2026-27 Digital Divide Grant Program Round 4

The Digital Divide Grant Program will award one grant of $100,000 for rural and urban public schools and two grants of up to $50,000 each for non-profit Community Based Organizations (CBO). The grants will fund digital projects that serve beneficiary public schools/districts and non-profit Community Organizations. Projects may address gaps in broadband networks, affordability, access to personal devices and digital skills training.

The Digital Divide Grant Program (DDGP) will provide three grants for a total of $200,000. The DDGP is funded by fees collected from leases of state-owned property to wireless telecommunications service providers, pursuant to Government Code Section 14666.8. Eligible projects will serve a beneficiary public school or district located in an urban or rural low-income small school district and two non-profit Community Organizations. Projects may address physical gaps in local broadband networks, affordability, access to personal devices and digital skills training. Projects must provide a holistic solution. Grant recipients must be a non-profit community-based organization (CBO) with a demonstrated record of work in addressing the digital divide. For public schools or districts, the CBO will partner with an eligible public school or district to deploy the project. The beneficiary of the project will be the partner school or district. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will evaluate and score applications and award grants for up to three projects using the competitive process described in CPUC Administrative Letter No.33. Eligible non-profit CBOs may submit applications for grant funding. Applicants must have demonstrated record of successful and satisfactory work deploying community technology projects and/or projects to bridge the digital divide. Applicants must have an agreement with a beneficiary school or district to execute a proposed project. In the first stage of review, panelists will evaluate the baseline requirements to determine if the CBO's application can progress to the second stage of review. The baseline requirements include: The application must be complete and submitted timely. The applicant is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The applicant must be in good standing with the California Franchise Tax Board. The applicant must submit at least three letters of recommendation. The applicant must have a written agreement with the beneficiary public school or district to execute a proposed project. The applicant must submit at least two letters of endorsement per the beneficiary public school or district supporting the project. One letter is required from the beneficiary public school or district office and one letter from the beneficiary's school Parent Teachers Association. The beneficiary public school or district must be located within the boundaries of an urban or rural small school district as identified by the California Department of Education. The beneficiary public school or district must have a Free or Reduced Price Meal (FRPM) of at least 50 percent. In the second evaluation stage, panelists will review the remaining applications to assign scores on each of the following categories: Scope of Work, Experience, Budget and Overall. The application window is open from July 1, 2026, and will close on October 30, 2026. For more information on the DDGP, CBO eligibility criteria, the application process, schedules and forms, please go to: www.cpuc.ca.gov/ddgp.

Type: Grant Award: Between $50,000.00 and $100,000.00 Total available: $200,000.00 Matching funds: Not Required Funding method: Reimbursement(s) Funding source: State Deadline: 2026-10-30 23:59:00 (Pacific time) Award period: 90 Source: California Grants Portal record 184092, published by the State of California.

Eligible applicant types: Nonprofit; Public Agency

Eligible non-profits CBOs must be organized and operate exclusively for one or more of the purposes described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. CBO applicants must have a demonstrated record of successful work in deploying community technology projects to bridge the digital divide. Applicants for public schools or districts must have a written agreement with the beneficiary school or district to execute a proposed project.

Geography: The Digital Divide Grant Program is for a rural or urban small school district with a FRMP of at least 50%. The DDGP relies on data from the California Department of Education (CDE) to determine eligibility. CDE designates small districts that have an Average Daily Attendance (ADA) of less than 2,500 students; medium are over 2,500 students; large districts are over 10,000 students. The urban/rural designation is from US Census track data.