Illinois Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is seeking applications for its Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program.

Donor Name: Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

State: Illinois

County: All Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 05/08/2025

Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million

Grant Duration: 3 Years

Details:

The Illinois Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program will empower and equip individuals and communities with the skills, resources, and confidence they need to use the internet to fully participate in Illinois’ modern society and economy. Recognizing that achieving digital equity for all people is a matter of social and economic justice, this NOFO seeks to enable any entity that is awarded a grant under this Program to better address systemic barriers to digital equity, resulting in improved outcomes in health, education, economic stability, and quality of life. Whether to build a resume and apply for a job, access healthcare from home, pay bills online, or help family members with homework, access to high speed, affordable and reliable internet — and the abilities and tools required to use it – is essential for all Illinois households.

IDEC represents one of five implementation strategies outlined in Illinois’ State Digital Equity Plan. The Digital Equity Plan is a roadmap to achieve digital equity: a state where all Illinoisans have the tools and resources they need to use broadband to thrive. IDEC programs must prioritize serving one or more Covered Populations. Covered Populations are communities with historic barriers to digital access. Covered Populations include:

Individuals who live in Covered Households (defined as households with income from the most recently completed year of not more than 150% of the Federal Poverty Level);
Aging individuals, meaning a person who is 60 years or older;
Incarcerated individuals, other than individuals who are incarcerated in a Federal correctional facility, and justice-impacted individuals;
Veterans;
Individuals with disabilities;
Individuals with a language barrier, including English learners and those with low levels of literacy;
Individuals who are members of a racial or ethnic minority group; and
Individuals who primarily reside in a rural area.

IDEC aims to build capacity among local institutions who have existing trusted relationships with Covered Populations. IDEC places an emphasis on sustainability, offering prospective grantees an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to build digital equity initiatives into their larger missions. IDEC will invest in both proven approaches and innovative ideas, support partners with an effective track record for serving their communities, and create efficiencies by encouraging use of existing curriculums and program structures, but allowing for flexibility where needed.

Project Types

The Illinois Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program will fund the following project types:

Digital Literacy and Skill Building
Device Distribution
Digital Navigator(s)
Computer Center
Local Broadband Planning.

Funding Information

Estimated Total Program Funding: $13,500,000
Award Range: $90,000 – $900,000.

Grant Period

Anticipated start date for awards is July 1, 2025. The period of performance is expected to be July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028, though this is subject to change based the date the grant agreement is executed.

Use of Funds

To develop and implement digital inclusion activities that benefit covered populations.
To facilitate the adoption of broadband by covered populations in order to provide educational and employment opportunities to those populations.
To implement
- training programs for covered populations that cover basic, advanced, and applied skills; or
- other workforce development programs.
To make available equipment, instrumentation, networking capability, hardware and software, or digital network technology for broadband services to covered populations at low or no cost.
To construct, upgrade, expend, or operate new or existing public access computing centers for covered populations through community anchor institutions.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Applicants include:

A political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of a State, including an agency of a State that is responsible for administering or supervising adult education and literacy activities, or for providing public housing, in the State.
An Indian Tribe, an Alaska Native entity, or a Native Hawaiian organization.
A foundation, corporation, institution, or association that is-
- a not-for-profit entity; and
- not a school.
A community anchor institution, meaning a public school, a public or multi-family housing authority, a library, a medical or healthcare provider, a community college or other institution of higher education, a State or Territory library agency, and any other nonprofit or governmental community support organization.
A local educational agency.
An entity that carries out a workforce development program.
A partnership between any of the entities described in paragraphs (1) through (6).
A partnership between-
- an entity described in any of paragraphs (1) through (6); and
- an entity that the Assistant Secretary, by rule, determines to be in the public interest; and is not a school.