There is strong interest in the Blandin Foundation’s two new grant programs. Today’s workshop in Grand Rapids was the third of six workshops offered this and last week. Remaining workshops are in Bemidji, Fergus Falls and Little Falls. Complete information on the programs can be found at on the Blandin web site.

The Light Speed program provides funding to launch new bandwidth-intensive applications. Attendees at the workshops brought their ideas for tele-psychology, home health care, services to the home schooled and other ideas. The projects will bring new partners together to meet community needs or provide new opportunities for existing partners to expand services. The relatively short time frame from program announcement to grant deadline (June 20) rewards those organizations with technology plans in place. Applications that are bandwidth intensive, reach the home user and are interactive will receive priority for funding. The maximum grant is $50,000.

Several communities have expressed interest in the Open Networks Feasibility Fund program which will provide matching funds to study the development of a new high speed network in a community, enabling multiple providers to sell retail services over the same network. Grants of up to $25,000 will be awarded; applications involving multiple communities can receive up to $40,000.

Hearing attendee’s ideas for projects and the barriers that they see to implementation reinforces the idea that the Blandin Foundation is on the right track in funding these two new programs.