ARC Downtown Wi-Fi Program

Grant at a Glance

$500,000 available, expect to award 8-12 grants
Up to a $75,000 total project cost
Match required – Distressed 80/20, At-Risk 70/30, Transitional 50/50
2019 TN Distressed Counties (10) – Bledsoe, Clay, Cocke, Fentress, Grundy, Hancock, Jackson, Morgan, Scott, Van Buren
2019 TN At-Risk Counties (17) – Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, DeKalb, Grainger, Hawkins, Johnson, Lawrence, Lewis, Meigs, Monroe, Overton, Polk, Rhea, Unicoi, Union, White
Also include a budget (Federal Standard Form 424 and 424A, SF424B) that outlines all sources of funding for the project and a map of the service area
Questions can be directed to Lindsay Gainous at Lindsay.Gainous@tn.gov or 615-253-1907

Eligible Applicants

Local government entities
Other non-profit entities (contact TNECD for approval before submission)

Eligible Expenses

Equipment purchase
Installation of equipment
Testing
Service (for up to 12 months)

Eligible Areas

Areas lacking free Wi-Fi available to the public in downtown districts. (This could be expanded to areas near downtown that are important for tourism or economic development.)

Timeline

August 8, 2018	Pre-Applications Available
September 14, 2018	Pre-Applications due to TNECD
October 8, 2018	Full Applications Requested
Fall/Winter 2018	Full Applications Approved, Projects Start

Public Benefit and Impact
40	Alignment with community strategies and needs	Low Moderate Significant	3 7 10	10
	Ability of project to lead to increased digital inclusion	Low Moderate Significant	3 7 10	10
	Economic and community development impact of project	Low Moderate Significant	3 7 10	20
Implementation
30	Degree of project readiness and ability to implement in timely manner	Average Very Good Excellent	3 7 10	10
	Reasonableness of project costs	Average Very Good Excellent	3 7 10	10
	Capacity of applicant to meet program requirements	Average Very Good Excellent	3 7 10	10
Performance Measures
20	Identified performance metrics	Average Very Good Excellent	6 14 20	20
Sustainability
10	Ability to sustain the project after grant funding ends	Low Average High	3 7 10	10
Leveraged Resources
10	Partnerships to increase project impact	1 2 3+	2 4 6	6
10	Additional leveraged funding	None Some Significant	0 2 4	4
Community Characteristics
20	Economic status	Transitional At-Risk Distressed	3 7 10	10
	Supports Broadband Ready Community	No Yes	0 5	5
	Supports existing Main Street or TN Downtowns Program	No Yes	0 5	5