The Virgin Islands Broadband Office (VIBO), a division under the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget (OMB), has announced the extension of the application deadline for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant. Interested entities now have until May 23, 2025, to submit their applications.
Earlier this month, VIBO initially opened the application process for the BEAD grant, offering substantial funding opportunities of up to $500,000. This grant is available to qualified nonprofit organizations, private businesses, and public agencies. The primary objective of the BEAD grant initiative is to bridge the digital divide across the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Grant recipients will be able to utilize these funds to enhance a wide array of internet literacy and broadband accessibility projects. These initiatives must align with three Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) issued by VIBO earlier in April: Workforce Development Trainings and Explorations for Broadband, the Community Digital Competency Initiative, and the Economic Transformation Initiative. These detailed NOFOs can be reviewed online at omb.vi.gov.
The BEAD grant aims to empower community organizations to modernize their existing facilities by investing in updated hardware and technology. Moreover, the grant provides flexibility for inventive collaborations, according to the release.
VIBO strongly encourages prospective applicants to leverage this extended deadline, emphasizing the collective potential for public and private sector collaborations to enhance digital literacy and innovation. “Together with the support of public and private sector digital literacy and innovation champions VIBO looks forward to facilitating workforce development initiatives that will provide Virgin Islanders with marketable 21st Century skills,” according to the announcement.
Entities with further questions or needing additional assistance regarding the application process are urged to reach out directly to the Office of Management and Budget by calling (340) 774-0750 or sending an email to [email protected].
British Caribbean News