Solicitation No. 2025-MBI-10

Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, on behalf of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (“MBI”) is issuing this Solicitation for the Launchpad Program (Solicitation No.2025-MBI-10) to solicit responses from qualified entities (“Respondents”). MBI seeks to award grants to qualified Respondents to implement digital equity initiatives in one or more of the six Digital Equity initiative areas described in Section 2.2 of this Solicitation. The submissions of all Respondents shall be compared and evaluated pursuant to the evaluation criteria set forth in this Solicitation.

As part of the first allocation of the federal 2024 Digital Equity Act (“DEA”) Capacity Grant Program administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (“NTIA”), the Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development (“EOED”) has delegated MBI as the grantmaking entity for approximately $9.44 million of funding within the Launchpad Program. The Launchpad Program builds on the success of MBI’s Digital Equity Partnerships Program and intends to address gaps in MBI’s current set of digital equity-focused grant making activities.

To close these gaps, MBI will prioritize Launchpad Program funding to entities reaching residents in select geographies and impacting specific populations, as follows:

  • Priority Geographic Locations: Barnstable, Bristol and Worcester County.
  • Priority Covered Populations: Incarcerated/formerly incarcerated individuals, residents with language barriers and veterans.

Entities eligible to respond to this Solicitation are as follows:

  • Nonprofit Organizations, including community-based organizations
  • Municipalities
  • Regional Planning Agencies
  • Philanthropic Foundations
  • State Agencies or Quasi-Governmental Entities
  • Educational or Healthcare Providers
  • Community Action Agencies

Full details included in the solicitation linked below.

Team Lead:Caitlin Schubert, proposals@masstech.org
Date Issued:Wednesday, February 25, 2025
Respondent's Conference:Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. Recording | Slides
Questions Due:Friday, March 14, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Submit Questions
Answers to Questions Posted:Friday, March 21, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Q&A Document
Concept Papers Due:Friday, April 25, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.  Submit
Invitation to Submit Full Applications:Monday, May 12, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.
Full Applications Due:Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
Notification of Award: Anticipated September 2025

Download Application Documents:

Submit Here