The Arizona Commerce Authority’s $100M Arizona Broadband Development Grant (ABDG) is a competitive grant program designed to help Arizona communities establish and accelerate the enhancement of broadband infrastructure that strengthens their capacity and competitiveness for economic growth and thereby ultimately improves economic conditions and quality of life in rural Arizona. Grant funds will be paid on a reimbursement basis for costs incurred by Applicants that comply with the guidelines set forth herein. To that end, and as more particularly described herein, the ABDG provides grants to partially fund qualifying broadband projects that will enhance the connectivity for Arizona’s citizens, businesses, healthcare institutions, government establishments, and education sectors. It is intended that these grant dollars will contribute to the bridging of the digital divide. Several of GMA’s broadband experts are located in the Arizona market and will be glad to help you evaluate your prospects for ABDG funding and assist in your efforts. Contact Us today to schedule a consultation.
The grant is divided into two categories, (i) Rural infrastructure construction which includes projects in Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Mohave, Navajo, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai and Yuma counties and (ii) Urban infrastructure construction in Maricopa and Pima counties. • ABDG-Rural is intended to partially fund the establishment and accelerate broadband infrastructure construction projects that will enhance the speed, redundancy and reach of high-speed internet at reasonable cost to consumers in rural communities. • ABDG-Urban is intended to partially fund the establishment and accelerate broadband infrastructure construction projects that will enhance the speed, redundancy and reach of high-speed internet at reasonable cost to consumers in urban communities.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: 1/31/22
Apply Here: https://www.azcommerce.com/broadband/arizona-broadband-development-grant-program/ The total amount of currently available funding for FY2022 ABDG is $100,000,000. Funding for the grants is provided by the American Rescue Plan Act’s Capital Projects Fund established by Section 604 of the Social Security Act as added by Section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Section 604 authorizes Capital Projects Fund Recipients to use Capital Projects Fund grant funds for critical Capital Projects that directly enable work, education, and health monitoring in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Uniform Guidance regulates the use of this funding Funds will be allocated and awarded as follows: • ABDG-Rural: Consists of an award for reimbursement of costs associated with activities directly related to the construction, installation, or improvement of broadband infrastructure. An individual ABDG-Rural award cannot exceed $10,000,000. It is anticipated that few applications will request the maximum award amount. • ABDG-Urban: Consists of an award for reimbursement of costs associated with activities directly related to the construction, installation, or improvement of broadband infrastructure. An individual ABDG-Urban award cannot exceed $5,000,000. It is anticipated that few applications will request the maximum award amount. • The ACA reserves the right to award less than the available funding or less than the requested amount depending on the number and substance of applications received. There is no prescribed minimum amount that may be awarded under either ABDG Rural or Urban. Multiple projects are anticipated to be awarded funds and applicants may apply for multiple projects to be funded. A cash match of 10% of total eligible project costs by the applicant is required for the ABDG Rural and Urban grants. (reference Section 1.8 for more information). Eligible Applicants A. Eligible Applicants for the ABDG Rural are as follows: • An eligible provider of broadband service meaning a provider with a minimum of two (2) years’ operating history in the telecommunications industry; • A partnership between an established non-profit enterprises and economic development organizations in Arizona with a minimum of two (2) years’ operating history and an eligible provider of broadband service. • A partnership between one or more incorporated cities and towns located in Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Mohave, Navajo, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, or Yuma County and an eligible provider of Broadband is defined as networks of deployed telecommunications equipment and technologies necessary to provide high-speed internet access and other advanced telecommunications services. These include, but are not limited to; cable modem, fiber, wireless or satellite. • A partnership between one or more counties (Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Mohave, Navajo, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, and/or Yuma County) and an eligible provider of broadband service; and • Federally recognized Indian tribes situated in Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Mohave, Navajo, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, or Yuma County. B. Eligible Applicants for the ABDG-Urban grants are as follows: • An eligible provider of broadband service meaning a provider with a minimum of two (2) years’ operating history in the telecommunications industry. • A partnership between an established non-profit enterprises and economic development organizations operating in Arizona with a minimum of two (2) years’ operating history and an eligible provider of broadband service and an eligible provider of broadband service; • A partnership between one or more incorporated cities and towns located in Maricopa and/or Pima counties and an eligible provider of broadband service; and • Federally recognized Indian tribes situated in Maricopa or Pima counties. C. All ABDG Grant Applicants must also meet the following requirements: • Ensure that the service provider for a completed Capital Project Fund-funded Broadband Infrastructure Project participate in federal programs that provide low-income consumers with subsidies on broadband internet access services. • While they may participate with an Applicant, unincorporated communities (irrespective of location) and all other persons and entities not specifically identified herein as eligible Applicants are not eligible themselves to be Applicants under the Program. • Proof of registration in the Federal System for Award Management (www.sam.gov) with no negative findings. • Valid DUNS number (https://www.dnb.com/duns-number/get-a-duns.html) Eligible Projects Awards will be considered for projects that generally benefit as broad a group of intended beneficiaries as possible and that incorporate infrastructure supporting download/upload speeds of 100Mbps/100Mbps (“100/100”) with the minimum acceptable download/upload speeds of 100/25Mbps (“100/25”) for a period of at least five (5) years; however.
A. For ABDG- Rural, applications must be for projects that, within twenty-four (24) months of the award date, will provide: • broadband service to unserved or underserved areas by actively providing speeds of 100/100 to the intended beneficiaries of the project and • increase existing speeds to 100/100 to the intended beneficiaries of the project at costs that are lower or substantially equal to urban areas and/or; • provide middle-mile redundancy to the region.
B. For ABDG-Urban grants, applications must be for projects that, within twenty-four (24) months of the award date, will provide, among other planning elements: • broadband service to unserved or underserved areas by actively providing speeds of 100/100 to the intended beneficiaries of the project and • increase existing speeds to 100/100 to the intended beneficiaries of the project at costs that are lower or substantially equal to urban areas and/or; • provide middle-mile redundancy to the region.
Leveraging of federal funds is strongly encouraged, but duplicative funding or “double dipping” will not be allowed. Each applicant is to disclose whether it has (or is proposed as a subrecipient under) any pending applications for federally fundedgrants or cooperative agreements that (1) include requests for funding to support the same project being proposed in the application under the solicitation, and (2) would cover any identical cost items outlined in the budget submitted as part of the application under the solicitation. The applicant is to disclose applications made directly to federal awarding agencies, and also applications for subawards of federal funds (e.g., applications to State agencies that will subaward ("subgrant") federal funds)
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