Announcing Recent Federal Access Center Support for Applications to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)’s Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program

We’re excited to announce our support for five projects in coal-impacted communities across the nation for their applications to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)’s Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program. As one of three Digital Equity Act programs, the Competitive Grant Program will award $1.25 billion in funds to support projects that promote digital equity and advance greater broadband adoption.

The Just Transition Fund is proudly supporting collaborative projects via the following organizations:

• East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG): Covering 14 counties in East Texas, ETCOG is collaborating with regional partners to address broadband infrastructure needs designed to help the businesses in each county grow and thrive.

• United Way of Pennsylvania (UWP): By leaning on a network of trusted community-based partners to integrate digital skill development into existing programming, UWP’s project will establish a consulting corps to support nonprofit organizations in rural Pennsylvania communities in enhancing digital literacy and skill-building.

• Virginia Community Action Partnership (VACAP): VACAP’s project will establish the Virginia Digital Empowerment Collaborative, a project designed in partnership with local community action agencies to implement digital literacy and skills training.

• Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR): SOAR’s project will establish the Appalachian Digital Career Academy in Jackson, Kentucky, which will help Eastern Kentuckians outside of the workforce leverage connectivity and digital skills to gain meaningful employment.

• United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania: This regional project will establish PA LEAP (Pennsylvania Leading Digital Access Program), which will develop a Digital Navigation Network and a Digital Skills Network, both designed to enhance digital equity throughout southwestern Pennsylvania. 

Through our Federal Access Center, we help coal communities overcome barriers to accessing federal funds – high matching requirements, time-intensive application processes – and leverage historic amounts of available funding to strengthen local economies. If you are working in a transitioning coal community and need assistance applying for federal funds, please fill out this brief inquiry form to get started.