NTIA BEAD Program Next Steps for 2024

By: Hailey Farrow, Marketing Manager, on behalf of CostQuest Associates

*Updated 8/23/2024

Entering into 2024, all 56 Initial Proposals for the NTIA BEAD funding program were submitted and approved by the NTIA.

Now, in late summer 2024, the NTIA has approved Initial Proposal Volume 2 for about 32 states and 3 territories.

The BEAD planning process is now moving into the latter phases of the BEAD program, and each state and territory is either in the following phases:

Challenge Process
Initial Proposal Volume 2 Approval
Subgrantee Selection Process

About the next phases in the NTIA BEAD program

Below are descriptions from the NTIA BEAD NOFO on the next phases of the BEAD program for the remainder of 2024 and 2025.

BEAD Challenge Process – Once an Eligible Entity gets Initial Proposal Volume 1 approved by NTIA, the Entity then conducts a State Challenge Process to determine the Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs) and Community Anchor Institutions (CAIs) eligible for BEAD funding to service.
- During the Challenge Process, “A unit of local government, nonprofit organization, or broadband service provider can challenge a determination made by the Eligible Entity in the Initial Proposal as to whether a particular location or community anchor institution within the jurisdiction of the Eligible Entity is eligible for the grant funds, including whether a particular location is unserved or underserved, and Eligible Entities must submit any successful challenges to NTIA for review and approval.”
BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 2 Approval—Once NTIA approves the Initial Proposal Volume 2, they will allocate no less than 20 percent of the total grant funds to the Eligible Entity. This starts the 365-day shot clock to complete the BEAD Subgrantee Selection and Final Proposal phases.
BEAD Subgrantee Selection & Final Proposal – Eligible Entities have up to one year to conduct:
- Additional local coordination
- Complete the subgrantee selection process
- Submit a Final Proposal to NTIA that describes the results of its processes.
Final Proposal Approval & Funding Release: “NTIA will award the remaining funds allocated to the Eligible Entity upon approval of the Eligible Entity’s Final Proposal, and Eligible Entities will initiate their subgrants for the remaining 80 percent of funding and any portion of the original 20 percent that the Eligible Entity has not yet awarded as a subgrant.”