Maryland Department of Housing and
Community Development

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MD-DIG: Digital Inclusion

Purpose

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) through the Office of Statewide Broadband (OSB) is administering funding for the Digital Inclusion Grant Program (MD-DIG).

The OSB’s MD-DIG program is a grant program to further the state’s digital inclusion efforts. This grant opportunity will enable access to high-speed internet and expand digital literacy. This NOFA pertains only to the funding allocation for MD-DIG and provides a preview of the application which will be available online.

A separate NOFA for Gap Network Grants is be available from DHCD at: https://dhcd.maryland.gov/Broadband

Applicant Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply, an applicant must meet one of the following criteria:

  • be a local government (Counties & Municipalities);
  • be a foundation, corporation, institution, association, or coalition that is - (i) a not-for-profit IRS approved 501(c) entity and (ii) providing services within the State of Maryland;
  • a community based anchor institution.

Eligible Uses of Funds

  • To develop a digital inclusion plan and/or to implement digital inclusion activities.
  • To facilitate the adoption of broadband by covered populations in order to provide educational and employment opportunities to those populations.
  • To implement (i) training programs that cover basic, advanced, and applied skills; or (ii) other workforce development programs.
  • To construct, upgrade, expend, or operate new or existing public access computing centers for covered populations through community anchor institutions.

Covered Populations

While the grant program and its funding offer the ability to serve all communities in Maryland the following covered populations who are most at need will receive priority:

  • individuals who live in a household with income less than or equal to 150 percent of federal poverty level;
  • aging individuals;
  • individuals with disabilities;
  • individuals with a language barrier, including individuals who -
    • are English learners; and
    • have low levels of literacy;
  • individuals who are members of a racial or ethnic minority group; or
  • individuals who primarily reside in a rural area.

Funding Criteria

  1. Digital Inclusion Planning: Financial assistance for up to 50% of the cost of a Digital Inclusion Plan will be provided. The maximum grant request amount for Digital Inclusion Planning is $30,000 and the minimum amount is $5,000.
  2. Digital Inclusion Program Implementation: The Office will facilitate the award of financial assistance for up to 100% for the implementation, expansion or continuation of Digital Inclusion Program(s). The maximum grant request amount for Digital Inclusion Implementation is $75,000 and the minimum amount is $10,000.
    • Only applications that are fully complete at submission will be considered for funding.
    • MD-DIG program is a competitive funding opportunity and individual grant amounts may be reduced relative to requests and/or based on the impact of the applicant’s intended population and ability to deploy funds responsibly and as soon as possible.

Application Process

  • NOFA release: Friday, February 11, 2022
  • Application submission to OSB via email opens: Tuesday, February 15, 2022
  • Application submission closes: Thursday, March 31, 2022
  • Funding announcements to be made on or before April 15, 2022.

All applications and supporting documents must be submitted via email to: OSB.MD@Maryland.gov​​.

Application Requirements

In addition to basic organizational information and completion of the application form, the following information and attachments will be required in order for an application to be considered complete.

  1. Executive Summary: The executive summary should provide a brief, comprehensive summary of the overall project, the needs of the population to be served and how the funding will contribute to a solution. The executive summary will additionally require the following information:
    • Potential barriers;
    • Partners and local engagement;
    • Intended outcomes and metrics;
    • Statement of experience and past accomplishments
  2. Funding scope & budget: ​A scope of work related to the funding must be provided. The scope of work should be specific to the funding requested. Include a simple budget that illustrates how you plan to spend the funding. The budget should be in the following categories:
    • Operations (payroll, supplies, materials etc.)
    • Contracted services (payments to independent contractors, external organizations, etc.)
    • Travel (must be related to program deployment)
    • Please also include any other funding necessary for the project including the anticipated source of the funds.

Application Attachments

All of the following attachments will be required​ in the application submission in order for the application to be considered complete:

  • Completed & signed Application form
  • Application requirements as mentioned above
  • IRS Determination Letter of nonprofit status, if applicable
  • Online verification of Certificate of Good Standing from the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation.
  • IRS W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification
  • Dun & Bradstreet DUNS Number for your organization
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