) to deploy affordable fiber service into the long-neglected rural towns of Gerlach and Empire, Nevada. The deal is part of a broader effort to bring affordable access to underserved residents just out of reach of broadband access.
Tribal Broadband Bootcamp Advances: Underground and Above
IT-minded Tribal leaders and instructors gather in southern California for the 11th Tribal Broadband Bootcamp as the three-day intensive learning experience continues to offer the ultimate Indian Country networking experience. All of the previous TBB’s offered hands-on training, but this particular bootcamp took it up a notch as TBB instructors set up a full deployment demonstration, illustrating how fiber is buried and/or deployed aerially.
Alabama Electric Cooperatives Power Ahead With $35 Million In New State Broadband Grants
Four different Alabama electric cooperatives receive nearly $35 million in grant funding to expand fiber access to more than 11,092 rural Alabama homes and businesses. Meanwhile, the big incumbents operating in the state, Charter and Mediacom rake in lion's share of the rest of the state's federal Capital Projects Fund.