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Department of Agriculture - Community Connect Grant Program

Agency/Department
Federal Agency/Bureau
Rural Utilities Service
Program Name
Community Connect Grant Program
Authorizing Legislation

Title III, Pub. L. 108-109, 118 118 Stat. 3.

Program Overview

The Community Connect program helps fund broadband deployment in rural communities where it is not yet economically viable for private-sector providers to deliver service. The grants offer financial assistance to eligible service providers that will construct, improve, or expand broadband networks in rural areas.

CFDA

10.863

Type of Funding

Discretionary

Link to application site, NOFO, FOA, or Grants.gov (if different from program website above)

Not Applicable

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) or Federal Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Type

Reissue/Renewal

Important Dates (if applicable)

Not Applicable

FY2023 Appropriations Amount

Total Amount:$82,000,000
Amount Available Towards Broadband (if specified):

Matching Requirement

Yes.

If yes, what is the matching requirement: 15 percent

Complementary Federal Funding Option

This program cannot be used as a match to other federal programs. 

Broadband-related Program Purpose/Eligible Expenditures
If "Other", Program Purpose(s)

Distance Learning and Telehealth

Speed/Technical Requirement for Broadband Infrastructure

The minimum Broadband Grant Speed is set in the Funding Opportunity Announcement.

Criteria for Eligible Recipients

The applicant must define a contiguous geographic area, located entirely within a rural area, in which broadband service does not exist. Rural Area refers to any area, as confirmed by the most recent decennial Census of the United States, which is not located within a city, town, or incorporated area that has a population of greater than 20,000 inhabitants; or an urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to a city or town that has a population of greater than 50,000 inhabitants

Grant Beneficiaries (if different from eligible recipients)

The residents and businesses within the proposed funded service area receive broadband at the Funding Opportunity Announcement’s Broadband Grant Speed. The proposed funded service area must include a community center with free broadband and provide free broadband to Essential Community Facilities for two years.

Programmatic Resources
Reporting Requirements

Additional requirements, including required reporting by grant awardees, can found in the program’s regulation, 7 CFR 1739, and on the program’s website, https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants.

Publicly-available programmatic data
Contact Information

For questions about the Community Connect Grant Program, please email Community.Connect@usda.gov or call the Loan Origination and Approval Division at (202) 720-0800.

Updated

March 2023

Funding Guide
USDA_CC.pdf (517.58 KB)