The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces the acceptance of applications for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) to support the development and improvement of infrastructure in rural areas.
Donor Name: Rural Utilities Service
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/20/2023
Size of the Grant: $1,000,000
Details:
The purpose of broadband technical assistance (BTA) is to encourage the expansion of broadband services in rural areas by awarding cooperative agreement funding to eligible entities. This funding supports the delivery of technical assistance and training to rural communities in need of broadband and rural broadband providers.
To further the mission of expanding economic opportunities and improving the quality of life for rural residents, they invest across a broad range of sectors, including electric, renewable energy, and telecommunications.
The types of activities BTA funding supports include project planning and community engagement, financial sustainability, environmental compliance, construction planning and engineering, accessing federal resources, and data collection and reporting.
The Agency encourages applicants to consider projects that will advance the following key priorities.
- Assisting rural communities recover economically through more and better market opportunities and through improved infrastructure;
- Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to RD programs and benefits from RD funded projects; and
- Reducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change through economic support to rural communities.
Funding Information
Applicants must choose one funding category for consideration.
- Up to $7.5 million is available for technical assistance providers. The minimum award is $50,000, and the maximum award is $1 million. Those applying under this funding category must propose to deliver broadband technical assistance that will benefit rural communities.
- Up to $7.5 million is available for technical assistance recipients. The minimum award is $50,000, and the maximum award is $250,000. Those applying under this funding category must be beneficiaries of broadband technical assistance.
- Up to $5 million is available for projects supporting cooperatives. The minimum award is $50,000, and the maximum award is $1 million. Those submitting an application under this category must propose a project supporting the establishment or growth of broadband cooperatives that will benefit rural communities.
Eligible Project Purposes
Broadband technical assistance provides financial assistance to technical assistance providers and rural communities to promote the expansion of broadband service into eligible rural areas. For the purposes of BTA, they use the following criteria to define a rural area:
- Any area not located within a city, town, or incorporated area that has a population greater than 20,000 inhabitants
- An urbanized area adjacent to a city or town with a population greater than 50,000, as confirmed by the most recent decennial U.S. Census. Rural areas exclude certain populations as noted in 7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(1
Recipients must use funds to support BTA activities, which include:
- Helping rural communities, cooperatives, consultants, or other entities identify and plan for delivering broadband service to rural areas
- Identifying public and private resources to finance broadband facilities
- Preparing feasibility studies, financial forecasts, market surveys, environmental studies, and technical design information to support broadband services
- Preparing reports and surveys necessary to document the need for broadband services, determine price ranges, and request financial assistance
- Analyzing and improving broadband facilities management and operations, including implementing automation, adopting new software, conducting training, and determining efficiency Your proposed project must include a component that allows for active participation and substantial involvement by USDA RD staff. Your application must contain examples of measurable, substantial involvement including:
- Development of training sessions and outreach materials
- Joint gatherings of community members, partners, and stakeholders
- Joint delivery of training for USDA RD programs
- Joint efforts to form new broadband cooperatives and support existing cooperative efforts to expand broadband service into rural areas
Eligibility Criteria
- Special district governments
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- County governments
- State governments
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- Small businesses
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- City or township governments
- Independent school districts
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Additional Information on Eligibility
- Cooperatives
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
