Application Extension! Submit a Letter of Intent by March 7, 2025.
Digital Opportunity Networks
Program Description​
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The Digital Opportunity Networks program will support networks of partners to enable digital inclusion programs and initiatives for people most impacted by the digital divide, including internet access, digital skill building, access to devices, technical support, and internet safety education.
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The Digital Opportunity Networks program is designed to integrate digital inclusion support into programs, processes, and organizations that are already reaching Maine people who face the most barriers to connectivity, so they can access the digital world that sometimes feels out of reach. Grants from this program should enable greater impact on economic, education, workforce, healthcare, civic, and social outcomes of the people served by these grantee organizations. The program serves as an important bridge between our efforts to deploy infrastructure to unserved homes, businesses, and communities by investing in digital inclusion programs to address barriers and better serve all Maine people.
Who is Eligible?​
Nonprofit organizations, state agencies, community anchor institutions, and local, regional or Tribal government entities
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Deadlines
Potential applicants must submit a Letter of Intent as the first phase of the application by March 7, 2025. ​​
MCA Contact
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Maggie Drummond Bahl
Sr. Director, Digital Equity & Partnerships
mbahl@maineconnectivity.org
(207) 209-3841
Who is eligible to apply?
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Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, state agencies, community anchor institutions, and local, regional or Tribal government entities. One organization must serve as a lead applicant, coordinating other partners who are engaged in the project and programming that may be offered through a project.
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Proposed projects must provide all four of the following areas of digital inclusion support to people or communities they serve: digital skills training, devices that meet the needs of the user, technical support, and internet safety education, AND must exclusively or primarily provide these programs and services to individuals defined as “covered populations'' by the Digital Equity Act.
How to Apply
The Digital Opportunity Networks program is an open and competitive grant process. Potential applicants must submit a Letter of Intent as the first phase of the application by 11:59PM on March 7, 2025. Invitations to apply will be based on the strength of the submitted proposal in meeting the criteria and goals of the program, an initial evaluation of the organizational, managerial and financial capacity of the applicant, and on ensuring a diversity of populations reached, project impacts, and types of applicants and partners. All invited applicants must meet the basic criteria for the program. MCA will be utilizing this two phase approach to ensure consideration of all interested applicants’ project proposals while limiting the need for developing a more comprehensive application submission to invited applicants who have the highest likelihood of receiving funding. Invited applicants submit complete applications by 11:59PM on April 30, 2025.
STEP 1: Applicants must complete the Letter of Intent in the MCA Grant Portal by March 7, 2025.
STEP 2: MCA will review and score all Letters of Intent and notify applicants who are invited to complete a full application by April 1.
STEP 3: Invited applicants must complete the full application in the MCA Grant Portal by April 30, 2025.
STEP 4: Proposals outlined in full applications will be reviewed and awarded by MCA staff and Board by July 2025.
STEP 5: MCA will submit the full list of subgrantees to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) by August 1, 2025, while contracting takes place.
MCA reserves the right, though is not required, to ask applicants to make minor adjustments to proposals in order to facilitate full review of a project or facilitate a grant decision or award.
Criteria & Priorities
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Digital inclusion
Proposed projects must provide all four of the following areas of digital inclusion support to people or communities they serve: digital skills training, devices that meet the needs of the user, technical support, and internet safety education. (If some of these elements are already being offered, the proposal can address gaps in comprehensive support by proposing to add the other elements). Applicants can also include other elements of digital inclusion and complementary activities - such as helping people navigate or apply for government resources online, or facilitating telehealth access - as long as these activities are in alignment with the Maine Digital Equity Plan. Applicants should be able to demonstrate that these elements of digital inclusion will make existing programs more impactful or effective for the people they serve.
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People served
Proposed projects must exclusively or primarily provide these programs and services to individuals defined as “covered populations'' by the Digital Equity Act. Review the Covered Populations table below.
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Low-income households (at or below 150% FPL - Federal Poverty Line)
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Older adults (60+)
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Incarcerated individuals or individuals in reentry
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Veterans
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Individuals with a disability
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Individuals who are English-language learners or have low literacy
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Individuals who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups
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Rural inhabitants (Because more than 75% of Maine residents are rural inhabitants, applications that serve rural people who are also one or more other covered populations are strongly recommended.)
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Broad reach
Proposals that reach more than a single local or county level geography and have statewide applicability or broad reach and impact on specific covered populations they’re intended to serve.
Low barrier to access
The support must be available to access at no cost.​
Covered Populations in Maine​
Maine Population: 1,385,340 (reflected in NTIA’s population viewer)
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The chart below details the percentage and total number of each covered population within Maine’s population totals. The column on the right shows the proportional number of people within each covered population within the Maine Digital Equity Plan Goal of reaching 50,000 people with comprehensive digital inclusion support.
Covered Population | % of Maine's population | Total Estimated # | 10% of total | 20% of total | Goal for this population within the DE Plan |
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Low Income | 17.4% | 241,049 | 24,105 | 48,210 | 5,800 |
Racial & ethnic minorities | 9.8% | 135,763 | 13,576 | 27,153 | 5,100 |
Language barrier | 10.4% | 144,075 | 14,408 | 28,815 | 8,500 |
Disability | 16.5% | 228,581 | 22,858 | 45,716 | 10,000 |
Incarcerated | 0.2% | 2,770 | 277 | 554 | 2,000 |
Veterans | 7.4% | 102,515 | 10,252 | 20,503 | 3,600 |
Rural Inhabitants | 75.9% | 1,051,473 | 105,147 | 210,295 | 37,500 |
Older Adults | 30.6% | 423,914 | 42,391 | 84,783 | 15,000 |
How to Use this Table​
The goal of the Digital Equity Networks Grant program is to reach as many members of the covered populations as possible with digital inclusion support, to advance educational, workforce, health, civic, social and other outcomes. To reach this goal, MCA will prioritize proposals that can have significant impact on the individual covered populations. This chart may help applicants plan for and describe how significant the specific number of people they propose to serve is compared to the population as a whole, the proportional number of the specific covered population, and the number of each population we’re aiming to reach within the overall goal of 50,000 people served.
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For example, an applicant might propose to serve 2,900 low income households with digital inclusion support, and could then describe this as significant because it equals 50% of the Maine Digital Equity Plan goal for low income households.
Funding Available​
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Funding available for the Digital Opportunity Networks Grant program in 2025 is $5 million.
MCA expects to award between 8-12 projects in July 2025. The average grant award in this program will be $500,000 with a minimum grant size of $250,000 and a maximum grant size of $750,000.
