What is the PEGPETIA Grant Program and Who Approves It?
Each year, the Connecticut PEGPETIA Grant Program is administered by the CT Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), providing funds for schools, towns, and community TV stations, to make much-needed capital purchases for things like video servers, digital signage, video streaming, captioning, and multi-language translation technology in the state. The funding comes from cable franchise fees in the state (a small charge on cable TV bills that amounts to about .25% of each consumer bill). There is approximately $3.5 Million available each year on a first-come-first-served basis. Read, the sooner you apply, the better your chances of securing those precious capital purchasing dollars.
Who is Eligible to Apply for PEGPETIA Grants?
PEGPETIA Grants are funds designed to assist with capital equipment purchases at any Connecticut organization involved in community access-related activities, with the focus being on public schools and public access TV stations (also known as PEG Stations, short for Public, Educational, and Government Cable Access Stations). About half of the funding is earmarked for educational entities.
When Can I Apply for PEGPETIA Grants and When is the Application Due?
The PEGPETIA Grant Application window is between October 2, 2023 and February 22, 2024. Find the PEGPETIA grant application resources on the ct.gov website.
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What Goes In My PEGPETIA Grant Application?
PEGPETIA applications must be signed and include complete answers to all questions. You must include proposals, price quotes, estimates, or other supporting documents to justify the grant funding level your organization is requesting.
Since this funding is intended for schools and PEG access channels, your grant application must demonstrate that your organization adheres to the same rules around the prohibition of ads or commercial content, political ads, or editorial control that Cable Access TV and Community Media Centers are subject to. This is a key condition of funding the requests.
In cases where PEGPETIA funds are awarded for capital equipment purchases, the recipients must demonstrate that the users are qualified or will be qualified to operate the equipment.
What if the PEGPETIA fund runs out?
If funds are depleted during the designated window, Applications will be retained until the following quarter and evaluated when more funds are available.
The Authority reserves the right to modify grant awards which could conceivably include awarding large requests for funding over multiple years or delaying fund disbursement to match fund availability and/or preserve the 50/50 Act education finding mandate.
How Will I Know If My Grant Application Is Approved?
The Authority will notify all Applicants by mail of the grant amount awarded or if their funding requests were denied.
If My Grant Application is Approved, How Will I Get My Funding?
Once an application is approved and a decision is rendered, Grant award recipients must acknowledge acceptance of the grant award. They have 30 days to submit an affidavit to attest to the terms of that funding Decision.
Once a signed affidavit is filed, the Authority will direct that a check be issued. The Applicant will have to submit a proof of performance compliance filing. After making the expenditures, the Applicant must submit copies of receipts and proof of payments.
Do I Need to Provide an Impact Report for My Grant Funding?
PEGPETIA award recipients must provide a summary of the impact of the grant funding to the Authority, complying with the reporting requirements outlined in the Authority’s Decision, in Docket No. 23-10-02, and any Orders contained in the Decisions awarding their respective Grants.
The time frame for complying with these requirements will be stated in each Grant Award Decision. The Grant Award Decision may also include more reporting requirements, conditions or grant restrictions.
What Can I Do If My Application Is Denied?
If the grant application is denied, a new grant application may be submitted for the next available deadline.
Can I Apply For Multiple PEGPETIA Grants?
Organizations can submit multiple applications, however, to allow for a variety of requests, Grant recipients are permitted to apply in two consecutive deadlines.
How Can the Cablecast Community Media Team Help Me with My PEGPETIA Grant Application?
All-in-one video automation solutions from Cablecast Community Media help you get the most from your PEGPETIA dollars by consolidating your video automation workflow for cable channels, websites, streaming apps, and social media by eliminating the need for many additional services and hardware.
The Cablecast Team is here to help with any pricing, fact-finding, or other case-building resources you need to secure grants for video system platform installations and upgrades. We are well-versed in the accessibility benefits that these capital-purchasing dollars can unlock. Additionally, our Audience Measurement tools can provide meaningful data on the community impact of streaming content like city council and school board meetings in towns currently distributing local video content with Cablecast REFLECT Content Delivery Network.
Contact our team today to lock in current pricing for all registered PEGPETIA quotes that complete a product demo by February 2, 2024. This offer ensures that your PEGPETIA Grant dollars do not lose purchasing power between your application submission date and the time you receive your funding. Get in touch with our team today to explore our multiplatform video distribution and streaming solutions designed especially for the unique needs of community TV, municipal communications teams, and school districts.
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