Grants / Department of Agriculture / Rural Utilities Service

RUS-BTA-2023: Broadband Technical Assistance

Closed Closed June 20, 2023 Opportunity RUS-BTA-2023 ☆ Save

This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of Rural Utilities Service notices from 2023.

• Award ceiling$1.0 million
• Award floor$50,000
• Expected awards25
• Cost sharingNot required
• Funding typeCooperative Agreement

Key dates

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses.

Cooperatives

More grants for nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses, businesses.

Is this a realistic fit?

• Past Rural eConnectivity Pilot Program awards averaged $15.7 million; this notice allows up to $1.0 million per award.
• No cost sharing or match is required.

What the grant funds

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 Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. Broadband Technical Assistance provides competitive cooperative agreement funding to eligible entities to receive or deliver broadband technical assistance and training that promotes the expansion of broadband into rural areas. Examples of broadband technical assistance projects may include conducting feasibility studies, completing network designs, and developing broadband financial assistance applications. 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. In addition, the Agency encourages applicants to work with the Rural Partners Network. The Rural Partners Network is an all-of-government program that demonstrates to rural America that the federal government can work differently to serve their unique needs in a way this is community-centered and locally-driven. RPN is a recognition by the Biden Administration that it is time to do more for rural communities. Applicants to this funding opportunity are encouraged to include RPN Community Networks in their proposals by identifying Community Networks as collaborative partners or recipients of service. Please visit Community Networks | Rural.gov for more information on locations of the 36 RPN Community Networks spanning ten states and Puerto Rico. To access specific contact information for prospective network participants to determine fit, please contact RuralPartnersNetwork@usda.gov All applicants should carefully review and prepare their applications according to instructions in the BTA Application Guide and program resources. This Application Guide and program resources can be found on the BTA website at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/broadband-technical-assistance-program.

Category: Business and Commerce, Community Development, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Regional Development.

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.

The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.