I am delighted to share this opportunity from PCs for People, who have partnered with Blandin Foundation in the past with Blandin Broadband Communities and Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities…

PCs for People has the opportunity to apply for the NTIA Digital Equity Competitive Grant which would allow us to distribute even more devices to our partners and their clients over the next four years. I am reaching out to gauge your interest in further collaborating with us.

If awarded this grant, we would be able to provide our BEST category laptops for $87.50 each and/or hotspots for $30 with 3 months of service at no cost to your clients. We would need a letter of support (more info to come on this) and an estimate of how many devices you would purchase over the next four years at the above costs.

Per the stipulations of the grant, the devices would need to go to “covered populations” which are defined as:

– Households with income from the most recently completed year of not more than 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL);

– Aging individuals;

– Incarcerated individuals, other than individuals who are incarcerated in a Federal correctional facility;

– Veterans;

– Individuals with disabilities;

– Individuals with a language barrier, including English learners and those with low levels of literacy;

– Individuals who are members of a racial or ethnic minority group; and/or

– Individuals who primarily reside in a rural area.

With a tight turn around deadline of September 23 and a variety of moving pieces, time is of the essence!

Please let me know if you’re interested in further discussing this opportunity for both our organizations to help bridge the digital divide.

If you are interested, please contact Kira Welle kwelle@pcsforpeople.org or 651-354-2552.