State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program (2024)

The State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program is the second of three digital equity programs authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, Division F, Title III, Public Law 117-58, 135 Stat. 429, 1209 (November 15, 2021) also known as the Digital Equity Act to promote digital inclusion activities and achieve digital equity. The Digital Equity Act consists of three funding programs: (1) the $60 million State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program; (2) the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program; and (3) the $1.25 billion Competitive Grant Program. The State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program will provide funds to States and U.S. Territories to implement the State Digital Equity Plans developed pursuant to the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program. The State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program NOFO also establishes a competitive program to make both State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program funds and State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program funds available to Native Entities to carry out digital equity and inclusion activities consistent with the Digital Equity Act.Key Dates Complete applications from States (including the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) must be received through the NTIA Grants Portal (https://grants.ntia.gov) no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on May 28, 2024. Application materials are available at https://broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov. Complete applications from U.S. Territories (other than the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) must be received through the NTIA Grants Portal (https://grants.ntia.gov) no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on July 31, 2024. The application window for Indian Tribes, Alaska Native entities, and Native Hawaiian organizations (“Native Entities”) will open September 25, 2024, and close on February 7, 2025. All Native Entity applications must be received through the NTIA Grants Portal (https://grants.ntia.gov), by email (digitalequity@ntia.gov), or by mail or courier no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on February 7, 2025. 2 NTIA expects to begin issuing awards to Eligible States pursuant to this Notice of Funding Opportunity (“NOFO”) no later than August 28, 2024. NTIA expects to make additional awards on a rolling basis.