WASHINGTON STATUTES AND CODES

43.105.380 - Community technology opportunity program -- Administration -- Grant program.

Community technology opportunity program — Administration — Grant program.

The community technology opportunity program is created to support the efforts of community technology programs throughout the state. The community technology opportunity program must be administered by the department of information services. The department may contract for services in order to carry out the department's obligations under this section.

     (1) In implementing the community technology opportunity program the administrator must, to the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose:

     (a) Provide organizational and capacity building support to community technology programs throughout the state, and identify and facilitate the availability of other public and private sources of funds to enhance the purposes of the program and the work of community technology programs. No more than fifteen percent of funds received by the administrator for the program may be expended on these functions;

     (b) Establish a competitive grant program and provide grants to community technology programs to provide training and skill-building opportunities; access to hardware and software; internet connectivity; digital media literacy; assistance in the adoption of information and communication technologies in low-income and underserved areas of the state; and development of locally relevant content and delivery of vital services through technology.

     (2) Grant applicants must:

     (a) Provide evidence that the applicant is a nonprofit entity or a public entity that is working in partnership with a nonprofit entity;

     (b) Define the geographic area or population to be served;

     (c) Include in the application the results of a needs assessment addressing, in the geographic area or among the population to be served: The impact of inadequacies in technology access or knowledge, barriers faced, and services needed;

     (d) Explain in detail the strategy for addressing the needs identified and an implementation plan including objectives, tasks, and benchmarks for the applicant and the role that other organizations will play in assisting the applicant's efforts;

     (e) Provide evidence of matching funds and resources, which are equivalent to at least one-quarter of the grant amount committed to the applicant's strategy;

     (f) Provide evidence that funds applied for, if received, will be used to provide effective delivery of community technology services in alignment with the goals of this program and to increase the applicant's level of effort beyond the current level; and

     (g) Comply with such other requirements as the administrator establishes.

     (3) The administrator may use no more than ten percent of funds received for the community technology opportunity program to cover administrative expenses.

     (4) The administrator must establish expected program outcomes for each grant recipient and must require grant recipients to provide an annual accounting of program outcomes.