CASF Rural and Urban Regional Broadband Consortia Account

Program OverviewNEW

The California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) Rural and Urban Regional Broadband Consortia Account offers grants to eligible consortia to facilitate deployment of broadband services by assisting CASF broadband infrastructure grant applicants in the project development or application process. This includes applicants to the CASF Infrastructure Account, Federal Funding Account, and other relevant programs approved under Senate Bill 156. Public Utilities Code section 281 is the guiding statute for the CASF. For historical background on the Consortia Account, please see the program's history.

The program rules and requirements are set in the CPUC’s November 20, 2025 Decision 25-11-003. Specifically, see:

EligibilityNEW

An eligible consortium (including Regional Tribal Consortium) that can apply for Consortia Account funds may include representatives of organizations including, but not limited to: Local and Regional Governments, Tribal Governments and Tribal Organizations, Public Safety, Elementary and Secondary Education, Healthcare, Libraries, Postsecondary Education Institutions, Community-based Organizations, Tourism, Parks and Recreation, Agricultural, Business, Workforce Organizations, and Air-pollution Control or Air-quality Management Districts. An eligible consortium is not required to have as its lead fiscal agent an entity with a certificate of public convenience and necessity, and the fiscal agent may, for example, be a local public agency, tribal government, or other qualified nonprofit or for-profit organization with experience assisting tribal or local governments with telecommunications and/or grant-writing.

Applying for Funds

The application window for the Consortia Account will be announced by December 19th, 2025. When the application window opens, both existing and newly formed consortia organizations may submit applications requesting grant funding.

Administrative Manual, Application Package, and Reporting Forms: 

      Active Consortia Grants

      2026 Grant CycleNEW

      The CPUC will announce by December 19th, 2025 the application cycle for the 2026 Grant Cycle. 

      2022 Grant Cycle 

      The CPUC opened an application cycle on June 1, 2022 for the Consortia Account and received several applications by the July 15, 2022 deadline. On January 12, 2023, the CPUC awarded grants to consortia applicants in Resolution T-17778. The awarded consortia's Proposed Work and Performance Metrics Plans show the work activities, deliverables, performance measures and method for tracking, responsible parties, and other items. 

      CASF Consortia Regions Map: Shows the consortia regions from the 2022 Grant Cycle (Grants Approved in 2023)

      Consortia Contact Information: Provides a list of consortia with active grants and consortia contact information.

      Resources for Consortia

      Consortia organizations may want the following links useful:

      Payment Request Process for Consortia: All grantees must now use the Electronic Claims and Applications Portal (eCAP) to submit payment requests for their CASF grants. Grantees should no longer submit payment requests to the public email. The eCAP is available at: https://ecap.cpuc.ca.gov/s/.

      Grant Cycles and Other Information

      Contact Information

      Questions about the Consortia Account? Please email CASF_Consortia_Grant_Administrator@cpuc.ca.gov.
       

      CASF Rural and Urban Regional Broadband Consortia Account