Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program

The Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program provides grants to eligible recipients in anchor communities for the purchase of broadband internet access service or any eligible equipment, or to hire and train information technology personnel to 1) facilitate educational instruction and learning of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges or Universities, Minority Serving Institutions and related consortiums; 2) operate minority business enterprise managed by a related consortium; or 3) operate an eligible organization managed by a related consortium.

(1) a historically Black college or university;
(2) a Tribal College or University;
(3) a Minority-serving institution; or
(4) a consortium that is led by a historically Black college or university, a Tribal College or University, or a Minority-serving institution and that also includes a minority business enterprise or an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under 10 section 501(a) of such Code.

Additionally, an eligible recipient must be in an anchor community that has an estimated median annual household income of not more than two hundred and fifty percent (250%) of the poverty line and has demonstrated the greatest unmet financial need. A consortium partnership is eligible for a grant under the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program if it is led by an eligible recipient educational institution as defined above.

Anchor Communities defined as any area that
(1) is not more than 15 miles from a historically Black college or university, a Tribal College or University, or a Minority serving institution; and (2) has an estimated Median annual household income of not more than 250 percent of the poverty line, as that term is defined in section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 6 9902(2)).

NTIA may establish a different maximum distance for Tribal Colleges or Universities located on land held in trust by the United States in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior.

This information will be included in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.