Rural Communities Broadband Fund – Checklist

Rural Communities Broadband Fund

Checklist for assessing eligibility and submitting Expression of Interest
The community is identified as being in the 10% hard to reach area covered by the Local Broadband Plan (LBP) – check with Herts County Council
The RCBF will provide up to 50% of total eligible project costs (benchmark guide £300 per premise), with the remaining funding to come from private sources. Eligible costs would include:

  • Capital works costs
  • Facilitation and technical support costs
  • Other service establishment costs, but not ongoing maintenance costs
Cash flow in place to pay up front for any works or costs.Revenues required to make the project deliverable are agreed.
Applicants must be a formally constituted group , eg:

  • Social enterprises
  • Community Interest Companies
  • Community trusts
  • Charities
  • Private Businesses (non-ISPs)
  • Other formally constituted group
That there is sufficient local need and demand for Superfast Broadband in your community.There is evidence of community engagement/support for Superfast broadband
That the anticipated approach to establishing a service is likely to be cost effective and technically sound, and wherever possible integrated with the wider public investment in Superfast Broadband infrastructure.
Solution must be capable of delivering  24Mb/30Mb to every premise
All projects under the RCBF must be contracted by December 2013.
Is the project located in an Uplands area (defined as a Significantly Disadvantaged Area)?(not a pre-requisite, but will make the application a priority)

 NB The next round for expressing an interest in the RCBF is expected to open in April 2012. It is not currently clear whether there will be further rounds.