Federal Communications Commission	


             			DA 22-194 
	RELEASED: MARCH 10, 2023 


CONSUMER AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS BUREAU ANNOUNCES
 ACP OUTREACH GRANT PROGRAM TARGET FUNDING
WC Docket No. 21-450

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is announcing today target funding allocations for the Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program (ACP Outreach Grant Program).  Combined, the total amount of targeted funds announced today is $66 million.

In August 2022, the FCC adopted an order establishing the ACP Outreach Grant Program to facilitate the promotion and awareness of and participation in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) among eligible households. See generally Affordable Connectivity Program, Second Report and Order, WC Docket No. 21-450, FCC 22-64 (2022) (Second ACP Order) (establishing ACP Outreach Grant Program).  
  In November 2022, the FCC released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the ACP Outreach Grant Program. FCC, Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program, Funding Opportunity No. FCC-ACOGP-23-001, Notice of Funding Opportunity at 4 (Nov. 10, 2022) (ACP Outreach Grant Program NOFO) available at https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/acp_outreach_grant_program_nofo.pdf. 
  The ACP continues to play an integral role in helping to bridge the broadband affordability gap.  Today, as part of this announcement, the FCC is enlisting partners nationwide to serve as trusted community messengers and providing those partners with the funding and resources needed to implement innovative strategies to reach historically underserved and unserved communities.  With these expanded efforts to promote the ACP, the FCC is also working on enhancements to the online consumer application system.  Upcoming changes will make the application and enrollment process easier by reducing the number of steps required to apply and improving language clarity.  This work incorporates feedback from navigators and other stakeholders, and the FCC will continue making improvements to the ACP system based on future feedback.

The ACP Outreach Grant Program includes the following sub-programs: National Competitive Outreach Program (NCOP); Tribal Competitive Outreach Program (TCOP); Your Home, Your Internet Outreach Grants; and the ACP Navigator Pilot Program Outreach Grants.  Today’s funding announcement is for NCOP and TCOP; funding announcements for YHYI and the ACP NPP will be forthcoming. 

In determining funding allocations for NCOP and TCOP, the FCC reviewed 350 grant applications to determine the impact of proposed projects against the grant program’s goal, objectives, and priorities.  Submitted applicants were assessed using the following three-step review process:

1. Eligibility review to determine if the applicant is eligible and submitted a complete application package as required in the NOFO;
2. Merit review to determine the quality of proposed projects against program objectives, activities, and costs/budget using pre-determined criteria; and 
3. Risk review to determine fiscal stability of an applicant using many factors including the quality of the management systems, history of grant performance, and audit reports and findings.

At the conclusion of the three-step review process, applicants were selected for funding consistent with the funding determination process outlined in the ACP Outreach Grant Program NOFO.  This includes consideration for State and U.S. Territory minimums for NCOP to remain compliant with the Second Report and Order establishing the program. See Second ACP Order , 26, para. 45 (2022) (reserving $27 million for States and U.S. Territories, with minimum allocations to each state and territory). 
  

Target Funding Allocations
Target funding allocations for the two complementary sub-programs:
§ NCOP: $60,000,000
§ TCOP: $6,022,243

Entity-specific target funding allocations are enclosed as part of the Appendices contained within this Public Notice.  Following today’s announcement, the FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau will contact applicable entities to finalize allocations and subsequently issue Notices of Award (NOAs).  Once NOAs are issued, entities will have no more than 30 days to accept their award which will mark the start of their two-year (24 months) period of performance for NCOP and TCOP.  

Further questions regarding today’s announcement can be directed to: acpgrants@fcc.gov.



– FCC –

The FY 2023 NCOP recipients and target funding amounts are provided in the table below. Note, “ * ” denotes entities that plan to conduct multi-state and/or national ACP outreach.


















The FY 2023 TCOP recipients and target funding amounts are provided in the table below.


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