Community Connect Grant Program | RDRUS CC 2023

Opportunity Information: Apply for RDRUS CC 2023

The Community Connect Grant Program is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) to expand broadband in rural, economically challenged communities that currently do not have broadband service. The core goal is straightforward: fund projects that will build and deliver broadband service at or above the program's required "Broadband Grant Speed" to every premises in an eligible proposed service area. The program emphasizes a "community-oriented connectivity" approach, meaning the investment is intended to benefit the broader community and not just a handful of customers. By extending modern connectivity into unserved rural places, the program is designed to spark local economic development and improve access to essential services like education and health care.

A key feature of this program is how it prioritizes need. RUS indicates it will give priority to rural areas that demonstrate the greatest need for broadband, using criteria described in the official program materials and regulations. The governing regulation is located at 7 CFR Part 1739, which sets the formal rules for eligibility, application requirements, and how awards are administered. Applicants are expected to rely heavily on the FY 2023 Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide and related resources, because those documents spell out the specifics of what qualifies, what evidence is required, and how proposals are evaluated.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of entities that are positioned to build and operate broadband networks or partner with those who can. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education); and for-profit organizations, including small businesses. In other words, the program is not restricted to public agencies only. It is open to a wide range of public, nonprofit, tribal, and private entities as long as they can meet the program rules and deliver service across the entire eligible rural service area.

From a funding standpoint, the opportunity is identified as CFDA 10.863 and is structured as a grant (not a loan). The posted award ceiling is $5,000,000 per award, and the agency anticipated making about 50 awards under this round. The original application window for the FY 2023 notice opened with a creation date of March 20, 2023 and had an original closing date of June 20, 2023. While those dates describe the specific FY 2023 cycle, the program itself is recurring, so future rounds may have different timelines and should be checked on the program website.

Applications must be submitted electronically through the Community Connect Portal available via the program page at https://www.rd.usda.gov/community-connect. The agency also makes a point that costs incurred while preparing an application are the applicant's responsibility, meaning there is no reimbursement simply for pursuing the grant. Because of that, applicants typically need to be ready before they start, with a defensible project design, clear mapping and service-area justification, and a plan that shows they can build, operate, and sustain the proposed broadband network in compliance with program requirements.

USDA frames the program as part of a broader rural prosperity agenda and encourages proposals that show measurable results for rural communities. The opportunity highlights strategic themes that applicants are encouraged to align with, including 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, competitive proposals usually do more than just build infrastructure. They connect the infrastructure to outcomes, such as enabling remote learning, telehealth access, business growth, workforce training, and other community benefits that can be tracked over time.

• The Department of Agriculture, Rural Utilities Service 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 Mar 20, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 20, 2023. (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 $5,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, 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, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for RDRUS CC 2023

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