Apply for a Municipal Fiber Grant

The application period for the FY25 Municipal Fiber Grant Program will open on March 10, 2025 and close on April 10, 2025. In order to fill out the application you, will need the link that was included in FY25 Community Compact Cabinet kickoff letter from Lt. Governor Driscoll emailed in August, 2024 to your community’s Chief Municipal Executive (Mayor or City Manager in a City, Selectboard Chair or Town Manager/Administrator in a Town). Please see the designated Chief Executive for your organization before seeking to complete an application on your organization’s behalf.

Municipalities that did not receive grant awards in FY24 are eligible.

If you have questions not answered above or your organization’s Chief Municipal Executive needs assistance, please contact DLS by sending an email to Sean Cronin at croninse@dor.state.ma.us.

Application Instructions

Step 1 – Previous Grants: Choose the proper response to the questions related to previous years’ municipal fiber grant applications/awards.

Step 2 – Eligible Entity: Choose the name of your community from the drop down list.

Step 3 – Contact Information: Include the contact’s name, title, phone number and email. This should be the person who can be reached if there are questions about your grant application.

Step 4 – Grant Contract Signatory: Identify the person who would sign a grant contract if grant awarded.

Step 5 – Multi-jurisdictional application: Please check this box if this application is for a project with two or more eligible entities seeking to undertake a regionalization/shared services or other IT grant project together. You will then enter the names of the other participating entities. The participating communities should submit one joint application. The application should be submitted by the entity that will be the project lead.

Step 6 – 5% Match: Please indicate how the required 5% match will be provided (in-kind or local funds).  If you choose local funds, identify the source.

Step 7 – Purpose: Describe the proposed project, including purpose of the grant request, the capital asset needed, project objectives, and the challenges this project would address.

Step 8 – Project Impact: Choose the option that best explains the specific impact of the proposed project.

Step 9 – Benefits: Identify project benefits including efficiencies, cost savings, enhanced service delivery, and/or improved public access to local government services.

Step 10 – Sustainability: Identify any new costs that will be incurred and how the costs will be paid for or offset, including ongoing operational costs. Describe how this new initiative will be financially viable for the long-term once established.

Step 11 – Measures of Success: What defines success for this project? Describe how the success of the project will be evaluated. Include expected measurable improvements in service delivery or efficiency.

Step 12 – Fiber: Indicate (1) how many miles of fiber are being requested, (2) how many existing miles of fiber are being updated,  (3) the number of new municipal locations to be served and (4) the number of existing municipal locations to be upgraded.

Step 13 – Project Budget: Provide a realistic budget estimate for each of the categories: fiber optic cabling and associated hardware; network and other hardware, software, implementation services, and other eligible costs.  A reminder that grant requests from a single government entity of up to $250,000 or from multiple (two or more) government entities of up to $500,000 will be considered.

Step 14 – Project Timeline: Provide a timeline for the proposed project.

Step 15 – Additional Comments: Provide any additional comments that you believe would be helpful as part of the review process.

Step 16 – Map: Attach a map of the proposed fiber deployment.

Step 17 – Vendor Quotes/Supporting Documents: Attach any vendor quotes and other supporting documents.

Step 18 – Submission: Once you have completed the application, please click the Submit Form button. You will not be able to save or review your application once you hit submit. You will receive notice via email confirming your application.