The Missouri Department of Economic Development has released the final guidelines for its Missouri Cell Tower Grant Program. Applicants will have until July 25 to submit their applications. As Telecompetitor reports, up to $20 million in funding will be available. The monies have been made available through the U.S. Department of the Treasury Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund, an American Rescue Plan Act offshoot.
Of the $20 million in funding, $17 million has been earmarked for the construction of new towers, with the remaining $3 million to be spent on retrofitting or refurbishing existing towers. That being noted, the guidelines also declared that funding can be reassigned to the other category. If possible, Missouri would like to award all the money in one round rather than through a series of distributions.
To be eligible for funding, the applicant must be a cell tower owner or partner with an entity that is. The goal is to serve the underserved with the applicants seeking to provide 4G LTE or better connectivity, including 911 access, to populations with less than 50 people per square mile. Those who are aiming to build new cell towers can request amounts between $100,000 and $750,000. Awards for upgrading existing towers will be limited to between $25,000 and $300,000. There is a maximum award of $8 million per cycle for each applicant.
Additionally, projects will score higher when they meet certain criteria. Meeting criteria may also help attract matching funds. Applicants will fare better when they satisfy categories like “level of impact,” “project viability,” “budget,” and “locating on public land,” among others. Further details can be found on the Missouri Department of Economic Development website.
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