State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program
Under the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information (Assistant Secretary) will award grants to the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico (the States) for the purpose of developing State Digital Equity Plans. Through these Plans, each State will, among other things, identify barriers to digital equity in the State and strategies for overcoming those barriers. Further, U.S. territories and possessions (other than Puerto Rico), Indian Tribes, Alaska Native entities, and Native Hawaiian organizations may also seek grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts to develop their own digital equity plans and, in the case of Tribal entities, to provide input into the digital equity plans of the States in which they are located. The State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program is part of the larger State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, the purpose of which is to promote the achievement of digital equity, support digital inclusion activities, and build capacity for efforts by States relating to the adoption of broadband by residents of those States. States interested in participating in the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program must first complete State Digital Equity Plans as contemplated in Section 60304(c) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, Public Law 117-58, 135 Stat. 429 (November 15, 2021) (Infrastructure Act or Act), also commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program participants that are also eligible grantees under the separate Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (which is the subject of a separate Notice of Funding Opportunity) should plan holistically for these interrelated programs and should ensure close coordination between the personnel and offices preparing to implement them. See Section I of this NOFO for the full Program Description.