Illinois opens application process for Digital Equity Capacity Grants

On February 3, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity posted its Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to apply by May 8, 2025, for grants under the Illinois Digital Equity Capacity (IDEC) Grant Program.

The IDEC Grant Program is intended to empower and equip Illinois individuals and communities with the skills, resources and confidence to use the internet, and prioritizes serving Covered Populations, which include individuals who:

• Live in a household with income no more than 150% of the poverty level;
• Are at least 60 years old;
• Are incarcerated (other than those in federal correctional facilities);
• Are veterans;
• Have a disability;
• Face a language barrier;
• Are members of a racial or ethnic minority group; or
• Primarily reside in a rural area.

The IDEC Grant Program will fund the following types of projects:

• Digital literacy and skill building
• Distribution of devices, such as laptops, computers and tablets
• Digital navigators who help Covered Populations enroll in high-speed internet service, navigate technology challenges, obtain devices and find opportunities to build digital skills
• Establish, improve or expand community spaces with no-cost access to computers and the internet
• Local broadband planning resources to help communities create their own roadmaps to expand broadband connectivity

An IDEC grantee must be an entity that fits within a category of eligible applicants, such as:

• A not-for-profit entity (other than a school)
• A community anchor institution, such as a medical or healthcare provider, public school, library, institute of higher education, or other nonprofit or governmental community support organization
• A state agency or political subdivision
• A local educational agency
• A workforce development program
• A partnership of eligible entities

In order to qualify for IDEC funding, an initiative must:

• Focus on Covered Populations by aligning with Illinois Digital Equity Plan goals and objectives, and with the priorities of the Covered Populations being served
• Address systemic barriers and gaps to digital access and consider sustainability for the funded initiatives
• Have a measurable implementation strategy based on objectives that are measurable, achievable, sustainable, timebound and designed to address identified disparities
• Involve opportunities for directly affected stakeholders to provide feedback

Awards will range from $90,000 to $900,000 over a three-year period ($30,000 to $300,000 annually) to cover eligible costs, with anticipated start date of July 1, 2025. The Illinois Office of Broadband (IOB) recommends including three-year budgets but will also consider proposals for short-term initiatives.

Applications can be filed in two waves until May 8, 2025, by 5 pm on March 20 for wave 1 and then by May 8 for wave 2.  Wave 1 applications submitted by 5 pm CST on March 3 and wave 2 applications submitted by 5 pm CST on April 18 will be reviewed by Illinois Office of Broadband (IOB) staff to determine whether all documents have been submitted and notify the applicant if the application is incomplete, so the applicant would have an opportunity to resubmit a completed application package.

IOB recommends applying in Wave 1, if possible, in order to have priority over the full pool of available funding and receiving earlier funding.

Grants will be awarded from highest to lowest score until funding is exhausted, with priority for geographic diversity and services across all Covered Populations. Applications will be competitively evaluated on the following elements that need to be described in the application:

• Community need for improved broadband access, adoption and/or use, with focus on serving one or more Covered Populations
• Capacity and commitment of the applicant to manage the project
• Quality of the proposal, including the level of specificity and clarity of the implementation plan, outreach and service to Covered Populations, and alignment to Illinois Digital Equity Plan goals and outcomes
• Support from the community
• Budget, including reasonable and viable use of funding that aligns with project priorities and evidence of need, along with equity of compensation if staff salary is included
• Plan for sustainability after the grant period

In order to be considered, the entity must be registered in the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Grantee Portal, which will verify information on the entity, including a current SAM.gov registration marked as public and a valid UEI number.

Information on the Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program process are available on the Illinois Office of Broadband (IOB) website.

McDonald Hopkins healthcare attorney Rick Hindmand is available for questions regarding the IDEC Grant Program or related issues.