(a) Planning grants. The Agency may provide up to one hundred (100) percent of the funds necessary for the planning of a public telecommunications construction project.
(1) Seventy-five (75) percent Federal funding will be the general presumption for projects to plan for a public telecommunications construction project.
(2) A showing of extraordinary need (e.g., small community group proposing to initiate new public telecommunication service) will be taken into consideration as justification for grants of up to 100% of the total project cost.
(b) Construction grants. (1) A Federal grant for the construction of a public telecommunications facility may not exceed seventy-five (75) percent of the amount determined by the Agency to be the reasonable and necessary cost of such project.
(1) A Federal grant for the construction of a public telecommunications facility may not exceed seventy-five (75) percent of the amount determined by the Agency to be the reasonable and necessary cost of such project.
(i) Seventy-five (75) percent Federal funding will be the general presumption for projects to activate stations or to extend service.
(ii) Fifty (50) percent Federal funding will be the general presumption for the replacement, improvement or augmentation of equipment. A showing of extraordinary need (i.e. small community-licensee stations or a station that is licensed to a large institution [e.g., a college or university] documenting that it does not receive direct or in-kind support from the larger institution), or an emergency situation will be taken into consideration as justification for grants of up to 75% of the total project cost for such proposals.
(2) Since the purpose of the PTFP is to provide financial assistance for the acquisition of public telecommunications facilities, total project costs do not normally include the value of eligible apparatus owned or acquired by the applicant prior to the closing date. Inclusion of equipment purchased prior to the closing date will be considered on a case-by-case basis only when clear and compelling justifications are provided to PTFP. Obligating funds--either in whole or in part--for equipment before the closing date is considered ownership or acquisition of equipment. In like manner, accepting title to donated equipment prior to the closing date is considered ownership or acquisition of equipment.
(c) No part of the grantee's matching share of the eligible project costs may be met with funds:
(1) Paid by the Federal government, except where the use of such funds to meet a Federal matching requirement is specifically and expressly authorized by the relevant Federal statute; or
(2) Supplied to an applicant by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, except upon a clear and compelling showing of need.
(d) No funds from the Federal share of the total project cost may be obligated until the award period start date. If an applicant or recipient obligates anticipated Federal Award funds before the start date, the Department may refuse to offer the award or, if the award has already been granted, disallow those costs of the grant. After the closing date, the applicant may, at its own risk, obligate non-Federal matching funds for the acquisition of proposed equipment.