Preparing Your Application for NTIA/RUS Broadband Grants

It has become very clear over the past few weeks that there are limited details on how NTIA and RUS plan to grade and evaluate broadband grant applications.  While the agencies scramble to review public comments and craft rules, many are left wondering what they should be doing to prepare their own applications.  There is a sense of urgency, but a lack of direction- two factors that together are disconcerting for prospective grantees. 

However, as NTIA officials and others have said, there are constructive ways you can be helping your application right now.  These tips come from Dow Lohnes, a Washington, DC- based firm. 

A Checklist of Things to Consider

1)      Work with NTIA or RUS staff if at all possible, and be willing to modify plans if necessary. 

2)      Understand that NTIA or RUS will have the final decision, but the White House, Congress, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) may have influence.  Enlisting the support of your elected representatives will help.

3)      Identify key unmet needs, clearly show how you plan to address them, and provide how you might sustain these efforts in the long run.  Emphasize that your project will be ready to go once the funding is approved.

4)      Be very direct and concise in your application.  You want to make it as easy as possible for field readers to go through your work and identify the points you are trying to make.  Clarity is of utmost importance, so be specific.

5)      If applying for RUS grants, consider that priorities are already established by statute.  Preferences are given to those projects that create choice of provider, provide service to “underserved” areas, or help prior RUS recipients.  “Degree of rurality” will be a factor here.

6)      NTIA recipients must show that they can complete a project within two years of having received a grant. 

7)      While NTIA grantees must prove that at least 20% of their funding will come from non-federal sources, more competitive applications will provide more than the minimum 20%.  Keep in mind the government wants to leverage funding as much as possible, so it may give preference to those who require a lesser percentage of federal funding.

8)      There are competitive advantages to partnering with others.  Non-commercial groups might seek commercial support, etc… Show that your application has the support of an affected community or elected officials. 

9)      The more constituencies you can influence, the better.  If your project would help regular citizens and anchor institutions (i.e. hospitals, libraries), this will be viewed favorably.  However, one should avoid being too broad, since a project could potentially come across as unmanageable. 

10)  “Multiple-benefit” proposals are likely to be viewed as favorable.  Those projects that aim to meet a few objectives, rather than one alone, may have an advantage. 

11)  Focus on key issues: job creation, how quickly a project might be completed, how you might provide service in an underserved area. 

12)  Define how you might measure the success of your grant.  The agencies will likely be looking for ways to quantify success, so an application that has the metrics ready to go is a step ahead. 

13)  Define how your own project would be “innovative” and critical for a given area.

14)  Continue to monitor the status of NTIA/RUS/FCC deliberations. 

15)  Finally, register at www.grants.gov as soon as possible if you plan to apply. Because of the high demand placed on the system, be prepared to wait for application processing.