Are you responding to the ConnectALL Deployment Program – County Partnerships Request for Applications (RFA)?

Has the County, prior to the date of issue of this RFA (April 8, 2024), already issued its own request for proposals and/or conducted a comparable competitive solicitation process to designate internet service provider partner(s) (“Designated Partner(s)”) to serve unserved and underserved locations in its jurisdiction, AND will the County have completed its selection before the application deadline for this RFA (May 10, 2024)?

Do you confirm that the project you intend to propose for grant funding will meet the minimum performance requirements as follows: 1) a minimum of 100/20 Mbps speed available to subscribers; 2) less than 100 millisecond latency for subscribers; 3) less than 48 hours of average outage time per subscriber over any 365-day period; 4) 99.5% network availability over a one-month period; and 5) no data caps or usage-based throttling for end users?

Please acknowledge that the County is not receiving funding from other federal or State sources for the same activities proposed for County Partnerships Program funding.

Please acknowledge that County Partnerships Program funding cannot be used for costs incurred prior to an award of funding.

Enter the applicant's 'Other' not-for-profit entity designation.

Upload documentation providing proof of each of the sources of funding listed in your Funding Request Template. Documentation for Designated Partner contribution(s) must include documentation for the Designated Partner’s underlying sources of funds, not merely documentation of their overall contribution. Combine multiple files into a single PDF or .zip archive. Name your file using the following naming convention: “ApplicantName_FundingDetails_MM.DD.YY”

Provide an organizational chart in PDF form identifying all key personnel (including Designated Partner personnel) who will be involved in administering the grant and overseeing implementation. The organizational chart should clearly identify which roles are existing or new for the project and show lines of reporting between personnel involved in the project and County executives. Name your file using the following naming convention: “ApplicantName_OrgChart_MM.DD.YY”

Provide resumes (in a single Word/PDF file or .zip archive) for all key personnel that demonstrate their relevant experience and qualifications. Name your file using the following naming convention: “ApplicantName_Resumes_MM.DD.YY”

Provide a copy of the Request for Proposals or other solicitation document used to identify potential partners. If multiple documents, combine into a single PDF or Word file or .zip archive. Name your file using the following naming convention: “ApplicantName_Solicitation_MM.DD.YY”

Provide a copy of the proposal(s) submitted by the Designated Partner(s) that was selected. If multiple proposals, combine into a single PDF file or .zip archive. Name your file using the following naming convention: “ApplicantName_Proposals_MM.DD.YY”

Complete and upload the Location List Template to identify which unserved, underserved, and served locations in the county will be addressed by the proposed project. Indicate which locations were awarded to each Designated Partner, along with the proposed speeds and proposed technology to be deployed to each location (i.e., fiber optic or licensed fixed wireless). For any unserved or underserved locations that were not awarded, include the County’s reasoning. Name your file using the following naming convention: “ApplicantName_LocationList_MM.DD.YY”

Complete and upload the Service Details Template to provide details on the service tiers and pricing that will be provided to customers upon completion of the project, including the Project’s proposed Low-Cost Service Option. Name your file using the following naming convention: “ApplicantName_ServiceDetails_MM.DD.YY”

Complete and upload the MWBE Utilization Plan (see Appendix A of the RFA). Name your file using the following naming convention: “ApplicantName_MWBE_MM.DD.YY”

Complete and upload the Program Alignment Checklist to provide details on the County’s planned compliance with relevant provisions of the New York State WIRED Broadband Act and ConnectALL’s BEAD Intitial Proposal, Volume II. Name your file using the following naming convention: “ApplicantName_Alignment_MM.DD.YY” If there are any conditions, policies, and/or requirements described in the WIRED Broadband Act or BEAD Initial Proposal, Volume II that the County objects to incorporating into its agreement(s) with Designated Partner(s), specify and provide a justification for why the County and its Designated Partner(s) should be exempted from the conditions, policies, and/or requirements at issue. Note: ConnectALL may decline to fund a County and its partner(s) based on any lack of alignment between the form of agreement(s) utilized by the County versus the conditions, policies, and/or requirements that are generally applicable to ConnectALL Deployment Program forms of agreement.

Complete and upload the Waiver Request Template to identify any Program Requirements for which the County seeks a waiver, other than those already specified in the Program Alignment Checklist. For each waiver request, clearly specify the requirement the County seeks to have waived and provide a justification to explain the reason(s) for the hardship and the purported inability to comply with the requirement. Name your file using the following naming convention: “ApplicantName_Waiver_MM.DD.YY”

Complete and upload the Funding Request Template to provide details on the proposed project budget, sources of funds, cost share, and pro forma projections. Name your file using the following naming convention: “ApplicantName_Funding_MM.DD.YY”

Applicant (NYS County) Entity Legal Name

Application Point of Contact - Name

Application Point of Contact - Email

Application Point of Contact - Phone Number

Designated Partner – Entity Legal Name

Designated Partner – Point of Contact Name

Designated Partner – Point of Contact Email

Designated Partner – Point of Contact Phone Number

Designated Partner – Entity Type:

Designated Partner – Entity Type: Other (please specify)

Designated Partner – EIN (enter as digits only, no dashes or spaces)

Designated Partner – Website

Designated Partner – Total number of years in operation

Designated Partner – Total number of years in operation in New York State

Designated Partner – M/WBE Certified in New York State?

Would you like to add an additional Designated Partner to your application?

Designated Partner 2 - Entity Legal Name

Designated Partner 2 - Point of Contact Name

Designated Partner 2 - Point of Contact Email

Designated Partner 2 – Point of Contact Phone Number

Designated Partner 2 – Entity Type

Designated Partner 2 – Entity Type: Other (please specify)

Designated Partner 2 – EIN (enter as digits only, no dashes or spaces)

Designated Partner 2 – Website

Designated Partner 2 – Total number of years in operation

Designated Partner 2 – Total number of years in operation in New York State

Designated Partner 2 – M/WBE Certified in New York State?

Would you like to add an additional Designated Partner to your application?

Designated Partner 3 - Entity Legal Name

Designated Partner 3 - Point of Contact Name

Designated Partner 3 - Point of Contact Email

Designated Partner 3 – Point of Contact Phone Number

Designated Partner 3 – Entity Type

Designated Partner 3 – Entity Type: Other (please specify)

Designated Partner 3 – EIN (enter as digits only, no dashes or spaces)

Designated Partner 3 – Website

Designated Partner 3 – Total number of years in operation

Designated Partner 3 – Total number of years in operation in New York State

Designated Partner 3 – M/WBE Certified in New York State?

Would you like to add an additional Designated Partner to your application?

Designated Partner 4 - Entity Legal Name

Designated Partner 4 - Point of Contact Name

Designated Partner 4 - Point of Contact Email

Designated Partner 4 – Point of Contact Phone Number

Designated Partner 4 – Entity Type

Designated Partner 4 – Entity Type: Other (please specify)

Designated Partner 4 – EIN (enter as digits only, no dashes or spaces)

Designated Partner 4 – Website

Designated Partner 4 – Total number of years in operation

Designated Partner 4 – Total number of years in operation in New York State

Designated Partner 4 – M/WBE Certified in New York State?

Describe the County’s proposed grant funding arrangement with ConnectALL for this grant award. Will the County receive and administer funds as subgrant(s) to Designated Partner(s), or does the County propose that grant(s) be made directly to Designated Partner(s)? Who will be responsible for managing the ConnectALL grant and managing all related administrative and reporting tasks?

Describe the County’s experience with broadband planning and managing broadband and/or similar infrastructure deployment projects.

Describe the County’s experience administering State or federal grants or loans for broadband deployment or other similar infrastructure deployment projects. If the County has previously administered grant or loan funds from ESD, provide details. If applicable, explain the circumstances that led to any grants or loans that faced suspension, pause, or recission due to performance issues or non-compliance with program regulations or relevant laws.

What is the County’s proposed project management approach for monitoring deployment progress and inspecting projects to verify completion and compliance with all requirements?

How did the County identify unserved and underserved locations within its jurisdiction?

How did the County determine service areas for the solicitation?

Provide an overall timeline for the solicitation and selection process, including at minimum: the date of solicitation issue, application deadline, and date of conditional awards or other milestones indicating the selection of a specific entity (or entities) and onset of negotiations.

What outreach was conducted for the solicitation?

Provide a list of all entities who responded to the solicitation, noting which entities were finalists and which were selected.

Why is the Designated Partner(s) the optimal partner(s) to serve the selected locations? Include details on any relevant factors the County considered, including cost, time to deployment, technology solution, quality of service, past experience, labor standards, financial stability, or other factors identified by the County and incorporated into its selection process.

Provide a brief summary of any proposals that were considered but not selected, including for each: the number of locations to be covered, the technology approach proposed, and the total project cost.

Provide details on how the proposed project(s) will meet the ConnectALL Deployment Program’s Minimum Performance and Network Design Requirements. If non-fiber technology is proposed for any locations, explain why a fiber optic solution was not pursued.

Provide a summary of the operational terms for the network(s) to be deployed, including: which entities will be responsible for ownership, maintenance, and operation of the assets and over what time periods; whether broadband service, fiber strands, or other services/assets will be provided to the County and/or municipal governments; whether public Wi-Fi or other community benefits will be provided by the network; and any other relevant operational terms agreed upon between the County and Designated Partner(s).

Provide a timeline of the proposed deployment, with milestones including at minimum: construction kickoff; construction completion to 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of awarded locations; and final project testing and acceptance.

Projects funded through this Program will be subject to Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) participation goals. How will the County and its Designated Partner(s) plan to achieve the goals for MWBE participation applicable to this Program (see Appendix A of the RFA)?

Identify any conditions, policies, and/or requirements that the County would incorporate into its forms of agreement in addition to those described in the WIRED Broadband Act and ConnectALL’s BEAD Initial Proposal, Volume II.

By entering your name in the box below, you (the Applicant) acknowledge the following: 1) Applicant and its Designated Partner(s) will meet Project Requirements and Application Requirements per the RFA 2) Applicant and/or its Designated Partner(s) will work with all appropriate agencies to obtain all required right of way approvals 3) Applicant and/or its Designated Partner(s) will obtain all required permits and private easement approvals 4) Applicant and/or its Designated Partner(s) will coordinate project deployment with all utilities 5) Applicant and/or its Designated Partner(s) will obtain any necessary subcontractors 6) Applicant or its Designated Partner(s) acknowledges that broadband projects will be inspected to ensure proper design and execution 7) Applicant and/or its Designated Partner(s) will coordinate and resolve third-party or private claims a) Applicant and/or its Designated Partner(s) will repair any and all damage to private and government property b) Applicant and its Designated Partner(s) will at all times maintain an adequate staff of experienced and qualified employees for efficient performance - Applicant and its Designated Partner(s) will annually recertify compliance of its own practices, as well as those of its contractors and subcontractors, with federal and State labor and employment laws 8) Applicant and its Designated Partner(s) will at all times furnish or perform any services in a safe, proper, and professional manner 9) Applicant and its Designated Partner(s) will comply with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations 10) Applicant must submit a performance report to the State that includes the following key performance indicators, if selected to be a Grantee: a) Project milestones and percentage of project/site completion, including construction milestones, quantity of fiber deployed, problems/issues encountered, and actions taken to resolve construction issues b) Description of changes, challenges, or risks to project timeline, including environmental compliance and permitting challenges c) Detailed reporting of actual construction costs, as compared to approved construction costs d) Speed and latency test data at the address level for all locations served in the project area--including maximum download speed offered, maximum download speed delivered, maximum upload speed offered, maximum upload speed delivered, and latency e) Maps and associated data for all locations served, including all buildings/sites where service was installed f) Compliance with Prevailing Wage requirements, as determined during negotiations g) Implementation progress of Workforce Development plans h) Subscription information including the number of paying subscribers enrolled in the service, the number of low-income subscribers enrolled in ACP (if applicable), and the number of subscribers enrolled in a low-cost service plan i) Information about customers' Internet access prior to enrolling in the service including whether or not the customer had a previous fixed Internet subscription and the speed of that previous subscription j) Other reporting as required by grantor agencies 11) Applicant acknowledges receipt of and compliance with addenda to this RFA (available at https://broadband.ny.gov/connectall-deployment-program-county-partnerships)

By entering your name in the box below, you are acknowledging that ESD’s Contractor & Supplier Diversity policy will apply to this project. You are further acknowledging that you are aware of ESD’s agency-wide Minority and Women Business Enterprise (‘MWBE’) utilization goal of 30%. Please note that each project will be assigned an individual contract-specific goal, which may be higher or lower than 30%. Furthermore, you understand that, should this project receive a funding award, the Applicant shall be required to use good faith efforts to achieve the prescribed MWBE goals assigned to this project and failure to attain MWBE goal could result in grant amount being reduced.

By entering your name in the box below, you certify and agree that you are aware that your award will be reduced in proportion to the reduction of jobs and/or total project costs. Furthermore, you understand that, should this project receive a funding award, the Applicant will maintain such records and take such actions necessary to demonstrate such compliance throughout the completion of the project.

By entering your name in the box below, you certify, under penalty of perjury, that the information given herein is true and correct in all respects for the organization applying for funding (the "Applicant") and its Designated Partner(s), presently and for the past five years: 1) The Applicant and its Designated Partner(s) are not a party to any litigation or any litigation is not pending or anticipated that could have an adverse material effect on the Applicant or its Designated Partner(s)’ financial condition 2) The Applicant and its Designated Partner(s) do not have any contingent liabilities that could have a material effect on their solvency 3) The Applicant and its Designated Partner(s), their affiliates or any member of their management or any other concern with which such members of management have been officers or directors, have never been involved in bankruptcy, creditor's rights, or receivership proceedings or sought protection from creditors 4) The Applicant and its Designated Partner(s) are not delinquent on any of their state, federal or local tax obligations 5) No principal, officer, owner, majority stockholder, or member of the management of the Applicant or its Designated Partner(s) has been charged or convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, indicted, granted immunity, convicted of a crime or subject to a judgment, or the subject of an investigation, whether open or closed, by any government entity for a civil or criminal violation for: (i) any business-related activity including, but not limited to, fraud, coercion, extortion, bribe or bribe receiving, giving or accepting unlawful gratuities, immigration or tax fraud, racketeering, mail fraud, wire fraud, price fixing or collusive bidding; or (ii) any crime, whether or not business related, where the underlying conduct relates to truthfulness, including but not limited to, the filing of false documents or false sworn statements, perjury or larceny 6) The Applicant and its Designated Partner(s), or any of their affiliates, principal owners, or Officers, have not received a violation of State Labor Law deemed "willful" 7) The Applicant and its Designated Partner(s) have never been cited for a violation of State, Federal, or local laws or regulations with respect to labor practices, hazardous wastes, environmental pollution or other operating practices 8) There are not any outstanding judgments or liens pending against the Applicant or its Designated Partner(s), other than liens in the normal course of business 9) The Applicant and its Designated Partner(s), and any of their affiliates, principal owners, or officers, have not been the subject of any judgments, injunctions, or liens including, but not limited to, judgments based on taxes owed, fines and penalties assessed by any governmental agency, or elected official against the Applicant or its Designated Partner(s) 10) The Applicant and its Designated Partner(s), or any of their affiliates, principal owners, or officers, have not been investigated by any governmental agency, including, but not limited to, federal, state and local regulatory agencies 11) The Applicant and its Designated Partner(s), or any of their affiliates, principal owners, or officers, have not been debarred from entering into any government contract; been found non-responsible on any government contract; been declared in default or terminated for cause on any government contract; been determined to be ineligible to bid or propose on any contract; been suspended from bidding on any government contract; received an overall unsatisfactory performance rating from any government agency on any contract; or agreed to a voluntary exclusion from bidding or contracting on a government contract 12) The Applicant and its Designated Partner(s), or any of their affiliates, principal owners, or officers, have not failed to file any of the required forms with any government entity regulating the Applicant or its Designated Partner(s) By entering your name in the box below, you agree to allow the Department of Taxation to share the Applicant and its Designated Partner(s)’ tax information with ESD. By entering your name in the box below, you agree to allow the Department of Labor to share tax and employer information with ESD. Note: If any of the statements above are not true, in addition to entering your name, also include an explanation in the box below, indicating which issue you are addressing.

By entering your name in the box below, you certify that you are authorized on behalf of the Applicant and its governing body to submit this application. You further certify that all of the information contained in this application and in all statements, data and supporting documents which have been made or furnished for the purpose of receiving assistance for the project described in this application, are true, correct and complete to the best of your knowledge and belief. You acknowledge that offering a written instrument knowing that the written instrument contains a false statement or false information, with the intent to defraud the State or any political subdivision, public authority, or public benefit corporation of the State, with the knowledge or belief that it will be filed with or recorded by the State or any political subdivision, public authority, or public benefit corporation of the State, constitutes a crime under New York State Law.