The Office of Broadband Development (OBD) is excited to announce that the ARPA Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program will begin accepting applications on August 15, 2022. For more information, please visit the ARPA Broadband webpage and watch for future email announcements.
Governor Parson announced historic funding for broadband development last August. During the 2022 legislative session, the Missouri General Assembly appropriated $250 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for a broadband infrastructure program and $15 million for a pole replacement fund to support the program. In total, these two programs will invest $265 million to bring high-speed internet to unserved and underserved areas of Missouri.
New Resources for Applicants
In preparation for the launch of the application cycle, the Office of Broadband Development (OBD) has also posted the following new or updated resources to assist applicants throughout the process.
Revised Program Guidelines
The ARPA Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program Guidelines have been revised with a few clarifications.
Updates:
- Added $100 million dollar cap per applicant
- Added clarity to the contiguous nature standard
- Added grant administrative costs as an eligible expense
- Updated the name of the grant portal
- Updated application open and close dates
- Updated Tax Clearance Certificate requirement
- Added flexibility to the Letter of Credit requirement
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
OBD developed a new frequently asked questions (FAQ) document to provide additional guidance to the common questions we have received.
ARPA Community Identifier Map
This newly created ARPA Community Identifier Map identifies areas of the state with higher than moderate, moderate, and low income areas as well as qualified census tracts.
Broadband Availability Map
The Broadband Availability Map has been updated to include RDOF and NTIA grant awards.
Budget Template
OBD created a budget template to assist applicants in preparing applications.
For any follow-up questions, feel free to contact OBD at 573-526-1028.