10-2

Illinois was awarded $23.7M as part of the Capacity Grant Program. Award will support Illinois’ implementation of the State Digital Equity Plan. 1-2 Hubs will be awarded per region these trusted organizations will exhibit experience convening with stakeholders and have a track record of serving Covered Populations and connecting communities to university resources.

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, Division F, Title III, Public Law 117-58, 135 Stat. 429, 1209

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, Division F, Title III, Public Law 117-58, 135 Stat. 429, 1209

2 C.F.R. Part 200

Establishing a guiding team made up of community members and professionals, including representatives from covered populations, to collaboratively shape digital equity efforts and ensure all Hub initiatives are rooted in lived experiences and local priorities. Strengthening Partnerships to Drive Local Impact. Hosting regular convenings with local stakeholders to facilitate connections and build a network that encourages knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and sustainable solutions tailored to address regional digital equity challenges and opportunities. Creating a Digital Equity Asset Map. Partnering with local organizations, community members and leaders to develop a community-facing asset map that reflects digital equity stakeholders, entities and resources that serve covered populations in the region. Spreading Awareness to Increase community access to digital equity resources through a local awareness campaign, including disseminating digital equity materials tailored to local context, leveraging traditional and social media, and partnering with local organizations to reach covered populations. Empowering Communities through Data. Collaborating with communities to design and distribute surveys and other data collection tools that reflect their needs and aspirations. Leveraging the findings to inform a statewide digital equity dashboard, while promoting awareness of existing programs, resources, and opportunities for input. Fostering Statewide Collaboration. Participating in a statewide advisory council with other Regional Hubs and partners to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and develop innovative strategies for effectively serving covered populations and advancing digital equity.

Yes

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (the “Department” or “DCEO”) is issuing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (“NOFO”) to solicit applications for the Illinois Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program (“IDEC” or “Program”), funded through the Digital Equity Capacity Grant allocation to Illinois, 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) (“Infrastructure Act” or “IIJA”) also known as the (“Digital Equity Act” or “DE Act”). Allowable costs are determined in accordance with the cost principles identified in 2 C.F.R. Part 200 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200), including Subpart E of such regulations and in the grant program’s authorizing legislation. In addition, costs must be reasonable, necessary, allocable, and allowable for the proposed project, and conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Grant funds may be used to cover only eligible costs incurred by the recipient during the period of performance, and for allowable costs incurred by the recipient during the grant closeout process.

Government Organizations; Nonprofit Organizations;

Have a physical location in one of the ten Economic Development Regions; Have non-profit or public sector status, demonstrate experience and capacity to serve at least three of the eight Covered Populations, have established, active, and demonstrable community relationships.

N/A

Project Grants

Economic Development

Demonstrate service through: Direct service through existing programs, Letters of support or endorsement, Evidence of community-driven design, Proven impact through quantitative and qualitative data, Evidence of culturally competent services.

N/A

A standard application package must be submitted to and reviewed by DCEO. Each package must contain the following items: 1) Uniform Grant Application in fillable PDF format. Signature page must be printed, signed, scanned and submitted with application. 2) Uniform Budget utilizing the template provided by DCEO for this project. The entire budget with all worksheets included even if the worksheets are not relevant to the grant opportunity must be submitted with the application materials. 3) Signature page must be printed, signed, scanned and submitted with application. 4) Conflict of Interest Disclosure 5) Mandatory Disclosures This Notice of Funding Opportunity also requires the submission of the following other programmatic specific items as part of the program application: 7) Application Template 8) Cover Letter- described in the Application Template; a cover letter should include a clear introduction of your organization, a brief overview of the project you're proposing, why your project aligns with the funding agency's mission, a concise explanation of the need for funding, your project's objectives and impact, while also highlighting any relevant qualifications and expertise that make your application stand out. 9) W9 10) Evidence of community support and support to covered populations, if available

Applicants who apply will be selected accordingly and should demonstrate; Established Community Relationships Number, level, and geographic spread of established relationships with relevant entities across the region, such as local non-profits, educational institutions, CBOs, government agencies or other partners who can support digital equity efforts. Service of Covered Populations. Level of demonstrated need for improved broadband access, adoption, and/or use, and focus on serving one or more Covered Populations Prior Experience in Coalition Building. Demonstrate prior experience in leading a coalition of organizations and public entities to a set of desired outcomes. Prior Experience in Asset and Data Management. Make a clear level of specificity and clarity in the applicant’s implementation plan and alignment to specific State Digital Equity Plan goals and outcomes. Applications will be reviewed on a competitive basis. Each proposal will be scored on a 100-point scale. Cost sharing/fund-matching is not considered in application evaluation.

Applicants who apply will be selected accordingly and should demonstrate; Established Community Relationships Number, level, and geographic spread of established relationships with relevant entities across the region, such as local non-profits, educational institutions, CBOs, government agencies or other partners who can support digital equity efforts. Service of Covered Populations. Level of demonstrated need for improved broadband access, adoption, and/or use, and focus on serving one or more Covered Populations Prior Experience in Coalition Building. Demonstrate prior experience in leading a coalition of organizations and public entities to a set of desired outcomes. Prior Experience in Asset and Data Management. Make a clear level of specificity and clarity in the applicant’s implementation plan and alignment to specific State Digital Equity Plan goals and outcomes. Applications will be reviewed on a competitive basis. Each proposal will be scored on a 100-point scale. Cost sharing/fund-matching is not considered in application evaluation. The Office of Broadband will designate an Evaluation Committee to score each application received. The final score of each Committee member will be calculated and an average of all scores will be the final applicant score. One grant per region to be award, with an expected two awards in two more populated or geographically dispersed regions.

June 6, 2025

6 months

The Merit Based Review process is subject to appeal. However, competitive grant appeals are limited to the evaluation process. Evaluation scores may not be protested. Only the evaluation process is subject to appeal. The appeal must be submitted in writing to the Department within 14 calendar days from the date of the denial letter. The written appeal shall include the name and address of the appealing party, the identification of the grant and a statement of reasons for the appeal. To file an appeal, applicants must submit the appeal in writing and in accordance with the Merit-Based Application Review Appeals Process listed on the Grant Opportunities page of the DCEO website: https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/AboutDCEO/GrantOpportunities/Pages/MeritAppReview.aspx.

Yes

N/A

Must align with the Digital Equity Capacity Grant.

Quarterly PPR and PFR

N/A

N/A

636-42035-4900-0800

$2,700,000.00

$75,000.00 annually

CFR 200.202: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=bd9749097b3a93191e830b7384ffdaae&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_1202&rgn=div8

https://broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov/funding-programs/Digital_Equity_Capacity_Grant_Program

N/A

555 W Monroe St, 12th Floor Chicago, IL 60661, 1011 S 2nd St Springfield, IL 62704, 1020 S Spring St Springfield, IL 62704

https://dceo.illinois.gov/broadband/digital-equity-initiatives.html

N/A

A brand-new program related work is DECK funding non-profits for internet and computer access

FY 2025 : $900,000
FY 2026 : $900,000
FY 2027 : $900,000