CFDA#
None
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Funder Type
State Government
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IT Classification
A - Primarily intended to fund technology
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Authority
Iowa Office of the Chief Information Officer
Summary
The Office of the Chief Information Officer administers a broadband grant program designed to award reduce or eliminate unserved and underserved areas in the state, leveraging federal funds and public and private partnerships where possible, by awarding grants to communications service providers that reduce or eliminate targeted service areas by installing broadband infrastructure that facilitates broadband service in targeted service areas.
The Agency is seeking proposals from Responsible Applicants to Facilitate broadband service to Eligible Service Locations within the State of Iowa by no later than September 30, 2026. Applications submitted to this NOFA must be designed to provide last-mile broadband service to Eligible Service Locations that: (1) reliably meets or exceeds 100/100 Broadband; or (2) in cases where it is not practicable, because of the excessive cost of the Project, or geography or topography of the area to be served by the Project, to provide Broadband that reliably meets or exceeds 100/20 Broadband. However, 100/20 Broadband Projects must be scalable to 100/100 Broadband within three years of the Project Completion date.
Eligible Service Locations have been determined using Map V5 as locations to which no provider offers service at speeds greater than or equal to 100/20 Broadband consistent with the CPF Guidance established by the U.S. Department of Treasury. The Eligible Service Locations must not have been previously awarded Federal or State broadband incentives for build out greater than 100/20 Broadband.
History of Funding
A total of 91 applications were deemed submitted in response to NOFA #008. The public, redacted versions of each application and the final status of the award is available at https://ocio.iowa.gov/empower-rural-iowa-broadband-grant-program-notice-funding-availability-008
NOFA #007 awards are available to view here: https://ocio.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/noia_for_nofa_007_-_broadband_grants_program.pdf?
In 2021, approximately $15 million was available under NOFA #005 and approximately $97.5 million under NOFA #006.
In 2020 and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, $5 million in new program funds were made available for the Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant program. This funding was distributed through Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) #003.
In 2019, $5 million in new program funds were made available for the Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant program. This funding was distributed through Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) #002.
In 2018, $1.3 million in program funds was made available for the Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant program. This funding was distributed through Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) #001.
Additional Information
This NOFA gives special consideration to Broadband Intervention Zones (Zones”) across the State of Iowa. These Zones were established under Invitation to Qualify (ITQ”) #001, which permitted communities across the State of Iowa to identify areas of critical need for broadband investment. Until now, all NOFA offerings allowed broadband providers to select where they wanted to build based on available DOM mapping data that identified areas lacking broadband. Although this process has resulted in significant buildout throughout the state, there remains a perception that certain areas in the State perpetually go unserved for a variety of reasons. The ITQ attempted to address this perceived problem by affording communities an opportunity to identify geographic areas of concern that both need access to Broadband and are motivated to attract Broadband providers to the area. Broadband Intervention Zones identified through the ITQ process are now being used to prioritize NOFA #008 Broadband application awards.
Ninety-six Zones have been identified. Within each of these Zones, providers that agree to build to 80% or more of the Eligible Service Locations within any Zone will receive additional points and higher levels of state matching funds under this NOFA. Providers are strongly encouraged to examine the Zones as set forth within the Project Selection Tool.
Applications that propose to Facilitate broadband services to at least 80% of Eligible Service Locations within any Zone will rank higher under this NOFA than any Application that does not.
Eligibility Details
Applicants/Projects must meet each of the following eligibility requirements in order to be considered:
- Persons eligible to submit Applications in accordance with this NOFA include any Communications Service Provider as defined by Iowa Code chapter 8B, including but not limited to private sector carriers, local governments, utilities, and other entities that provide or intend to provide Broadband service.
- Persons submitting Applications must be the entity that will be performing the proposed work, or an entity with a substantial ownership interest in the entity that will be performing the proposed work. While Applicants may hire or work with consulting firms to prepare their Applications, an Application may not be presented or framed as work to be performed by a consulting firm and may not be signed by a representative of the consulting firm. Instead, the Application must be presented and framed as work to be performed by an appropriate Applicant and signed by an Authorized Official of Applicant's.
- Projects may only consist of activities resulting in the delivery of Broadband within the geographic boundaries of the State of Iowa.
- Projects must Facilitate at least 100/100 or 100/20 Broadband service.
- Projects must be completed by April 30, 2025.
Deadline Details
Applications for NOFA #008 were to be submitted by August 25, 2023, 5:00 PM CDT. Additional Notices of Funding Availability are anticipated but have not yet been announced.
Award Details
Up to $148,960,000 is available in funding from Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) #008. The total amount of funds sought under this NOFA may not exceed 80% of total project cost.
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