Frequently Asked Questions

Any of the following entities may apply for a grant under the Program:

• Business – A corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, limited liability company, cooperatives, or other commercial entity.
• Not-for-profit – Any private not-for-profit entities.
• Municipalities – Includes any city, township, borough, town, county, or a home rule municipality.
• Economic development organization – A not-for-profit corporation or association whose purpose is the enhancement of economic conditions in its community.

As outlined in PBDA’s legislative mandate, Act 96 of 2021, eligible entities include those with the technical, managerial, and financial expertise to design, build, and operate high-speed broadband service infrastructure within the Commonwealth.

Regional consortia of local governments may participate. Additionally, PBDA will consider covered partnerships consisting of one or more of the above entities and a provider of internet service.

Per U.S. Treasury guidance, the program will prioritize projects that involve broadband networks owned, operated by, or affiliated with local governments, non-profits, cooperatives, and those with commitments to serving entire communities.

Visit the Capital Projects Fund (CPF) Broadband Infrastructure Program program page for more information.

Any applicant that has not previously applied for funding through the Commonwealth must complete and submit a Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act form. A copy of this form will be provided through the application system.

Additionally, all applicants are required to register with the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). There is no cost to use SAM.gov. This system allows you to bid on government contracts and apply for federal assistance. As part of the registration, you will be assigned a Unique Entity ID.

Review the the program guidelines for more information.

Please note: this process could take several weeks to complete, so those that are not already registered should do so right away.

The application for this funding opportunity can be found on the Department of Community and Economic Development Electronic Single Application (ESA) for Assistance website.

Additional supplemental information must be attached electronically to the application as directed on the “Addenda” tab within the Single Application for Assistance website. This could include any form, certification, financial statement, or data file mentioned in the program guidelines.

If you have technical inquiries regarding the submission of the online application, please contact DCED’s Customer Service Center by calling (800) 379-7448 or (717) 787-3405, or by emailing Ra-dcedcs@pa.gov, Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm.

Questions related to grant application content or specific inquiries about the Program should be directed to PBDA_CapitalProjectsFund@pa.gov with “CPF BIP” listed in the subject line.

The timeline is as follows:

• Guidelines posted: April 10, 2023
• Application window open: May 10, 2023 – August 9, 2023
• Proposed areas posted for public review: August 23, 2023
• Challenge process: August 23, 2023 – October 6, 2023
• Adjudication of challenges submitted: October 7, 2023 – November 5, 2023
• Results of adjudication posted: November 6, 2023
• Application review period: November and December, 2023
• Awards announced: January 2024 (tentatively)

Yes, all Projects funded through this program must reach substantial completion before December 31, 2026. Substantial completion is defined as the date for which the Project can fulfill the primary operations that it was designed to perform, delivering services to end-users.

Extensions may be granted beyond this timeframe to the extent that factors deemed to be outside of the grantee’s control, at PBDA’s discretion, have impacted Project delivery timelines. PBDA will approve extension requests on a case-by-case basis.

Yes, PBDA reserves the right to evaluate proposed Project areas and provide revisions to projects.  

Eligible entities that may submit a challenge to a proposed project are internet service providers (ISPs), electric cooperatives, municipalities, or other political subdivisions that offer broadband services. Entities that do not meet these criteria are not eligible to submit a challenge.

If a challenging entity submits inaccurate information in bad faith during the challenge process, all current and future challenges from that entity may be disregarded in the scoring process. PBDA takes accuracy and transparency seriously and encourages entities to provide supporting evidence and documentation to validate their claims. Additionally, if a challenging entity submits an excessive number of challenges that are proven to be unsubstantiated, PBDA reserves the right to deem that entity ineligible for funding under future grant programs administered by PBDA.

Grant applications will be evaluated based on 15 scoring criteria, which include: the size and scope of the unserved or underserved area to be deployed, the applicant’s experience, technical ability, and financial capability, the speed thresholds proposed in the application, and the viability of the sustainability strategy beyond the initial investment, among others. A complete listing of the scoring criteria is included in the program guidelines.

Projects must follow applicable federal and state laws and regulations. Federal Davis-Bacon Act prevailing wage requirements do not apply to Projects funded through this grant, but the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act applies. Grantees will be responsible for including prevailing wage rates in all bid documents, specifications, and construction contracts pertaining to the Project. Supplementary reporting will be required for projects of $5 million or more. This information is detailed in Appendix II of the program guidelines.

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) has final authority to make prevailing wage applicability determinations. Applicants with further questions about wage laws may contact L&I at 717.787.5279.

Deployment of fiber-optic infrastructure is not an explicit requirement for a CPF BIP grant. However, Projects proposing the deployment of fiber-optic will be prioritized. Upon completion, Projects must, at minimum, deliver service that reliably meets or exceeds symmetrical download and upload speeds of 100 Mbps.

If it would be impracticable, because of geography, topography, or excessive costs for a project to utilize fiber-optic infrastructure (as may be the case in various unserved and underserved regions throughout the Commonwealth), other technologies will be considered.

No, ISPs are not required to formally partner with other entities. However, this is strongly encouraged, as multiple perspectives and forms of expertise will strengthen the application and Project impact.

The application will require evidence of stakeholder and community engagement, which will be considered during the application evaluation process. Support letters from these entities are recommended.

CPF dollars can be used to build in RDOF-awarded areas, but if the CPF bidder is also the recipient of RDOF funds for that area, the CPF dollars may only be applied to ‘additional’ build-out that would not be otherwise occurring with RDOF dollars.

Program applicants must take reasonable steps to determine if proposed Project areas have in whole or in part been awarded state or federal broadband funds.

The RDOF recipient may challenge proposed CPF projects that would result in overbuild after the RDOF project is completed, but failure to challenge the proposed buildout will result in those areas being deemed unserved and eligible for CPF funding.

Services proposed by internet service providers (ISPs) must include at least one low-cost option offered at speeds that are sufficient for a multi-resident household. Additionally, ISPs must participate in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides low-income communities with subsidies on broadband internet.

Applicants will also be encouraged to demonstrate a sustainable low-cost service option for low-income individuals that is not subject to cost escalation or associated with a new subscriber rate or contract. Scoring criteria for this Program will consider other affordability components of the proposed Project. Applicants will also be asked to describe their digital equity efforts to ensure low to moderate income households in the proposed Project area will have sustained and affordable access.

Contractors or subcontractors must maintain all valid licenses, registrations or certificates required by the Federal Government, the Commonwealth, or a local government entity, maintain compliance with various acts and requirements, not have defaulted on a project or been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony relating to the performance or operation of the business, and have completed safety training.

Yes, applicants shall be permitted to resubmit their narrative and/or cost proposals as part of the review process in such circumstances.

Letters of support from key stakeholders are not required, but they are encouraged. Each applicant is required to provide proof that it notified, in writing, the appropriate local governments about the intended project.

Projects require a 25 percent share of the total Project cost in matching funds. A separate federal, state, or local government grant, loan, or subsidy received by an applicant to finance a proposed Project can be counted toward the capital investment requirement. A match requirement is meant to encourage applicant investment in the cost of deploying services.

In-kind match includes donated products or services (such as GIS files and mapping, reproduction, equipment, etc.), where the cost cannot be tracked back to a cash transaction. The value of in-kind contributions must be properly documented and reflect the actual, regular, or fair-market value of the contribution. Unpaid work of interns, volunteers, advisory committees, and planning commissions is not eligible as an in-kind match.

No, as long as Projects adjacent to one another do not contribute to overbuild.

Yes.

No.

A proposed project is the extent of work to be performed as outlined in the applicant’s scope of work. A proposed project area is represented spatially or geographically by a polygon that encapsulates the locations intended to be served by the applicant; or, a grouping a of polygons that share a reasonable geographic nexus. A noncontiguous project area is a grouping of polygons that cannot be reasonably contained within one polygon. The applicant must provide justification in its application for how the noncontiguous project area is geographically reasonable.

Treasury does not permit CPF grant awardees to re-grant funds to providers or other entities.

They may contract with providers, but specific details must be pre-identified and submitted with the grant application. Supplementary information to support a contract must also be provided, such as bids and/or quotations, contractor estimates, and sales agreements.

Funds may be used for costs associated with the installation and/or acquisition of middle-mile and last-mile high-speed broadband infrastructure. This could include pre-project development costs and uses, construction costs, long-term facility leases, ancillary operating and broadband adoption costs, and administrative costs of the applicant to administer the grant. Additional examples of eligible costs can be found on page 3 of the Program Guidelines.

Funds may NOT be used to acquire spectrum licenses, for operating expenses (other than grant administration costs), short-term leasing costs, lobbying, or fines. Additional examples of ineligible costs are listed on page 3 of the Program Guidelines.

Eligible Projects will utilize and deploy wired and/or fixed wireless high-speed broadband service infrastructure which could include extensions of last-mile cable modem and fiber-to-the-premise broadband networks that can be constructed quickly.

Administrative costs of the applicant to administer the grant are limited to 2.5 percent of the total grant award. These include costs such as completing the grant application, costs associated with monitoring of and reporting on the Project, advertising costs, and personnel costs including salaries and fringe benefits for staff required for carrying out the Project.

Grantees must submit quarterly and annual progress reports to PBDA through the completion of the Project. Guides to key state and federal requirements and technical assistance will be provided to grantees once contracts are executed, to orient recipients to their obligations. PBDA will maintain regular contact with grant recipients through the required submission of reporting data, financial records, and other relevant indicators. PBDA will also process reimbursement requests upon completion of expense reports throughout the project.

An unserved area is a project area that has no access to broadband service or lacks access to reliable broadband service with a speed of at least 25 megabits per second (Mbps) for downloads and three Mbps for uploads and a latency sufficient to support real-time, interactive applications.

An underserved area is a project area that is not an unserved location and lacks access to reliable broadband service offered with a speed of at least 100 Mbps for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads and a latency sufficient to support real-time, interactive applications.

An entity including any school, library, health clinic, health center, hospital or other medical provider, public safety entity, institution of higher education, public housing organization, or community support organization, which facilitates greater use of broadband service by vulnerable populations, including low-income individuals, unemployed individuals, and aged individuals that lack access to gigabit-level broadband service.

All funds must be expended by December 31, 2026, which is the end of the period of performance. Awardees will be required to return any grant funds that are not used by the end of the period of performance. PBDA may, in its discretion, grant extensions to the period of performance upon request from awardees.

PBDA will utilize Fabric Version 2. This version of the Fabric is currently available to Fabric license holders and was made available to ISPs on January 3, 2023, to collect ISP availability data. Fabric Version 2 is not currently part of the FCC map but will be incorporated before June 30, 2023.

PBDA is providing proposed project area and service area templates for applicants to complete with the necessary information. Internet Service Provider applicants may instead submit Broadband Data Collection filings through the ESA portal for both project and service areas, in lieu of using the templates. This is also outlined in Appendix I of the program guidelines.

Before awarding grant funds, PBDA will ensure a transparent, evidence-based, and expeditious challenge process under which entities can challenge a proposed Project on the grounds that awarding a grant to the applicant will result in an overbuild. Proposed Projects that will result in overbuild in which less than 80 percent of broadband-serviceable locations served by the proposed Project are unserved or underserved are ineligible for this grant funding.

PBDA will make the proposed unserved areas, underserved areas, and the community anchor institutions to be served available for review on the DCED website within 10 business days after the expiration of the application period. Challengers will be required to demonstrate a “planned provision” of service within the proposed Project area, and final determination will be made by PBDA during the adjudication process, which will take place following the close of the Challenge period (beginning September 6, 2023).

Evidence of serviceability must be demonstrated by showing the number of customers within the area of claimed serviceable units. After resolving each challenge, and not later than 60 days before awarding grant funds, PBDA will provide public notice of the final classification of each unserved area, underserved area, and community anchor institution within the Commonwealth. More information on the Challenge Process can be found on pages 10-11 in the program guidelines.

For technical inquiries regarding the submission of the online application, applicants may contact the Customer Service Center by calling 800.379.7448 or 717.787.3405, Monday through Friday from 8:30AM to 5:00PM.

Those seeking technical assistance about the content of their application should email PBDA_CapitalProjectsFund@pa.gov.

Applicants may contact PBDA directly by emailing PBDA_CapitalProjectsFund@pa.gov. We will respond to your message as soon as we are able, but please keep in mind that due to the volume of inquiries we are currently receiving, there could be a delay.

As noted in the Capital Projects Funds Broadband Infrastructure Program, the “Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) has final authority to make prevailing wage applicability determinations.” The Broadband Development Authority encourages all applicants who need further assistance to contact the Department of Labor and Industry at 1.800.932.0665 or ra-li-slmr-llc@pa.gov.

Additionally, applicants can get project-specific Prevailing Wage rate determinations from L&I using the Prevailing Wage Rates Determination Request form.

On May 30, 2023, the FCC released Version 2 of the National Broadband Map’s broadband serviceable locations fabric. With this new release, PBDA has updated BIP: PA Broadband Service Availability Map that CPF applicants may use to determine viable potential project areas.

Applicants are encouraged to use either PBDA’s mapping tool or the FCC’s National Broadband Map, both of which use the same, updated data.

PBDA will also share the link to the Penn State Extension map with PBDA’s listserv. This can be used to get a general understanding of the state of broadband in the Commonwealth.

PBDA can give programmatic advice but cannot give legal advice. It is incumbent on all applicants to follow the appropriate procurement procedures. Helpful resources include, but are not limited to the following:

• Federal Regulations
• Commonwealth Procurement Code
• Commonwealth Procurement Handbook
• Commonwealth Procurement Resources

Additionally, the US Treasury has released SLFRF and CPF Supplementary Broadband Guidance on cost principles, procurement practices and fixed amount subawards.

The first template file is the Proposed Project Area file. This is a GIS file of the proposed area in which you are intending to apply for grant funds for.

• Id – This will be auto-populated in the GIS system. This is a numeric number to service as an ID for the data record.
• FRN – FCC’s Federal Registration Number of the ISP service area.
• Organization/Brand- The organization or Brand Name of the Internet Service Provider.
• PartnerAge – Name or name(s) of any partnering organizations on the grant application
• Total_BSLs – Total Number of BSLs in proposed project area
• Tot_Unserv – Total Number of Unserved and/or Underserved BSLs in proposed project area
• Tech_Code – Technology Code of the Technology that will be deployed in the proposed project
• Max_DL_Spd – Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) that will be offered in the expansion.
• Max_UL_Spd – Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) that will be offered in the expansion.
• Proj_Cost – Anticipated total cost of the project
• Compl_Date – Anticipated completion date of the project
• Match_Amt – Total dollar amount of matching funds
• Grant_Amt – Total dollar amount of grant award

There is also an Internet Service Provider (ISP) Service Area template. This is a polygon representation of the area where the ISP is currently providing service. ISP applicants may instead submit Broadband Data Collection filings through the ESA portal for both project and service areas, in lieu of using the templates. This is also outlined in Appendix I of the program guidelines.

• Id – This will be auto-populated in the GIS system. This is a numeric number to service as an ID for the data record.
• FRN – FCC’s Federal Registration Number of the ISP service area.
• Brand_Name – The organization or Brand Name of the Internet Service Provider
• Technology – Technology Code of the Technology that will be deployed in the proposed project
• Max_DL_Spd – Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) that is currently offered.
• Max_UL_Spd – Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) that is currently offered.
• BSLs_Serve – Total number of Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs) could be served within the footprint
• CustomerCt – Total number of Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs) that are currently receiving service