California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) Adoption Account
Adoption Funding Overview
The Broadband Adoption Account, created via Assembly Bill 1665, provides grants to increase publicly available or after-school broadband access and digital inclusion, such as grants for digital literacy training programs and public education to communities with limited broadband adoption. The CPUC will give preference to programs and projects in communities with demonstrated low broadband access, including low income communities, senior citizen communities, and communities facing socioeconomic barriers to broadband adoption. For more information please review the program’s FAQs.
Funding Available
The Broadband Adoption Account is authorized $20 million to provide grants to increase publicly available or after-school broadband access and digital inclusion.
Eligible Applicants
Local governments, senior centers, schools, public libraries, nonprofit organizations, and community-based organizations with programs to increase publicly available or after school broadband access and digital inclusion, such as digital literacy training programs are eligible to apply for grants.
Publicly supported communities who are otherwise eligible to apply for grants from the Broadband Public Housing Account are also eligible to submit an application only after all funds available for adoption projects from the Public Housing Account have been awarded.
Eligible Projects
Digital Literacy Projects- Digital inclusion projects can include digital literacy training programs and public education to communities with limited broadband adoption, including low-income communities, senior citizen communities, and communities facing socioeconomic barriers to broadband adoption.
Broadband Access Projects- Publicly available or after-school broadband access projects can include free broadband access in community training rooms or other public spaces, such as local government centers, senior citizen centers, schools, public libraries, nonprofit organizations, and community-based organizations. It can also include funding community outreach, such as analysis, comparison of Internet plans with the community, and call centers that will increase broadband access and adoption.
Applying for Funds
Project proposals are being accepted beginning July 1, 2018.
To Apply:
Applications may be submitted at any time. However, staff will consider applications submitted on or before each deadline listed below as a batch, until all funds have been awarded. Note that these application deadlines will also be posted, and updated (if needed), on the Commission’s CASF website: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/casf/
- March 1, 2019
- August 1, 2019
- January 1, 2020
- July 1, 2020
- January 1, 2021
- July 1, 2021
- January 1, 2022
- July 1, 2022
Any deadline falling on a holiday or a weekend will be extended to the following business day.
Staff will post a list of applicants and projects submitted by the deadline on the CASF webpage. Further, where possible, staff will post regular updates on applications on the CASF webpage.
The next deadline is August 1, 2019.
Pre-Award Submissions and Funded Projects
Broadband Adoption Program Project Applications Received During the First Application Window (August 31, 2018)
Broadband Adoption Program Applicants Approved (August 31, 2018 Round)
Broadband Adoption Program Project Applications Received During the Second Application Window March 1, 2019)
Additional Information
For more information please visit:
Prospective applicants who have questions about the application process may send an email to CASF_Adoption@cpuc.ca.gov