Transcript Broadband Grants Team - Department of Management Services

Lauren Harris
Broadband Florida Initiative Grants Assistance Team
Department of Management Services
Division of Telecommunications
October 10, 2012
2
Webinar Topics
• Overview of the grant
• What are the features of a winning proposal?
• What is involved in applying for this grant?
• How does a community get started?
• Steps to creating a successful proposal
• What is the Broadband Grants Team?
3
4
Purpose
The Community Connect Grant
Program is designed to provide
financial assistance to furnish
broadband service in rural,
economically-challenged
communities where such
service does not currently exist.
5
Define Broadband
• Broadband Transmission Service - providing an
information-rate equivalent to at least 200 kilobits/second in the
consumer’s connection to the network, both from the provider to the
consumer (downstream) and from the consumer to the provider
(upstream).
• Includes any of the following (with minimum 200 kbps ↕)
▫
▫
▫
▫
▫
▫
3G & 4G (Mobile)
Combination
Fixed Wireless
Cable
Fiber
DSL
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Purpose
Grant funds may be utilized to:
▫ Deploy broadband transmission service to
critical community facilities, rural residents, and
rural businesses
▫ Construct, acquire, or expand a community
center
▫ Equip and operate a community center that
provides free access to broadband services to
community residents for at least two years
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Purpose
What is Funded?
▫ Broadband System:





Network equipment
Outside plant
CPE, towers
Tower lease
Engineering service
▫ Operating Expenses:
 Salaries
 Maintenance costs
▫ Community Center:
• 10 computers for the
community center, etc.
• Building construction
• Facility improvements
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Funding
Over 3 years:
▫ Minimum grant request amount is: $100,000
▫ Maximum grant request amount is: $1,500,000
Match:
▫ At least 15% of the grant amount requested
▫ Matching contributions are for allowable costs
that can be financed with grant funds
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Who can apply?
Eligible Entities Include:
• Incorporated organization
• Indian Tribe or tribal organization,
as defined in 25 U.S.C. 450b(b) and (c)
• State or local unit of government
• A cooperative, private corporation or limited liability
company organized on a for-profit or not-for-profit basis.
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No Florida community has ever
received this grant. Why?
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• Assess whether the community meets the objective criteria.
• Develop plans specifically to meet the grant requirements.
• Secure community buy-in.
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Scoring
The application scoring is based on three (3) criteria:
Objective
1. Rurality (up to 40 points)
2. Economic Need (up to 30 points)
Subjective
3. Benefits Derived (up to 30 points)
Sample Ideal Community Profile (60/70 points)
• Under 1,000 Residents
• Community Median Household Income (MHI)
≤$26,213.55 (55th percentile or lower)
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Objective Criteria
Rurality (40 Points) is based on population.
 Smallest communities are best positioned to receive funding
Level
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Over
0
499
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
10000
Not in
Points
Excess of
499
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
10000
20000
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
15
Objective Criteria
Economic Need (30 Points) is based on avg. income.
 Communities with MHI in the 60th percentile or lower
are best positioned to receive funding.
Median Household Income is:
Percent (%)
Percent (%) of
of MHI Less MHI Greater Than
Than:
or Equal To:
>
75
75
70
70
65
65
60
60
55
55
50
50
<
Community
MHI is ≤
≥ $35,745.75
< $35,745.75
< $33,362.70
< $30,979.65
< $28,596.60
< $26,213.55
< $23,830.50
Points
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
(Percentile = Community MHI/ State MHI)
Median Household Income for Florida (2006-2010) is $47,661. (U.S. Census Bureau)
Applicant Community MHI must be $35,745.75 or lower to qualify.
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Florida Communities
Needs Assessment
Placename
MHI by ZIP
Lake Harbor
Limestone
Campbellton
Yankeetown
Jacob City
Ebro
Berrydale
Brownsdale
Cobbtown
Fidelis
Mount Carmel
Pine Level
Lake Mystic
Sumatra
Esto
Wausau
Jennings
Fort Green
Istachatta
Ona
$23589.00
$23750.00
$25817.00
$24745.00
$26398.00
$26719.00
$27400.00
$27400.00
$27400.00
$27400.00
$27400.00
$27400.00
$27933.00
$27933.00
$28451.00
$28571.00
$26316.00
$29256.00
$29668.00
$30833.00
Need Pts.
MHI Percentile
(MHI)
30
30
25
25
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
15
15
15
50th
50th
55th
55th
60th
60th
60th
60th
60th
60th
60th
60th
60th
60th
60th
60th
60th
65th
65th
65th
Population
2010
45
132
230
502
250
270
441
471
67
156
227
227
500
148
364
383
878
101
116
314
Rurality Pts.
Total Obj.
Rurality Level
(Pop.)
Points
40
40
40
35
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
35
40
40
40
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
70
70
65
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
55
55
55
55
% of Points
Possible
Possible Pts
(of 100)
100%
100%
93%
86%
86%
86%
86%
86%
86%
86%
86%
86%
86%
86%
86%
86%
79%
79%
79%
79%
100
100
95
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
85
85
85
85
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Subjective Scoring:
Points to Consider When Planning
Benefits Derived (30 Points) are outlined in narrative.
• Discuss issues and challenges facing this community and
how the applicant’s proposal will address them
• Document community’s involvement in project
planning, implementation, and support by local residents,
institutions, and critical community facilities
• Describe how the community center will be used for
instructional purposes including Internet usage
• List Web-based community resources enabled or provided
at the Community Center
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• Starting the Planning Process
• Resource Development
• Grant Proposal: Develop, Review, Submit
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Plan to Plan
• Leadership First
▫ Identify stakeholders
▫ Identify Project Lead
▫ Decide who will “push the button”
• Timeline your process
• Create project management structure
▫ Communication plan
▫ Internal and external resources
▫ Set up and create permissions for
Dropbox, SharePoint, and other resources
• Set up shop
▫ Create/ register entity, as needed
▫ Apply for DUNS, SAM, CCR/ CAGE code,
etc., as needed
 Make sure your “button-pusher” has
requisite permissions well in advance.
Registration may take up to 2 weeks for
each password or login code.
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Resource Development
• Resource the community
▫ Community buy-in is important
▫ Identify existing resources
 Human capital
 Real Estate
 Other
• Vendors
▫ Can assist in match
▫ May serve as applicant
▫ Engineering assessments
• Government Resources
▫ REDI
▫ Broadband Florida Grants Team
▫ DivTel with FL DMS
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Grant Proposal:
Develop, Review, Submit
Standard Form 424
• Download this form*
• Enter information as required
by the form/ FOA:
Upload
Standard
Form 424
Interactive PDF
Includes:
• Fields
• Radio buttons
• Upload files
Direct
Content
Attachments
Original
Content
Forms
▫
▫
▫
▫
▫
Contact information
Brief descriptive title
Congressional District
Amount Requested
Budgetary information for
the applicant entity
▫ Upload attachment
documents as PDF files
* This form must be downloaded from the funding
opportunity announcement page. If you use an old
version, it might not be right.
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SF424:
Download the most current version
Form content
changes from
year to year
Some areas may
require both paste-in
and uploaded content
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Grant Proposal:
Develop, Review, Submit
Executive Summary
Describing the following:
•
•
•
•
Project (as a whole)
Applicant Entity
Project Goals
Overview of telecom system to be
developed (include equipment,
technologies, facilities, etc.)
• Describe procedure to determine
unavailability of service*
• Community partners
*The Grants Assistance Team has done a basic needs
assessment of communities in Florida. Additional research
by applicant communities is needed regarding potential
expansion by local vendors.
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Document Scoring:
Sources of Information for Objective Criteria
► DOWNLOAD THE WORKSHEET FROM THE USDA WEBSITE
• Broadband Bandwidth and Rurality (based on population)
▫ FCC Data files
▫ Broadband Florida Initiative Mapping Project
▫ Applicants must further confirm regional vendors have
no intent to expand into the applicant community.
• Economic Need (based on Median Household Income)
▫ US Census Fact Finder
▫ S1903: MEDIAN INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2010
INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS), 2010 American Community
Survey 1-Year Estimates
(http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml)
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Grant Proposal:
Develop, Review, Submit
System Design
Scope of Work
• Narrative describing community
center
• Engineering design studies
• Specific Activities
• Project Timeline
• Budget and supporting
documents
▫ Technical specs
▫ Data rates
▫ Cost
• Map of Service Area
▫ Community Center
▫ Critical Community Facilities
Community-Oriented
Connectivity Plan
• List critical facilities (libraries,
schools, clinics, fire stations, etc.)
• How will services be deployed?
• List equipment
• Role of telecom carrier in
deployment
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Grant Proposal:
Develop, Review, Submit
Financial Information &
Sustainability:
• Narrative demonstrating
sustainability in resources,
funding plan, and expertise
• Certified financial documents
• 5 years of Pro Forma financial
info for applicant and project,
including income collected
(past and projected budget)
Statement of Experience
• Narrative format
• Describe capacity to operate
the proposed telecom system
• Must include owner and
principal employees relevant
work experience
Evidence of Legal
Authority and Existence
• May include articles of
incorporation, bylaws,
excerpts from state statutes,
etc. (see FOA for full list)
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Grant Proposal:
Develop, Review, Submit
Funding Commitments from
Other Sources
• Letters of Support
• Proof of commitment to make
minimum 15% match
• If in-kind commitment, describe
material contribution with detailed
values
Compliance with Other Federal
Statutes and Regulations
(upload as attachment PDFs)
• Equal Opportunity Employment
• Certificate Regarding Architectural
Barriers
• Certificate Regarding Flood Hazard
Area Precautions
• Assistance and Real Property
Acquisition Policies Act
• Drug-free Workplace
• Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment/
Disclosure of
• Non-Duplication of Service Cert.
• Fed. Obligations on Delinquent Debt
• Environmental Questionnaire
• E.O.s 12549/ 12689 Debarment and
Suspension
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•
•
•
•
Copy edit
Checklist content
Review, as needed/ required
Load content into SF424 (PDF) and SUBMIT.
(Have your grants.gov, DUNS and other login info handy!)
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Important Dates
Projected Dates for FY 2014:
• Funding Announcement Released: May 2013
• Submission Deadline: June 2013
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• Who are we?
• How can we help you?
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Who we are
Broadband Assistance Grants Team
• Florida Department of Management Services’ (DMS)
• Broadband Florida Initiative
• Funded by the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA)
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Mission
Provide technical assistance for grant application
development to Community Anchor Institutions at
no cost in Florida in order to:
▫ Reduce the digital divide
▫ Increase the digital economy
▫ Improve Florida’s performance on
federal and other competitive grant applications
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Funds Left On The Table:
Florida vs. New York on E-Rate Funding
NY Averages 4.5X Funding of Florida Year Over Year since 1998
$500,000,000
$450,000,000
$400,000,000
$350,000,000
New
York
$300,000,000
$250,000,000
Total Funds
Received
Since 1998
$3,935,328,996
Billion
$200,000,000
$150,000,000
$100,000,000
Florida
$50,000,000
$0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
$955,246,134
Million
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What can we do?
Our services include:
▫
▫
▫
▫
▫
Grants research
Grant writing resources and training
Project management
Partnership development support
Grant funding opportunity announcements
 Broadband Grants Digest eNewsletter
 Website
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Who do we assist?
Community anchor institutions (CAI) are eligible for our
services and are defined by the NTIA as :
▫
▫
▫
▫
▫
▫
▫
Schools
Libraries
Medical and Healthcare Providers
Public Safety
Institutions of Higher Education
Community Support Organizations
Entities that facilitate greater use of broadband
services
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For more information about FREE grants assistance, please contact:
Melanie Simmons PhD – Team Lead
[email protected]
(850) 921-1652
Lauren Harris – Grant Writer
[email protected]
(850) 922-7503
Kristin Williams – Grant Writer
[email protected]
(850) 487-9252
Or learn more on the Broadband Grants Assistance Team website.