Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program (32.011)
Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program (Assistance Listing 32.011) is run by the Federal Communications Commission. It awarded $16.5 million in 189 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $87,324 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $64,919. Half of the 189 awards fell between $32,957 and $117,014, and they ranged from $1,073 to $420,000.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$16.5 million
- Grant awards189
- Typical award$64,919
- Awarded in FY 2025-$61.4 million
- Size rank1,371 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceProject grants
Key findings
- It is the 1371st largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 33% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 52 states and territories.
What the program funds
Millions of low-income households experience difficulty paying for broadband service needed to participate in 21st Century society, including for work, education, healthcare, and civic engagement. Addressing affordability is a critical component of closing the digital divide. On November 15, 2021, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Infrastructure Act) was enacted, providing $14.2 billion for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP plays an integral role in helping to bridge the digital divide, which is an ongoing top priority for Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). To date, a significant number of qualifying households have not yet enrolled in the ACP. Recognizing the importance of outreach to eligible households, Congress expressly authorized the FCC to conduct outreach to encourage households to enroll in the ACP, including providing grants to outreach partners. The FCC establishes the Outreach Grant Program to provide eligible entities grant funds to conduct outreach in support of the ACP. Through this Outreach Grant Program, the FCC seeks to enlist partners around the country to help inform ACP-eligible households about the program in their local communities, and to provide those partners with the funding and resources needed to increase participation among those Americans most in need of affordable connectivity.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Types of entities eligible to participate in the Outreach Grant Program include, but are not limited to: tribal governments and subdivisions thereof, as well as tribal organizations; state governments and subdivisions thereof; local governments and subdivisions thereof (including county, borough, municipality, city, town, township, parish, local public authority, special district, intrastate district, council of governments, and agencies or instrumentalities of multi-regional or intra-state or local government); public housing authorities; social service providers; education organizations such as schools and other institutions of higher education; workforce development training organizations; nonprofit organizations; community-based organizations; community anchor institutions; public service organizations; and consortia of listed entities.
What the money can and cannot pay for
The Outreach Grant Program is comprised of four interconnected grant programs: Competitive Outreach Program; Tribal Competitive Outreach Program; Your Home, Your Internet Pilot Program; and ACP Navigator Pilot Program. The Outreach Grant Program is one tool among a comprehensive set of measures authorized by the 2021 Infrastructure Act and implemented by the FCC to help bridge the digital divide and increase enrollment in the Affordable Connectivity Program.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
Specific deadlines for the competitive Outreach Grant Program will be specified in the NOFO.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2023: This will be the initial year of executing this Outreach Grant Program. There have not been projects previously funded under this Grant Program.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program (32.011) awarded $16.5 million across 189 grant awards, an average of $87,324 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Institute for a Better Way | Oregon | 1 | $420,000 |
| CASA Inc | Maryland | 1 | $405,380 |
| The Blackbottom Group | Michigan | 1 | $348,163 |
| The Prison Scholar Fund | Washington | 1 | $346,026 |
| SER-Jobs for Progress National, Inc | Texas | 1 | $325,246 |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | Arkansas | 2 | $313,688 |
| California Emerging Technology Fund | California | 1 | $292,327 |
| Plum Peace Love Understanding Mercy | Arkansas | 1 | $282,925 |
| Cuyahoga County | Ohio | 1 | $282,408 |
| The ARC of the United States, Inc. | District of Columbia | 1 | $254,939 |
| KC Digital Drive, Inc. | Missouri | 1 | $248,855 |
| Brooklyn Public Library | New York | 1 | $244,359 |
| Maiker Housing Partners | Colorado | 1 | $244,035 |
| Computer Reach | Pennsylvania | 1 | $237,272 |
| Diversity Cyber Council Inc | Georgia | 1 | $236,250 |
| Bell Gardens, City of | California | 1 | $211,248 |
| Shaping Our Appalachian Region Inc | Kentucky | 1 | $204,093 |
| Qizhjeh Heritage Institute | Alaska | 1 | $203,051 |
| Missouri Coalition for Primary Health Care | Missouri | 1 | $199,469 |
| Unidosus | District of Columbia | 1 | $188,653 |
Who usually wins
Nonprofits received 50% of the money, state and local governments 25% and tribes 1.4%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonprofits | 76 | $8.2 million | 50% |
| State and local governments | 56 | $4.2 million | 25% |
| Other | 49 | $3.7 million | 22% |
| Tribal governments and organizations | 5 | $236,870 | 1.4% |
| Colleges and universities | 3 | $149,924 | 0.9% |
By state
4 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards. They are California, District of Columbia, New York and Texas.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| California | 14 | $1.2 million |
| District of Columbia | 7 | $1.1 million |
| New York | 10 | $1.0 million |
| Maryland | 5 | $816,405 |
| Texas | 11 | $774,617 |
| Missouri | 8 | $666,420 |
| Arkansas | 6 | $645,760 |
| Michigan | 5 | $561,298 |
| Oregon | 4 | $556,990 |
| Ohio | 7 | $545,567 |
| Colorado | 5 | $526,707 |
| Illinois | 8 | $514,989 |
| Arizona | 5 | $474,892 |
| Washington | 3 | $449,403 |
| North Carolina | 4 | $420,958 |
| Oklahoma | 5 | $389,028 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | $346,445 |
| New Jersey | 4 | $327,854 |
| Alaska | 2 | $318,891 |
| Tennessee | 5 | $312,006 |
| Utah | 5 | $309,935 |
| Indiana | 6 | $292,523 |
| South Dakota | 3 | $284,769 |
| Mississippi | 4 | $278,956 |
| Maine | 4 | $253,879 |
| Florida | 3 | $237,501 |
| Georgia | 1 | $236,250 |
| Alabama | 3 | $235,329 |
| Kentucky | 2 | $215,239 |
| Hawaii | 2 | $209,520 |
| West Virginia | 1 | $187,811 |
| Wyoming | 2 | $187,439 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | $166,300 |
| North Dakota | 2 | $161,018 |
| Wisconsin | 5 | $152,121 |
| Vermont | 1 | $136,731 |
| Minnesota | 2 | $124,429 |
| Massachusetts | 2 | $109,253 |
| Nebraska | 1 | $101,329 |
| Nevada | 2 | $95,467 |
| Rhode Island | 2 | $91,926 |
| New Mexico | 1 | $90,541 |
| Guam | 1 | $86,013 |
| Kansas | 2 | $72,343 |
| Louisiana | 2 | $60,496 |
| Connecticut | 2 | $54,892 |
| South Carolina | 1 | $48,901 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 1 | $25,483 |
| Montana | 1 | $21,485 |
| Iowa | 1 | $17,000 |
| Idaho | 2 | $15,879 |
| Virginia | 1 | $9,150 |