Access Broadband Connect Grants
Request for Letters of Interest
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for the Access Broadband Connect (ABC) grants?
Eligible Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) include 501(c)(3) non-profit community organizations, schools, libraries, local governments, and other public agencies with an established record of performance for measurable outcomes and demonstrated capacity to plan and manage strategic activity to achieve specific objectives. Although not a pre-requisite, it is preferable that applicants have experience in successfully achieving broadband adoptions by assisting low-income households in signing up for high-speed Internet home service. Priority consideration will be given to CBOs focused in communities around School2Home schools with working relationships with the local school, city, and county governments and their human services agencies.
What criteria will be used to evaluate applications?
- Clarity in the description of relevant experience and capacity to reach low-income households in-language and in-culture to increase broadband adoptions.
- Established track record of performance in achieving quantified outcomes.
- Experience in working in target communities and established working relationships with school, city, and county governments and their human services agencies.
- Focus and quality of delineated strategies and activities to achieve broadband adoptions among low-income households.
- Reasonableness of work plan, timetable, and budget to achieve the proposed number of broadband adoptions.
Will CETF require its grantees to facilitate Internet subscriptions to Spectrum or Frontier only?
No. The required outcomes of the ABC grants are verifiable home broadband subscriptions by low-income households in either the Spectrum or Frontier service territory. Customers will have a choice of the best affordable offer in their area. ABC grant subscriptions are not limited to the Spectrum or Frontier offer-consumers. Consumer eligible for the Affordable Offers will have a choice and grantees will be required to provide information about all affordable offers available in the service territory.
What will be the duration of the programs that will be funded by this grant?
Approved programs will be no longer than two years in duration.
Does an applicant need to be located within the Spectrum or Frontier territory?
No. An applicant can be located outside the Spectrum or Frontier territory as long as it serves the target population within the territory.
Does this grant pay for broadband service?
No. This grant pays to facilitate new Internet subscriptions, assist clients in finding/acquiring a computing device, conduct a Digital Literacy Assessment, and provide basic Digital Literacy training (unless the client does not need it).
How long will Spectrum offer the low-cost Internet service?
The Spectrum Internet Assist program will last a minimum of 5 years.
What will be the responsibilities of the grantees?
Grantees will be responsible for: (a) outreach in-language and in-culture to priority low-income neighborhoods and populations; (b) basic digital literacy training and assistance in obtaining an affordable computing device; and (c) explanation of available affordable broadband offers and assistance in contacting the selected provider to sign up.
How will grantees get paid?
Grant payments will be performance-based and the award will be based on $120 per verified subscription facilitated by the grantee.
How can I submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) to CETF?
Learn more about the Letter of Interest and how to submit an application here: http://www.cybergrants.com/pls/cybergrants/ao_login.login?x_gm_id=2692&x_proposal_type_id=46740
When are LOIs due?
Letters of Interest must be submitted by 5PM PT by one of the 4 application deadlines: February 1, 2019; March 15, 2019; May 31, 2019; and October 31, 2019