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Broadband Grants

Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program

The Office of the Chief Information Officer administers the Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program designed to reduce or eliminate areas of the State of Iowa that are unserved or undeserved by broadband service, leveraging federal funds and public and private partnerships where possible, by awarding grants to communications service providers that reduce or eliminate targeted service areas by installing broadband infrastructure that facilitates broadband service in Targeted Service Areas. The sections below provide information on Active and Expired Broadband Grant opportunities made available by the Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program. 

Updates concerning future grant programs will be posted to this website as they become available. All questions concerning the broadband grant program should be e-mailed to ociogrants@iowa.gov. Additionally, information will be made available via e-mail list serve concerning updates to programs. Subscribe to the Broadband e-mail list serve by clicking the link below:

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Active / Pending Opportunities

Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program
OFFICIAL NOTICE. November 15, 2023. The Department of Management has announced that the State of Iowa Initial Proposal is now available for Public Comment. The BEAD Program requires the State of Iowa to meet certain milestones including submission of a Five-Year Action Plan, Initial Proposal, and Final Proposal. The Initial Proposal, which, among other things, describes the competitive process the State of Iowa proposes to use to select subgrantees to construct broadband projects.

Expired Opportunities (Archives)

Notice of Funding Availability #008 - Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program (Capital Project Funds)
OFFICIAL NOTICE. November 9, 2023. The Office of the Chief Information Officer has announced the Notice of Intent to Award for Notice of Funding Availability #008 for the Empower Rural Broadband Grant Program, awarding $148,960,000 for broadband expansion in Iowa. This opportunity has now closed. Click here for more information about the awards.

Invitation to Qualify #001 - Broadband Intervention Zones
OFFICIAL NOTICE: May 5, 2023. The Department of Management, Office of the Chief Information Officer ("OCIO") has announced the Broadband Intervention Zones to be used to prioritize future broadband funding. On March 1, 2023, the Office issued Invitation to Qualify #001 - Broadband Intervention Zones, which opened the Application Acceptance Window for this ITQ.  The purpose of the Invitation to Qualify was to solicit Applications from Communities lacking Broadband. Successful Applications to the ITQ are used by the OCIO to establish Broadband Intervention Zones to be used to prioritize areas for future broadband funding.

Notice of Funding Availability #007 - Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program (ARPA Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds)
OFFICIAL NOTICE: January 4, 2022. The Office of the Chief Information Officer has posted the Notice of Intent to Award for Notice of Funding Availability #007, awarding approximately $210 million in federal American Rescue Plan Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to expand access to broadband in Iowa. This opportunity has now closed. View more information about NOFA 7 awards.

Notice of Funding Availability #006 - Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program
In 2021, The Office of the Chief Information Officer issued Notice of Intent to Award for Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) #006 for the Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program, awarding $97,500,000.00 for broadband expansion in Iowa. This grant round was based on renewed Targeted Service Area determinations published to an updated version of the Statewide Broadband Availability Map V4 published on July 1, 2021 at: https://ocio.iowa.gov/broadband-availability-map-version-4View more information about NOFA 6 awards.

Notice of Funding Availability #005 - Federally Funded Program (Coronavirus Relief Fund)
In 2021, $15,452,302 million in federal Coronavirus Relief Funds were made available under the Empower Rural Iowa Grant Program as part of NOFA #005. 42 applications were received by the Office and 14 applications were awarded funds under NOFA #005 to provide 100/100, 50/5, or 25/3 broadband service.,This opportunity is now closed.

Notice of Funding Availability #004 - Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program
In 2020, $5 million in state funds were made available under the Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program. On December 23, 2020, the Office of the Chief Information Officer awarded 13 applications with $4,950,000 in state funding made available under Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program Notice of Funding Availability #004

Notice of Funding Availability #003 - Federally-Funded Program (Coronavirus Relief Fund)
In 2020, $50 million in Coronavirus Relief Funds were made available under the Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program. This grant program distributed federal CARES Act funding to eligible Communication Service Providers to expand access to broadband services in the State of Iowa in connection with the requirements of the Act. On August 21, 2020 the Office issued a Notice of Intent To Award for 71 applications. Information concerning NOFA #003 can be found at the link above. NOTE: This grant opportunity did not include any state funds.

Notice of Funding Availability #002 - Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program
In 2019, $5 million in new program funds were made available for the Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant program. This funding was distributed through Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) #002. The Office held an Application Acceptance Window from September 20, 2019 through October 22, 2019.  On November 27, 2019, the Office issued a Notice of Intent To Award for 17 applications. Information concerning NOFA #002, grant awards, applications received, and public comments can be found at the link above.

Notice of Funding Availability #001 - Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program
In 2018, $1.3 million in program funds was made available for the Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant program. This funding was distributed through Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) #001. The Office held an Application Acceptance Window from February 18, 2019 through March 15, 2019. On April 30, 2019, the Office issued a Notice of Intent To Award for 7 applications. Information concerning NOFA #001, grant awards, applications received, and public comments can be found by clicking the link above.

Printed from the website on March 29, 2024 at 7:26am.