Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 3, March 20, 2024
A. Budget and
Narrative
1. The project budget should reflect
all eligible project costs. The project budget should include the minimum
provider funding match of at least 25 percent, any local government funding
match from a parish, municipality, and/or school board, or any instrumentality
thereof, as well as in-kind contributions, and the requested GUMBO grant
program funding.
2. Matching funds,
and their associated sources, shall be detailed within the project budget and
budget narrative. Eligible grant recipients are required to provide at least 25
percent matching funds of the total proposed project cost to participate in the
GUMBO grant program. A local government, including a parish, municipality, or
school board, or any instrumentality thereof, may provide matching funds for a
project, in addition to the applicant. Local government matching funds are
optional and not required. There is no limitation on the minimum or maximum
percentage of a project's total cost that a local government may provide
through a funding match. In-kind contributions to the project by a local
government should also be listed in the project budget and budget narrative, if
applicable.
3. Project funds (GUMBO
grant funds and matching funds) shall be utilized for the deployment phase of
the project, not the subsequent years of service. In addition, eligible project
costs do not include recurring operating or maintenance costs, or sales and
marketing of services.
B.
Total Project/Infrastructure Cost
1. Costs
directly related to the construction of broadband infrastructure for the
extension of broadband service, including installation, acquiring or updating
easements, backhaul infrastructure, and testing costs are infrastructure costs
and therefore considered eligible project costs. The term does not include
overhead or administrative costs.
NOTES:
A project that is primarily engaged in middle-mile, backhaul
infrastructure, or similar work is not an eligible project. The inclusion of
middle-mile, backhaul, or similar capacity is permissible in an eligible
project, if the capacity does not otherwise exist and is necessary for the
project's last-mile broadband connectivity to end-users.
Applicants are encouraged to utilize vertical assets already
in place or easily installed (poles, small monopoles, repeaters, etc.) as much
as possible. Including new macro towers in a project may create lengthy
construction timelines, especially around land purchase and environmental
regulations.
C.
Total Project/Infrastructure Cost-per prospective broadband recipient
D. GUMBO Cost-per prospective broadband
recipient
E. Proof of Funding
Availability
1. Applicants must submit a
signed letter of funding availability from each source of funds committed for
the project. If loan or other grant funds are pledged, a loan/grant commitment
letter from each source of funds must be included.
2. Should an applicant be an awardee of
Universal Service, Connect American Phase II, Rural Digital Opportunity Fund,
or other public funds for the deployment of broadband service, the applicant
shall attest as to whether or not the applicant's GUMBO application and
associated project's buildout is dependent upon such awarded funds.
3. The applicant shall indicate whether the
applicant, a subsidiary or affiliate of the applicant, or the holding company
of the applicant has ever filed for bankruptcy.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
Promulgated in accordance with R.S.
51:2370-2370.16.
