Three examples of eligible Capital Projects
Below are some Capital Projects Fund example projects, that Treasury presumes to be eligible projects under the Capital Projects Fund, per their guidance on the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund.
Broadband Infrastructure Projects
Digital Connectivity Technology Projects
Multi-Purpose Community Facility Projects
Broadband Infrastructure Projects
Broadband Infrastructure Projects under the Capital Projects Fund, involve the “construction and deployment of broadband infrastructure” and are “designed to deliver, upon completion, broadband service that reliably meets or exceeds symmetrical download and upload speeds of 100 Mbps.”
Treasury’s guidance encourages Broadband Infrastructure Projects that:
- Will achieve last-mile connections
- Prioritize investments in fiber-optic infrastructure where feasible
- Involve broadband networks owned, operated by, or affiliated with local governments, non-profits, and co-operatives (providers with less pressure to generate profits and with a commitment to serve entire communities)”
- The Chief Executive of the Eligible Applicant or authorized representative “consult with the statewide entity or office that oversees guidance for the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund”
- Address affordability as a barrier to full use of the internet when developing their Program Plans for their Broadband Infrastructure Projects”
- Include at least one offer for “one low-cost option offered at sufficient speeds for a household with multiple users to simultaneously telework and engage in remote learning”
Important Notes from Treasury on Broadband Infrastructure Projects
- Treasury states that “if it would be impracticable to deliver 100 Mbps, because of geography, topography, or excessive cost, for a Broadband Infrastructure Project to be designed to deliver services at such a speed, the Project must be designed so that it reliably meets or exceeds 100 Mbps download speeds and between 20 Mbps and 100 Mbps upload speeds and be scalable to a minimum of 100 Mbps symmetrical for download and upload speeds.”
- Recipients are required “to ensure that the service provider for a completed Capital Projects Fund-funded Broadband Infrastructure Project participates in federal programs that provide low-income consumers with subsidies on broadband internet access services.”
Digital Connectivity Technology Projects
Digital Connectivity Technology Projects include purchasing or installing equipment and devices to provide access to broadband internet.
These projects are available for areas that have been identified as having affordability as a barrier preventing the adoption and usage of broadband services.
Multi-Purpose Community Facility Projects
Multi-Purpose Community Facility projects are ones that build or enhance buildings designed to “jointly and directly enable work, education, and health monitoring.”
Criteria for Capital Projects
The U.S. Treasury says in their guidance that for a Capital Project to be an eligible use of funding grants under the Capital Projects Fund, each project must be sure to include the following criteria:
- Invests in capital assets designed to directly enable work, education, and health monitoring.
- Addresses a critical need that resulted from or was made apparent or exacerbated by the COVID-19 public health emergency.
- Addresses a critical need of the community to be served by it.
Case-by-case review of Capital Projects
A recipient may propose a different use of Capital Projects Fund grants by demonstrating that its project can satisfy the criteria below:
- The Project invests in capital assets designed to directly enable work, education, and health monitoring.
- The Project will be designed to address a critical need that results from or was made apparent or exacerbated by the COVID-19 public health emergency.
- The Project is designed to address a critical need in the community to be served by it.
Source:
1 – U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY. (2021, September). Guidance for the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/Capital-Projects-Fund-Guidance-States-Territories-and-Freely-Associated-States.pdf
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