Community Connect Grant Program | RDRUS CC 2019

Opportunity Information: Apply for RDRUS CC 2019

The Community Connect Grant Program is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Utilities Service (RUS), designed to bring first-time broadband service to rural, economically challenged communities that currently lack broadband access. The core purpose is to fund projects that will deploy broadband infrastructure and deliver service at or above the program's required Broadband Grant Speed to every premise in the proposed funded service area. By focusing on "community-oriented connectivity," the program aims to do more than extend internet lines; it targets practical community outcomes such as local economic growth, better educational access, and improved health care options in rural regions.

A central feature of the program is prioritization based on need. RUS indicates it will give priority to rural areas that demonstrate the greatest need for broadband services, using evaluation criteria laid out in the program materials and governing rules. The formal regulatory framework for the program is found at 7 CFR part 1739, which applicants are expected to follow closely. The notice also highlights a terminology update from the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-334): the defined term "Critical Community Facilities" has been renamed to "Essential Community Facilities." This change is presented as a naming update only, with no substantive change to what the term means for project planning and eligibility.

Eligible applicants are broad and include many types of public, nonprofit, and private entities. Specifically, eligibility includes state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); private institutions of higher education; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. This wide eligibility is meant to accommodate the reality that rural broadband projects are often led by a mix of local governments, cooperatives, nonprofits, schools, and private providers depending on local capacity and market conditions.

For the FY 2019 funding round referenced in the source data (Funding Opportunity Number RDRUS CC 2019; CFDA 10.863), the program anticipated making about 15 awards, with an award ceiling of $3,000,000 per grant. The application window in the provided listing opened around February 12, 2019, with an original closing date of April 15, 2019. As with many federal grant programs, the listing emphasizes that applicants should follow the specific instructions in the FY 2019 Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide and consult the program's supporting resources on the USDA Rural Development website. It also makes clear that any costs incurred while developing an application are borne by the applicant, meaning there is no reimbursement for proposal development work if an award is not made.

Finally, the opportunity is framed within USDA's broader rural prosperity goals. The agency signals that it is looking for projects that produce measurable results and strengthen rural communities through infrastructure investment, partnerships, and innovation. The notice connects proposed projects to a set of high-level strategies: achieving e-Connectivity for Rural America, developing the rural economy, harnessing technological innovation, supporting a rural workforce, and improving quality of life. In practical terms, strong applications are expected to show not only how broadband will be deployed and sustained, but also how the project will translate connectivity into concrete community benefits, especially in places that have been left out of existing broadband markets.

• The Department of Agriculture, Utilities Programs in the business and commerce, community development, regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Community Connect Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.863.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 12, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 15, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have 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.

Apply for RDRUS CC 2019

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: