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_ 126 Item Details($) Appropriations($) ITEM 103. First Year Second Year First Year Second Year FY2025 FY2026 FY2025 FY2026 other information, protections, or criteria determined by the department as necessary to effectuate the provisions of this paragraph 7. c. The department shall award funds on a competitive basis to projects that, in the determination of the department, are “at-risk" for completion by December 31, 2026. d. The department shall develop scoring criteria to prioritize eligible applications that (i) facilitate broadband service to the greatest number of unserved/underserved contiguous locations per mile; (ii) include a match from the project's private sector partner, which will be determined by the department; (iii) will accelerate the completion of projects; (iv) are cost effective; and (v) incorporate other criteria determined by the department. The department shall review and award funds monthly starting on September 1, 2024, and award funds no later than June 1, 2025. e. Any awards made to an eligible applicant shall be limited to a percentage of the make ready costs included in the unit of government's fiscal year 2022 Virginia Telecommunication Initiative grant application as determined by the department. In no circumstance shall the department award more than $30,000 per mile for pole replacements and/or mid-span installation costs included in any application for these funds. f. The department may award the funds provided in this paragraph 7. to supplement undergrounding costs for redesigned projects that change the deployment method from aerial to underground. Redesigned projects must be approved by the department prior to any release of these funds for undergrounding costs. The relevant provisions of paragraphs 7.a. through 7.e. shall apply for any undergrounding application process established by the department. No more than $30,000 per mile shall be awarded for undergrounding costs. M. Out of the amounts in this Item, $1,408,647 the first year and $1,408,647 the second year from the general fund is provided for administrative support for the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative. N.1. Out of the amounts in this Item, $30,000,000 the first year and $30,000,000 the second year from the general fund shall be deposited to the Virginia Growth and Opportunity Fund to encourage regional cooperation among business, education, and government on strategic economic and workforce development efforts in accordance with § 2.2-2487, Code of Virginia. 2. Of the amounts provided in this paragraph, the appropriation shall be distributed as follows: (i) $2,250,000 the first year and $2,250,000 the second year from the general fund shall be allocated to qualifying regions to support organizational and capacity building activities, which, notwithstanding § 2.2-2489, Code of Virginia, may not require matching funds if a waiver is granted by the Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board to a qualifying region upon request; (ii) $16,900,000 the first year and $16,900,000 the second year from the general fund shall be allocated to qualifying regions based on each region's share of the state population; and (iii) $10,850,000 the first year and $10,850,000 the second year from the general fund shall be awarded to regional councils on a competitive basis. 3. The Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board may allocate monies among the distributions outlined in paragraph N.2. of this item to meet demonstrated demand for funds. However, only those regional councils whose allocation is less than $1,000,000 in a fiscal year based on the region's share of state population shall be eligible to receive an additional allocation, and the amount shall be limited such that the total allocation does not exceed $1,000,000 in a fiscal year. 4. The Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board may approve grants for assessments of commercial economic development demand and current access, and to advance the planning and engineering of broadband infrastructure that are aligned with the framework recommended by the working group, established in Chapter 2, 2018 Special Session I, Acts of Assembly and shall give priority consideration for broadband technology development and deployment to facilitate the connectivity or upgrade of services to current and proposed business-ready sites in areas of high unemployment in qualifying regions. 5. The Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board may rescind funds allocated to regional councils on a per capita basis, if the unobligated balances of a regional council exceed its