(1) Upon receipt of a Preapplication under
this program, staff will review the Preapplication for eligibility and
conformance with basic threshold criteria. Potential applicants will then be
notified regarding general eligibility and perceived competitiveness based on
the information they provided. For assessments that indicate potentially
eligible and competitive projects, the Authority and/or DCA may provide limited
technical assistance to would-be applicants; however, in no event will the
Authority or DCA assist in the actual writing of an application.
(2) Upon receipt of an application, the
application shall be reviewed using the rating and selection factors specified
in Section 413-07-1-.08(6) of these regulations, using any additional and/or
supplemental information, data, analyses, documentation, commitments,
assurances, etc., as may be required or requested by the Authority or DCA for
purposes of evaluating, rating and selecting applicants under this program.
Applications that contain insufficient information or documentation to be
evaluated and rated may be returned to the applicant for further
information.
(3) Staff may conduct
site visits and hold discussions with applicants and proposed sub-recipients
for the purposes of confirming and evaluating information contained in the
Preapplication or Application. Staff may also consult with other appropriate
government and private entities in the course of reviewing and evaluating
information contained in Preapplications and/or Applications.
(4) All applications received from applicants
will be reviewed to determine the merit of the applications and the proposed
use of funds. The One Georgia Authority and/or DCA will rate and review all
applications that meet the Threshold Requirements outlined in Section
413-07-1-.08(5). Applications will be rated according to a point system. The
maximum number of points available to an application is set at 540 points. In
order to be fundable, an application must receive a minimum score of 325
points. The rating criteria are outlined below.
(5)
Threshold
Requirements (Application must generally meet all requirements in
order to be rated.):
A) The application is
from eligible applicant(s).
B) The
project takes place in an eligible county which does not currently have
adequate broadband services.
C) The
proposed broadband system a) is owned by a unit of local government; b) is
owned by an authority; c) involves an intergovernmental service agreement
between multiple jurisdictions that include two or more counties; or (d) is
owned by a private entity seeking a low interest loan and will enter into a
lease or lease-purchase agreement with the recipient.
D) If the proposed project involves multiple
public ownership jurisdictions, evidence of a revenue- and cost-sharing
agreement must be included.
E) If
the proposed project includes the formation of a broadband public/private
partnership (PPP), the formal PPP should include an agreement (such as a
Memorandum of Understanding) between all parties which outlines the roles and
responsibilities of the various partners (both public and private) throughout
the implementation process.
F) The
method of identifying the private sector partner may be addressed through a
formal RFP (Request for Proposal) process established by the public partner who
is an eligible applicant for the proposed use of funds.
G) The proposed use of funds is for eligible
activities and will be carried out in a manner consistent with the state
constitution, state law and in accordance with the applicants' (or
sub-recipients') enabling legislation and authority; and
H) (Reserved.)
(6)
Rating and Selection
Criteria.
|
Criteria |
Points |
|
Threshold Requirements |
0 |
|
Demographics |
100 |
|
Feasibility |
120 |
|
Impact |
110 |
|
Strategy |
110 |
|
Regional Bonus |
100 |
|
Total Available Points |
540 |
A)
Demographics (100 Points Maximum): On an annual basis,
demographic scores will be calculated for each county in the state. For
purposes of assigning a demographic score for applications submitted by
multiple applicants or an authority made up of multiple entities, the highest
score from the group of counties which has endorsed the project or are members
of the regional authority will be used. Applications will be rated and scored
against each of the following demographic factors as calculated by the
Department of Community Affairs using the most recent population, poverty and
income estimates:
i) Demographic Need - total
population: Counties will be compared in terms of their total population level.
Counties with a population less than 10,000 will receive 45 points. Counties
with a population between 10,000 and 19,999 will receive 35 points. Counties
with a population between 20,000 and 29,999 will receive 30 points. Counties
with a population between 30,000 and 39,999 will receive 25 points and counties
over 40,000 in population will receive 20 points.
ii) Demographic Need - percent of people in
poverty: Counties will be compared in terms of the percentage of population
below the poverty level. Counties with an overall poverty rate of 20% or
greater shall receive 40 points. For counties with a poverty rate less than
20%, scores will be obtained by dividing each county's percentage of persons in
poverty by the highest percentage of persons in poverty of any applicant in the
group and multiplying by 40.
iii)
Demographic Need - per capita income: Counties will be compared in terms of
their per capita income. Scores will be obtained by dividing each County's per
capita income into the lowest per capita income of any county in the group and
multiplying by 15.
B)
Project Feasibility (120 Points Possible).
Applications will be awarded "feasibility" points according
to the following scale: poor - 0.0 points; below average - 30.0 points; average
- 60.0 points; good - 90.0 points; excellent - 120 points. The criteria
detailed below (413-07-1-.08(6)(B) i)-xi)) will determine where on the
"Feasibility" Scale an application ranks:
i) The description of the proposed project
and activities are clearly described and documented.
ii) The responsibilities for carrying out
each activity are clearly ascribed to a participating entity and each entity
has firmly committed in writing to carry out its part; Project readiness
concerns are addressed (as applicable):
i)
engineering/architectural/ environmental,
ii)
infrastructure/utility/network access issues, including
submission by each applicant of supporting documentation from local phone
company(ies) that they are currently or will be capable of providing broadband
service within the proposed project timeline;
iii) the development of an address and
street-name database with geographic locations for each address coordinated
with the private carrier;
iv)
commitments to fund ongoing operations/maintenance, etc.;
v) other public and private sector investors
are committed and ready to invest,
vi) all needed real property is acquired or under
option,
vii) any needed regulatory
approvals obtained (approval of plans, government permits, etc.),
viii) administrative capacity is adequate,
and
ix) (soft projects)
professional service providers have adequate credentials and work history,
etc.
iii) Each
participating local political jurisdiction has endorsed the project in writing
and has pledged the required revenues to maintain the project.
iv)
Public Private Partnerships:
Applications demonstrating creation of a broadband public-private partnership,
should generally demonstrate that the methodology for selection of the private
partner was done through an RFP (request for proposal) or other similar
inclusive and open access platform. Proposed contracts that will exist between
a private sector broadband service provider and the public entity must be
included in the application.
v)
Bidding Process: Applicant should provide details of the
competitive and transparent bidding process conducted by the community to
solicit bids from the private sector to bring broadband connectivity to the
intended unserved area; evidence that identifies the most suitable match
between community needs and resources and identifies a service provider capable
of delivering those services in a sustainable manner.
vi)
Business Plan: Applications
should include essential elements of a business plan, including description of
the need for broadband, description of community(ies) to be served; any
existing levels of connectivity currently available and the current cost of
those services; a summary of the extent of community engagement to the proposed
broadband deployment, details on potential number of users of broadband access,
details on the kind of broadband-dependent services that may be provided as a
result of broadband access, overview of proposed project management, the
appropriateness and availability of the proposed technological solution, a plan
for proposed implementation of the network including a time line with project
milestones and a commitment to adhering to a set critical path.
vii)
Financial Plan:
Applications should include details of market, revenue and cost projections to
support the sustainability of the proposed broadband services for a period of
at least five years including but not limited to breakdown of the required
costs for broadband deployment; assumptions made for expected number of
residents and businesses that will have access to the broadband service,
revenue estimates based on the number of residents and businesses who have
agreed (or projected) to subscribe to the service in the first year;
assumptions made for five-year subscriber and population growth rate, average
revenue per subscriber; measurability and types of services to be offered.
Applications should identify potential risks that might affect implementation
of the project and any strategies or solutions that you would use to mitigate
or prevent these impacts.
viii)
System Design, Technology and Capacity: Provide a detailed
description of the goals and objectives of the proposed system design;
functional specifications including bandwidth and how many sites and/or systems
will have to be connected; performance specifications including minimum levels
and broadband standards for systems requiring inter-operability with other
networks; appropriateness and availability of the proposed technological
solution including infrastructure that will be deployed; overview of the
technology and facilities that will be used to deliver broadband services in
the community(ies) including the potential for future expansion (scalability)
of the proposed network. Identify capacity separately for each category of
facility if application proposed interconnection between communities and/or
private providers.
ix)
Maintenance and Ongoing Sustainability: Provide details of all
maintenance activities and how assistance will be provided. For example: will
24/7 maintenance support be provided; how will the service be monitored for
problems; how will service growth be accommodated; what software will be used
to generate utilization reports and service availability reports.
x) Project costs are verified through
original source documents, architectural and engineering reports, or certified
appraisals; and
xi) Applicant
certifies that project complies (or will comply) with all applicable federal,
state, and local law and regulations.
C)
Project Impact
(110 Points Possible).
Applications will be awarded "Impact" points according to the
following scale: poor - 0.0 points; below average - 27.5 points; average - 55.0
points; good - 82.5 points; excellent - 110.0 points. In order to determine
where on the "impact" scale a project ranks the following criteria will be
analyzed:
i) Amount of total state
assistance per person served.
ii)
Amount of private leverage per person served.
iii) Amount of public leverage per person
served.
iv) Evidence that the
proposed deployment of broadband is based on a realistic assessment of
needs.
v) Anticipated positive and
direct benefits to at least one directly eligible rural county as a result of
the proposed deployment.
vi) Map
of the community(ies) indicating the areas to be covered by the proposed
broadband services.
vii) Project
supports and relates to the overall planning, vision and future growth of the
participating community(ies).
viii)
Benefits of collaboration between the public sector and private sector, if
applicable, to bring about broadband deployment to unserved or underserved
areas.
ix) Existing technology
assets have been leveraged to enhance success and sustainability of this
project.
x) If the project
represents a multi-county or regional initiative, benefits and cost savings
available through regional collaboration.
D)
Program Strategy
(110 Points Possible).
Applications will be awarded "Strategy" points according to
the following scale: poor - 0.0 points; below average - 27.5 points; average -
55.0 points; good - 82.5 points; excellent - 110.0 points. In order to
determine where on the "strategy" scale a project ranks the following criteria
will be analyzed:
i) The project
represents an innovative approach to providing broadband services in rural
Georgia.
ii) The availability of
broadband service will increase entrepreneur and small business owners reach
and ability to compete successfully in a global economy.
iii) The proposed project will likely result
in the enhancement of the public workforce through the facilitation of online
and distance learning resources to support education, job training and skill
upgrades in rural Georgia.
iv) The
proposed project will likely lead to direct and/or indirect local and regional
impact by:
i) expanding and encouraging
e-business with new broadband applications and services;
ii) e-commerce through selling of products
and service on the internet and sharing of best practices;
iii) attracting new
development/investment;
v) Supporting/enhancing local or regional
development strategies and priorities; and v) supporting/enhancing local or
regional institutions and quality of life.
vi) Financial and programmatic alternatives
have been considered for the proposed project and eliminated.
vii) The proposed project supports the
overall objectives of the State, GTA and the OneGeorgia Authority and supports
the State's development strategy for rural development and regional
cooperation.
viii) For
non-construction portions of a project, no similar studies, plans, documents or
technical assistance have been produced or delivered in the last two years, and
if they have, they have been used to the extent possible and/or are in need of
updating or expanding.
ix) Evidence
demonstrating that the applicant has the experience and capacity to
successfully implement the proposal.
E)
Regional Bonus
(Maximum of 100 Points): Applications will be awarded regional bonus points and
can receive larger grant amounts as described in Section 413-07-1-.09(1) based
upon a project's demonstration of significant and quantifiable regional
cooperation or impact using the criteria outlined below:
i) "Regional Cooperation" (60 Points): The
proposed project is a regional initiative that evidences either:
a) significant multi-jurisdictional
cooperation through ownership by a development authority comprised of multiple
jurisdictions or two or more counties; or
b) a revenue and cost sharing agreement or
other intergovernmental agreement by two or more counties; or
c) a revenue and cost sharing agreement or
other intergovernmental agreement by multiple jurisdictions that results in
regional impacts, benefits, or service delivery; and/or
ii) "Regional Impact" (40 Points): The
proposed project will result in significant and quantifiable public benefit and
impact in multiple rural counties. The benefits must meet or exceed one of the
following thresholds:
a) significant increase
in the service quality, reliability and/or a reduction in costs for rural
broadband customers;
b) a
substantial net increase in employment or employment opportunities (with BEST
qualified jobs);
c) a substantial
net increase in the tax-base or opportunities for public revenue generation;
or
d) a substantial increase in
educational opportunities, job training programs, workforce development or
business incubation and development opportunities.
The criteria in this rule (413-7-1-.08) are designed to
assist OneGeorgia Authority in making a decision and only constitute minimum
standards. Additional factors may be considered depending on the nature of a
particular project and its relative merit compared to competing proposals and
the availability of funding at the time of application. The decision made by
the One Georgia Authority shall be final and conclusive.
O.C.G.A. Sec.
50-34-1et
seq.
