Official Site of The State of New Jersey
NOW ACCEPTING PREQUALIFICATION APPLICATIONS!
The New Jersey Office of Broadband Connectivity (OBC) is pleased to solicit deployment applications for the New Jersey Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (NJ BEAD) program. The first step in applying is to submit a prequalification application. The prequalification application is available here (Version 1.1)
The prequalification window will remain open until May 23, 2025. OBC will provide specific details regarding the prequalification and application phase timelines soon.
Updates to NTIA guidance may impact application timing or requirements, and OBC will make necessary adjustments to timelines to ensure compliance.
OBC will host a second webinar on April 29, 2025, to provide interested applicants with an opportunity to ask questions about the prequalification process. You can register for the April 29 webinar using the following link: NJ BEAD Webinar 2
Additional information about prequalification
During prequalification, potential subgrantees will provide select NTIA-required financial, operational, managerial and technical qualifications; only applicants who prequalify for NJ BEAD will be eligible to submit applications for funding.
How to submit your prequalification and application materials
To apply for an NJ BEAD administered grant, applicants must submit all their required documents to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) External Access Portal (e-Filing). This portal is also referred to as Infoshare.
Please refer to this BPU e-Filing System Walkthrough for step-by-step instructions on how to properly submit your documents. It is crucial that applicants reference the docket number TO25020078 and mark all documents as confidential before submitting, as explained in this walkthrough.
What to submit with your prequalification application
Please find below a list of documents that applicants need to submit for the prequalification phase of the NJ BEAD program:
Required Documents
Applicants are required to submit the following documents for the prequalification phase:
|
Item |
Naming Convention |
Format |
|
Prequalification intake form (template provided above - version 1.1) |
[ApplicantName]_NJBEAD_prequal.xlsx |
XLSX |
|
Resumes for Key Management Personnel |
[ApplicantName]_KeyManagementResumes.pdf |
|
|
Project Organizational Chart(s) and Corporate Relationships |
[ApplicantName]_OrganizationalChart.pdf |
|
|
Certification of Compliance with Federal, State, and Local Laws |
[ApplicantName]_ComplianceCertification.pdf |
|
|
Record of Federally, State, or Locally Funded Broadband Deployment Projects |
[ApplicantName]_DeploymentProjects.pdf |
|
|
Audited Financial Statements |
[ApplicantName]_FinancialStatements.pdf |
|
Conditional Documents
Applicants should submit the following documents for the prequalification phase if conditionally applicable to them:
|
Item |
Condition |
Naming Convention |
Format |
|
Formalized Agreement with Provider Partner |
If applicant is partnering with a provider and is not a provider itself |
[ApplicantName]_ProviderAgreement.pdf |
|
|
Documentation of Past Meetings with Worker-Led Health and Safety Committees |
If applicant currently has worker-led health and safety committees in place |
[ApplicantName]_HealthSafetyMeetings.pdf |
|
|
Notice to Employees About Worker-Led Health and Safety Committees |
If applicant has issued such a notice to employees outlining their rights to create worker-led health and safety committees |
[ApplicantName]_HealthSafetyNotice.pdf |
|
|
Penalties Disclosure |
If applicant or any of its subsidiaries, affiliates, or holding companies incurred penalties within the last 3 years related to deployment projects |
[ApplicantName]_PenaltiesDisclosure.pdf |
|
|
Defaulted Projects Disclosure |
If applicant has defaulted on a previous state or federal broadband project |
[ApplicantName]_DefaultedProjects.pdf |
|
|
Qualified Operating or Financial Reports |
If applicant has exclusively operated an eletcic transmission or distribution service |
[ApplicantName]_FinancialReports.pdf |
|
|
Certification of Accuracy of Financial Reports |
If applicant has exclusively operated an eletcic transmission or distribution service |
[ApplicantName]_FinancialReportsCertification.pdf |
|
|
Proposed Organizational Structure |
If applicant has exclusively operated an eletcic transmission or distribution service |
[ApplicantName]_OrganizationalStructure.pdf |
|
|
NEPA/NHPA Compliance Plans |
If applicant has submitted NEPA/NHPA compliance plans as part of other state BEAD programs |
[ApplicantName]_NEPA_NHPA_Compliance.pdf |
|
|
BABA Compliance Plans |
If applicant has submitted BABA compliance plans as part of other state BEAD programs |
[ApplicantName]_BABA_Compliance.pdf |
|
Please note: The list of required and conditional documents will be updated for each phase of the NJ BEAD subgrant process. The list of documents provided above is for the prequalification phase only.
Request a CostQuest License
Participating entities are encouraged to request a no-cost NTIA Tier D or Tier E License from CostQuest Associates to participate in the State Broadband Challenge Process. However, obtaining a CostQuest license is not required to participate in the challenge process. This license will permit licensees to view the BSL data on a more granular level and is an important tool for analyzing areas that may need to be challenged. The process to request a license may take up to two weeks.
How to Request a NTIA Fabric License
Review the NTIA Fabric Licensing FAQ to learn about the licensing process and determine the appropriate tier license for your organization.
Tier D
Entities that participate in any federal broadband programs, including entities with reporting requirement or entities that plan to participate in the BEAD sub-granting process, should request a Tier D License. Internet service providers, for example, should request a Tier D license. Licensees will be similar to those with an FCC Fabric Tier 2 license.
Use this guide for requesting an NTIA Tier D to assist in completing the application process.
If you have any questions, CostQuest can be reached directly by emailing IFAsupport@costquest.com.