Closed
California state funding opportunity
Digital Divide Grant Program
Public Utilities Commission
- Portal ID15803
- StatusClosed
Competitive proposals usually start 6+ weeks out.
Program summary
Synopsis
The California Public Utilities Commission Digital Divide Grant Program will award four grants of up to $250,000 each to eligible Community-Based Organizations on a competitive basis. The grants will fund digital projects that serve a beneficiary school located in an urban or rural, small school district. Projects may address physical gaps in local broadband networks, affordability, access to personal devices and digital skills training.
The DDGP, will provide four grants of up to $250,000 each, for a total of $1 million. The DDGP is funded by a percentage of fees collected from leasing state-owned property to wireless telecommunications service providers, pursuant to Government Code Section 14666.8. Eligible projects will serve a beneficiary school located in an urban or rural low-income small school district. Beneficiary schools must have a Free and Reduced-Price Meal participation rate of at least 50 percent. Projects may address physical gaps in local broadband networks, affordability, access to personal devices, and digital skills training. Projects must provide a holistic solution. Grant recipients must be a non-profit community-based organization (CBO) with a demonstrated record of work in addressing the digital divide. The CBO will partner with an eligible public school or district to deploy the project. The beneficiary of the project will be the partner public school or district. The CPUC will evaluate and score applications to the DDGP and award grants for up to four projects using the competitive process described in Resolution T-17770. Eligible nonprofit CBOs may submit applications for grant funding. Applicants must have a demonstrated record of successful and satisfactory work deploying community technology projects and/or projects to bridge the digital divide. Applicants must have a project established/active with a beneficiary school(s), or, at minimum, an agreement with a beneficiary school to execute a proposed project. In the first stage of review, panelists will evaluate the baseline requirements to determine if the CBO’s application can progress to the second stage of review. The baseline requirements include: The application must be complete and timely submitted. The applicant is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The applicant must be in good standing with the California Franchise Tax Board. The applicant must submit at least three letters of recommendation. The applicant must have a project established/active with a beneficiary school(s), or, at minimum, an agreement with a beneficiary school(s) to execute a proposed project. The applicant must submit at least two letters of endorsement per beneficiary school supporting the digital divide project. One letter is required from each of the following: the beneficiary school’s district office and the beneficiary school’s Parent Teachers Association. The beneficiary school(s) must be located within the boundaries of an urban or rural small school district, as identified by the California Department of Education. The beneficiary school(s) must have a Free or Reduced-Price Meal participation rate of at least 50 percent. In the second evaluation stage, panelists will review the remaining applications to assign scores on each of the following categories: Scope of Work, Experience, Budget, and Overall. The application window is open and will close on January 11, 2023. For more information on the DDGP, including a list of eligible schools, CBO eligibility criteria, the application process, schedules, and forms, please go to: www.cpuc.ca.gov/ddgp.
Timeline
Key dates
-
October 15, 2022
Opportunity posted to California Grants Portal -
January 11, 2023
Applications close -
After project review
Expected award date
Who may apply
Eligibility
Eligible applicant types as published by the awarding agency:
- Nonprofit
- Public Agency
- Additional info on eligibility
- Eligible non profit CBOs must be organized and operate exclusively for one or more of the purposes described in Section 501c3 of the Internal Revenue Code. CBO applicants must have a demonstrated record of successful and satisfactory work in deploying community technology projects to bridge the digital divide. Applicants must have a project established/active with a beneficiary school(s), or have an agreement to execute a proposed project.
- Geography
- The Digital Divide Grant is for rural and urban small school districts with Free/Reduced meal participation of at least 50%. The DDGP relies on data from the California Department of Education (CDE) to determine eligibility of schools. CDE designates small school districts that have an ADA (average daily attendance) of less than 2500; medium are over 2500; large districts are over 10,000. The urban/rural designation is from Census track data
Awarding agency
Additional information
- Agency name
- Public Utilities Commission
- Full announcement
- View the full announcement ↗
- Grantor contact
-
Karo Serle
1-415-703-2185
karo.serle@cpuc.ca.gov
Funding
Funding source
- Source
- State
- Funding method
- Reimbursement(s)
- Notes
- The Digital Divide Grant is funded by fee's collected from the lease of certain state owned property to wireless telecommunication providers, pursuant to Govt. Code Section 14666.8. The Digital Divide Account maintains a balance of $1.2 million that can fund projects. Payment of grant funds will be made through a monthly reimbursement process. Ten percent of the monthly reimbursement will be held back until the project is successfully completed.
Government Grants Consulting
Federal, state, and local grant funding is highly competitive, and the gap between a complete application and a winning one usually comes down to strategy, compliance, and execution. GTC 360° Advisors supports organizations across the entire grant lifecycle — from identifying the right opportunities to managing the award long after it is won. The questions below cover how our grant consulting practice works and the organizations we serve.
What is government grant consulting, and how does GTC 360° Advisors help?
Government grant consulting means guiding an organization through the full grant lifecycle — research, eligibility review, strategy, writing, submission, and post-award compliance. GTC 360° Advisors manages this end to end, pairing grant writers, project managers, financial analysts, and compliance analysts to maximize the odds of an award and keep it in good standing afterward.What types of organizations can GTC 360° Advisors help win grants?
GTC 360° Advisors supports municipalities, state agencies, nonprofits, school districts, tribal governments, higher education institutions, and private companies pursuing grant funding. Clients have included the City of Los Angeles, Texas A&M University, the Montana State University System, Virginia Commonwealth University, and nonprofit partners such as the Walton Family Foundation and Blue Meridian Partners.What federal agencies has GTC 360° Advisors secured funding from?
GTC 360° Advisors has secured funding from agencies including the Departments of Energy, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Commerce (EDA and NIST), Education, and State, as well as FEMA, EPA, NSF, NIH, HRSA, SAMHSA, and the CDC. The firm has won over $860 million and counting in federal and state contracts and grants for its clients.Does GTC 360° Advisors handle state and local grants, or only federal?
GTC 360° Advisors pursues grant funding at the local, state, federal, and international levels. The firm’s advisor network is positioned in every state to help clients identify and compete for regional and state-level funding in addition to federal opportunities.What is GrantSignal AI, and how does it help find grant opportunities?
GrantSignal AI is GTC 360° Advisors’ AI-powered funding intelligence platform. It aggregates federal, foundation, and other public funding sources into a single dashboard, then uses AI to match opportunities to an organization’s mission, eligibility, and capacity — rather than relying on simple keyword search — and sends alerts as new, winnable opportunities appear.Does GTC 360° Advisors provide grant compliance and post-award management?
Yes. GTC 360° Advisors manages grants through close-out, including compliance with 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance), Davis-Bacon labor standards, Section 3, environmental review requirements, and funder reporting obligations. The firm builds compliance systems and reporting frameworks so clients stay in good standing with federal and state grantors.What is GTC 360° Advisors’ track record on grant applications?
GTC 360° Advisors has historically maintained an 88%-plus win rate on the grant applications it has submitted, including a 100% win rate in 2024 across several highly competitive programs. Recent wins include $180 million in EDA Tech Hubs funding for three consortia and $20 million in EDA Recompete funding for the City of Birmingham, Alabama.Can nonprofits and higher education institutions work with GTC 360° Advisors on grants?
Yes. GTC 360° Advisors regularly supports nonprofits and universities with grant strategy, writing, and administration, including current work with the Walton Family Foundation, Blue Meridian Partners, Texas A&M University, the Montana State University System, and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Working With GTC 360° Advisors
Every engagement is scoped around the organization in front of us — its goals, its deadline, and the internal capacity it already has. Pricing, team assignments, and project milestones are agreed before any work begins, so there are no surprises mid-project. Below are the questions prospective clients and partners ask us most often.
How much does it cost to work with GTC 360° Advisors?
Pricing is customized to the scope, timeline, and budget of each engagement, with both hourly and fixed-fee options available depending on the deliverable. GTC 360° Advisors prices transparently, with no hidden fees for administrative or incidental work, and structures fees so clients gain a full team of senior professionals for less than the cost of a single in-house hire.What is the process for getting started with GTC 360° Advisors?
Engagements typically start with a conversation about your organization’s goals, funding needs, or growth targets, followed by a scoped proposal outlining services, team, and pricing. From there, GTC 360° Advisors assigns team members matched to the work and begins with research, strategy, or capture planning, depending on the engagement.How long does it take to see results from a grant or contract engagement?
Timelines vary by opportunity: some grant or contract cycles run a few months from research to submission, while others (large infrastructure or multi-year programs) take longer and continue through post-award management. GTC 360° Advisors sets clear project timelines and milestones at the start of every engagement so clients know what to expect.Does GTC 360° Advisors work with organizations outside the United States?
GTC 360° Advisors primarily supports U.S.-based government contracts, grants, and business development, but its public affairs and business development services extend internationally through its global partner network for clients running cross-border campaigns.Can I join the GTC 360° Advisors Network as a consultant or subject matter expert?
Yes. GTC 360° Advisors welcomes applications from experienced firms and freelancers who align with its mission and values to join the GTC 360° Advisors Network, giving members access to mutual marketing, referrals, and new client opportunities.How do I contact GTC 360° Advisors to discuss a project?
You can reach GTC 360° Advisors at info@gtc360.com or through the contact form at gtc360.com/join-our-network. The firm typically responds to discuss goals, funding needs, or growth targets and outline next steps for an engagement.
Planning for the next cycle?
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