MiCTA K-12/Library Technology Innovation Grant
MiCTA is a national, member-based non-profit organization created in 1982 that supports and advocates
for the technology needs of its more than 7,000 members in all 50 states. MiCTA members include
higher education institutions, K-12 education organizations, libraries, healthcare providers, state and
municipal governing units, and non-profit, religious and charitable organizations.
For the benefit of its members, MiCTA has negotiated exceptional pricing with nationally recognized
product and service providers on telecommunications services, technology products, networking
services, and specialty services that address the specific technology needs of its growing membership.
Currently, MiCTA administers more than 50 contracts that provide discounts on products and services,
including:











Telecommunications
Voice over IP
IP Networking
Cellular and Wireless
Fixed Wireless
Specialty Technology Services
Equipment Purchases
Learning Management Systems
Emergency Notification Systems
Video Integration Services
E-rate Consulting Services
MiCTA contracts incorporate a wide range of technology products and services that can be used to
introduce significant innovations that deliver technology and related services to its members,
particularly in education.
As an organization dedicated to the promotion of technology, MiCTA is mindful that funding can be an
obstacle to the development of new and innovative applications of technology. To help overcome the
barrier of cost for its K-12 and Library education members, the MiCTA Board of Directors has authorized
the creation of a grant program that seeks to help its members to take meaningful advantage of MiCTA
products and services.
Although MiCTA is a non–profit organization with limited funds, the MiCTA board wants to document
innovative uses of technology in education, and to share these documentations with its members
through the publishing of the case studies produced by these grants.
The MiCTA K-12/Library Technology Innovation Grant program seeks to provide up to $25,000 in
matching funds to MiCTA member K-12 and Library organizations whose proposals can demonstrate a
new or innovative use of technology designed to enhance the education of K-12 students or library
patrons. Winning proposals are intended to serve as models for other members to show how
technologies can be used innovatively in K-12 education.
2 2013 MiCTA K12/Library Technology Innovation Grant Application Guidelines
MiCTA K-12/Library Technology Innovation Grant
1. To be eligible for a MiCTA K-12/Library Technology Innovation grant, the applicant must
meet all of the following criteria:






Applicant is a MiCTA K-12 school, school district, Intermediate School District, State
Department of Education, library, district library or library cooperative member in good
standing. Completed membership application and dues may be submitted at the time
the grant application is submitted. For more information about MiCTA membership,
please visit www.mictatech.org .
Applicant must submit a completed grant application with all requested information
provided.
Grant recipient must authorize MiCTA to post the final project report on MiCTA’s web
site and otherwise publish and publicize the reports and results of the project.
The proposed project must be technically acceptable to the grant committee. To qualify,
the proposal must advance a project that is new, interesting, solves an existing
technology-related problem, provides a model solution that is easily replicated or
transferred, or demonstrates a highly innovative use of technology in education. Library
proposals must demonstrate an innovation or solution that is designed primarily for the
benefit of patrons under the age of 18. While the Evaluation Committee will consider
supporting technology that is already in use by the applicant, proposals that develop
new applications or solutions using products or services under contract with MiCTA will
be strongly preferred.
MiCTA has established relationships with technology product and service providers that
enable MiCTA members to take advantage of significant discounts on a wide variety of
technology and telecommunications products and services. These products and services
have been thoroughly reviewed by independent evaluators as part of the MiCTA RFP
process. To ensure that the awarded projects provide a showcase for MiCTA
technologies, the proposed solutions must use products or services from approved
MiCTA vendors.
MiCTA grant funding may not be used for personnel salaries and/or benefits, other
overhead, rent, ongoing programmatic support or normal operational expenses. The use
of MiCTA funding is limited to the purchase of products or services from MiCTA vendors.
2. The maximum grant award from MiCTA is half of the total project cost up to $25,000.
Applicants must provide evidence of the availability of matching funds to complete the project
at the time of application. Applications that do not provide this evidence in the project budget
will not be considered. Strong preference will be shown to projects that demonstrate support
from multiple funding sources.
3. Grant applications are due by Monday, January 6th, 2014. The application should include a
short abstract of the project (100 words), and should be addressed to:
Tim von Hoff, Chief Operating Officer
MiCTA
4805 Towne Centre, Suite 100
Saginaw, MI 48604
The Letter of Intent may also be submitted electronically to mictagrants@mictatech.org.
MiCTA will evaluate the first 50 compliant proposals for possible award. The Letter of Intent is
considered part of the grant application. The evaluation committee will not consider
applications that were not preceded by a Letter of Intent.
Award winners will be notified after review of all responses. Applicants understand and agree
that as an absolute condition of the award, MiCTA is authorized to publish, promote and
otherwise publicize the project and its results. Grant recipients must also agree to prepare a
Project PowerPoint Presentation.
4. For this period, one grant of up to $25,000 will be available to K-12 and Library applicants for
the following purposed: Technology Impact in Education or Technology Innovation in
Education.The guidelines in this document apply only to the Technology Innovation in
Education grant program. The guidelines for the Technology Impact program are published
separately and are available on the MiCTA website. Please note that MiCTA is under no
obligation to fund any submission. For this program, only projects that can demonstrate a
technologically acceptable proposal, as defined in Item 1 will be considered.
5. To apply, submit a completed application form to mictagrants@mictatech.org no later than
Monday, January 6th, 2014 by end of business day. Applicants are cautioned to ensure that all
the stated criteria in these guidelines are fulfilled and that the application is completed in its
entirety. The completed application form must remain in Microsoft Word or a Wordcompatible document format. Applications that are not presented in a Microsoft Word or
Word-compatible format will not be considered. Applicants are strictly cautioned not to
present completed applications in .pdf format. Budget attachments should be completed in
Microsoft Excel or an Excel-compatible spreadsheet format is acceptable.
4 2013 MiCTA K12/Library Technology Innovation Grant Application Guidelines
The completed application form must adhere to all word limits described for each required
element, and must not include any attachments other than those specifically required in the
application form. The committee will consider responses only up to the identified word limit.
Additional verbiage beyond the stated response maximum will not be considered. Cover letters,
biographical information and the final report outline must be submitted in Microsoft Word or a
Word-compatible format, using 12-point type and document margins of 1" or more on all sides.
MiCTA is not responsible for late or misdirected applications. Applications not received on or
before the close of business Monday, January 6th, 2014 will not be considered by the
Evaluation Committee.
6. All application materials submitted for consideration become the property of MiCTA and
cannot be returned to the applicant.
5 2013 MiCTA K12/Library Technology Innovation Grant Application Guidelines
MiCTA K-12/Library Technology Innovation Grant Application Form
Please completely answer each of the questions below in the format requested. Omissions
will disqualify your request.
1. What is the name or title of the project?
Applicant Response:
2. Project Overview:




Provide a brief summary of your project.
State what MiCTA products you propose to use in the project. See www.mictatech.org
for a list of products available.
Describe how you will address the need(s) of your project.
What is technically innovative about this project? (Minimum 300 words, Maximum 500
words)
Applicant Response:
3. Summarize the specific purpose for which you are asking for MiCTA funding. Concisely
describe how MiCTA funds would be spent. [100 words max]
Applicant Response:
4. What specific outcomes do you expect to achieve? (Describe what will be different as the
result of completing the project, and why this outcome is important. [200 words min, 500
words max]
Applicant Response:
5. Why could the project results be transferrable to other institutions? (300 words max).
Include a description of the resources other institutions would need to duplicate your
anticipated results.)
Applicant Response:
6. Provide a proposed timeline for this project. Indicate any potential challenges that may delay
or disrupt this schedule.
Applicant Response:
7. Provide any additional information you want us to know about the value of your project to
your institution and the larger community (Minimum 100 words, Max 500 words).
6 2013 MiCTA K12/Library Technology Innovation Grant Application Guidelines
Applicant Response:
8. What is the total budget for this project? (Estimate the total amount needed to support this
project in dollars. Please indicate all staffing costs on a separate line.)
Please indicate in the response space below whether your organization has applied for
Universal Service Fund dollars, and if so, please indicate the USF discount your organization is
eligible for.
Your budget must identify all sources of matching funding, and your request to MiCTA may not
exceed the lesser of half of the total project cost or $25,000. In-kind matching is acceptable.
Examples of in-kind matching can be cash, personnel, equipment, infrastructure, USF funding,
etc. Projects that demonstrate multiple funding sources are strongly preferred by the
Evaluation Committee.
MiCTA funding may be used only to purchase products or services related to the proposed
solution from MiCTA vendors.
Applicant Response:
9. What dollar amount are you requesting from MiCTA? (Note: The maximum amount that can
be requested is $25,000.)
Applicant Response:
10. Provide (or attach) an outline of the final report that will be submitted detailing the project
and the results. The final report is due 6 months from the day the project is completed. All
projects should be complete within one year of initial funding. The final twenty five percent of
the grant dollars will be paid upon receipt of the final report. Your application should include an
attached, signed statement that indicates “[Grantee], as a condition of the grant, authorizes
MiCTA to publish, promote and otherwise publicize the project and its results.”
Applicant Response:
11. Besides writing a report on your project, describe what you are willing to do in order to
make other institutions aware of your innovation? (For example: submit the report for
publication in a professional publication or journal, make one or more presentation(s) related
to the project at a specific technology conference or meeting). (Minimum 100 words)
Applicant Response:
12. Legal name of the organization according to IRS:
7 2013 MiCTA K12/Library Technology Innovation Grant Application Guidelines
Applicant Response:
13. Employer Identification Number (EIN).
Applicant Response:
14: Grant Application Contact: (The preferred mailing address is the address of the person
authorized to bind/contract on behalf of the organization. legal documents and payments must
be sent to this address*City*State/ ZIP
Name
Title:
Mailing Address
Telephone Number:
Email address:
15. Project Contact Person
Name:
Title:
Mailing Address:
Telephone Number:
Email address:
Provide brief biographies of the primary project manager and project staff.
16. Provide the year your organization was established.
Applicant Response:
17. Provide your organization's total annual operating budget. You may use budget figures
from either the current fiscal year or the most recently completed fiscal year.
Applicant Response:
18. What are your organization's mission, purpose, and focus? [200 words max]
8 2013 MiCTA K12/Library Technology Innovation Grant Application Guidelines
Applicant Response:
Your MiCTA Technology Innovation Grant Application must be accompanied by a brief cover
letter, submitted on organizational letterhead and signed by a person in your organization with
the authority to commit the organization to the budget described in your grant application, and
the four items described below.
Your application must include only the following attachments. Other accompanying materials
will neither be seen nor considered by the Evaluation Committee.
1. Signed cover letter
2. Brief biography of the project manager/contact person and primary project staff (not to
exceed 1 page each)
3. Project Budget (1 page maximum)
4. Project final report outline
9 2013 MiCTA K12/Library Technology Innovation Grant Application Guidelines