The National Competitive Outreach Program (NCOP) provides funding for outreach activities to increase awareness of and encourage participation in the Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program for eligible low-income households.
Donor Name: Federal Communications Commission
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Territory: American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/30/2023
Size of the Grant: $400,000
Grant Duration: 12 months
Details:
The ACP Outreach Grant Program is one tool among a comprehensive set of measures authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (Infrastructure Act) and implemented by the FCC to help bridge the digital divide. The ACP Outreach Grant Program will help increase awareness of and participation in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) among eligible households. The ACP Outreach Grant Program provides federal funding for the FCC to grant eligible governmental and non-governmental entities with the funding and resources needed to increase awareness of and participation in the ACP among those households most in need of affordable connectivity.
This new funding opportunity for NCOP is intended to provide additional funding beyond the outreach-targeted grant awards announced by the Commission in March 2023. Additional outreach grant funding will allow targeted eligible entities to receive grant awards to conduct this necessary outreach to increase participation among those Americans most in need of affordable connectivity.
Households may qualify for the ACP if they participate in Lifeline or one of the Lifeline qualifying programs, including Federal Housing Assistance; Project-Based Rental Assistance, which includes Project Based Section 8, Section 202, and Section 811 housing; Public Housing; and Affordable Housing Programs for American Indians, Alaska Natives, or Native Hawaiians); Medicaid; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; Supplemental Security Income; Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit; and, for households on qualifying Tribal lands, Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, Tribally administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and Tribal Head Start (only those households meeting the incoming qualifying standard). A household may also qualify for the ACP if it has an income at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if a member of the household has received a federal Pell Grant during the current award year, is approved to participate in the National School Lunch or Breakfast Program (including Community Eligibility Provision schools), participates in the Special Supplemental Nutritional Program for Woman, Infants, and Children, or meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income internet program.
Goal
The goal of the ACP Outreach Grant Program is to facilitate the promotion of the ACP and increase awareness of and participation in the ACP among eligible households. To support this goal, the FCC is providing federal financial assistance through the ACP Outreach Grant Program to engage in targeted outreach to low-income households both to gauge existing levels of ACP awareness and to promote increased awareness of and participation in the program by eligible households.
Objectives
To support the ACP Outreach Grant Program goal, the FCC has identified three objectives:
- Expand and support diverse and impactful outreach efforts;
- Strengthen outreach partners by empowering them to mobilize people and organizations to help raise awareness about the ACP; and
- Increase ACP enrollment as a result of ACP Outreach Grant Program funded activities.
These objectives are consistent with the authorizing language in the Infrastructure Act and are also consistent with the Commission’s strategic goals and objectives.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $5,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $400,000
- Award Floor: $50,000
- Period of Performance: 12 months
Eligibility Criteria
Only eligible governmental and non-governmental entities in the following States and Territories are eligible to apply for NCOP – Round 2 funding: American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Delaware, Guam, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming. Within these States and Territories, the following governmental and non-governmental entities may apply for NCOP funding:
- State or territory governments and subdivisions thereof;
- Local governments and subdivisions thereof;
- Public housing agencies;
- Social service providers;
- Education organizations;
- Workforce development training organizations;
- Non-profit organizations (501(c)(3) status is not required);
- Community-based organizations;
- Community-anchor institutions;
- Public service organizations.
Program Requirements
The following are TCOP program requirements for this funding round:
- Familiarity with the ACP and experience with or knowledge of bridging digital disparities and connectivity issues.
- Target underserved low-income households or individuals that are not currently on a low-income broadband plan or that do not have broadband service.
- Target outreach in communities that have low ACP participation rates, to include those that are hard to reach populations (including minorities, persons with disabilities, persons who live in rural or Tribal areas, and others who are or have been historically underserved, marginalized, or adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality).
- Experience with, and past success in, conducting outreach regarding government programs and resources, particularly providing resources and directing services (such as ACP application assistance) and education to people of color, persons with disabilities, persons who live in rural or Tribal areas, and others who are or have been historically underserved, marginalized, or adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.
- Existing, trusted relationships with the communities that grant applicants expect to target (e.g., as “trusted messengers”), or the ability to readily establish those relationships, particularly relationships with people of color, persons with disabilities, persons who live in rural or Tribal areas, and others who are or have been historically underserved, marginalized, or adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.
- Experience with or capability of providing multilingual outreach, including American Sign Language, as applicable.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
