Education Innovation Station Planning Grant

New applications are no longer being accepted. Check this page for updates about this initiative.

Eligibility:

Open to CSG-qualified TV and Radio Stations.

Deadline:

April 11, 2018

Request for Applications

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) intends to provide grants of $10,000 per station to up to 50 public television stations to spur innovation in stations’ local education efforts and to enhance stations’ capacity to carry out that work. Through this grant, stations will develop a plan to develop new education services or improve existing service models to better meet the needs of their communities. The plans may target any subject area or age group, from early learners through adult learners.
Recipients of the grants will be required to participate in professional learning activities, such as needs assessment training and other similar activities, combined with an in-person training session, provided by CPB and partners. Stations should also conduct research into the education needs of their local markets, combined with research into how to best sustain their education efforts locally. This grant opportunity is not limited to stations previously involved in educational activities, and we encourage stations that have not previously engaged in educational efforts to apply. Stations that are currently participating in American Graduate and/or Ready To Learn may apply; however, work proposed through education innovation planning grant applications must be distinct from work that is already funded by CPB. To be eligible to apply for consideration, applicants must currently be CPB Community Service Grant recipients in good standing.
In crafting their plans, stations should connect their educational projects to other innovative work taking place locally, such as work being undertaken by community partner organizations, and innovative work taking place through the stations’ digital and social media efforts.
Station grantees will be required to develop project plans to fully implement their proposals. Project plans will help stations prepare to submit full proposals to CPB in response to grant submission program, anticipated to launch in early 2019. CPB funds for implementation grants are not guaranteed. Stations will be expected to solicit funds from additional sources for such proposals.

Please download the Request for Applications below for detailed information, including application requirements.
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PDF icon Request for Applications135.93 KB

Questions from Potential Respondents, with CPB Answers:

FAQ Topic: 
General
FAQ: 

If CPB does not select our planning grant for funding, are we precluded from applying for an implementation grant in 2019?

No, however, applicants that have received a planning grant and participated in planning grant activities will be at a distinct advantage.

Will stations that receive planning grants be required to submit proposals for the implementation grants planned for early 2019?

Participation in the implementation grants will be voluntary.

When are implementation grant proposals due - November 30?

If you receive a planning grant, your completed plan (not a fully developed proposal) will be due as a final project deliverable at the end of the planning grant period. We expect these will be the basis of your proposal for the implementation grant RFP that we expect to release in early 2019.

Is this initiative CPB's education priority?

These grants are a major priority for CPB in FY 2019.

Will there be other education related grant opportunities at CPB in the next few years?

We expect there will be additional education related grant opportunities in the coming years.

Will there be required parameters included in the implementation grants that are not included in the planning grants?

CPB is still in the process of developing the implementation grant parameters.

When will funding for implementation grants be issued?

We expect the implementation grants will be issued by late spring, 2019.

We would like to hire a consultant to guide our needs assessment and plan development. Do we need to name the consultant?

No, but please describe the consultant's work in the budget narrative.

Are there geographic limitations for the target area? We are a state network and would like to include our entire state.

There is no limitation; however, the region should be appropriate for the project.

What is the time-frame for the Education Innovation Planning Grants?

The time-frame for the grants will be July 1-November 30, 2018.

To whom do we address the letter from the GM as part of the Education Innovation Planning Grant application?

Please address to: Debra Tica Sanchez, Senior Vice President, Education & Children's Content.

May we submit attachments with the application?

Yes, although we would appreciate it if you compile them into one document for ease of review.

Can the grant funding support implementation or is it only for planning and assessment?

The grant may only be used for planning and assessment.

Can we use this grant to run a small pilot project or to create an app for parental engagement?

Please see the response to the previous question.

We would like to use this grant to develop a process or plan to replicate, enhance and implement the success and partnership we have with one local rural county school system regarding early learning to other rural counties in our region. Would this be appropriate use of the planning grant?

Stations may use the grant to further or enhance an existing service model with the objective of implementing innovative educational work with new partners or audiences.

What is the timeline for a second round of implementation grants?

We plan to launch the RFP in early 2019.

Can we send two core education staff members to the in-person meeting instead of our staion General Manager?

No - the station must send one project manager and one senior level station employee which could be the GM or another member of senior station leadership (for example vide president of content, education or development etc.)

May more than one person at our station apply for this grant?

No - CPB will only accept one application per station.

My CFO would like to know if the new grant is also a Community Service Grant (CSG), since applicants must provide their CSG identification number?

No, this grant is not a CSG. Stations only receive one CSG per year, and it is governed by either the Television General Provisions and Eligibility Criteria or the Radio General Provisions and Eligibility Criteria . CSGs require the signature of your licensee official and head of grantee/station. If you or your CFO have any questions about CSGs, please forward them to csg@cpb.org. The grant agreement for this grant will be governed by CPB’s terms and conditions. The grant agreement must be signed by your GM or other station representative.

Can more than one staff person at a station get access to the CPB grants portal?

Only one person at each station may have an account for submitting responses to an RFA through the portal.

May our proposal include information from educational projects with community partners that we are currently researching?

Yes, this information may be included in your proposal.

Can the $10,000 CPB grant be leveraged with other grant funds we have raised?

We expect the planning phase to cost $10,000 which will be covered by the planning grant.

If this is a planning grant, should our proposal include the process we will undertake to identify our community's needs, partners and potential impact?

The proposal should include the anticipated process. Regarding the needs assessment, please refer to Section IV in the RFA.

Can you provide more examples of the kinds of similar initiatives previously undertaken by stations?

Please review the project description outlined in the RFA.

When you say innovation, should be propose a project that is innovative to the system, or can it be a project that other stations are excelling at, but is new and innovative for our particular station?

It could be either.

Will proposals that focus on media or media creation get greater consideration for funding?

No, proposals will be judged based on the criteria listed in the RFA.

If a station has received an RTL planning grant, are we precluded from applying for this opportunity?

Please refer to Section I of the RFA. Stations that are currently participating in American Graduate and/or Ready To Learn may apply; however, work proposed through education innovation planning grant applications must be distinct from work that is already funded by CPB.

Can I view a recording of the Education Innovation Station Planning Grants informational webinar?

Approximately how much will the implementation grants be for this initiative?

Implementation grants will be dependent on several factors including the project's workscope, other sources of funding and available CPB funding.

Is this RFA limited to public television stations?

All CSG-qualified public television and radio stations are eligible to apply. Please refer to Section 1 in the RFA.

Should the travel costs to Washington, D.C. for participation in the in-person training meeting be included within the grant request?

Yes.

How does CPB define innovation

Please refer to the RFA.