Grant Details

New and Updated | Grant Search

Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) Program - FY 2024

Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture
CFDA: 10.752
Federal FON: RUS-BTA-2024
Office: Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS)
Multipart Grant: No
Next Due: 08/20/2024 (Application)
Solicitation Date: 06/21/2024
   
Match Required: No
Actual Funds: $25,000,000 (Estimated)
Summary:

The purpose of this program is to allow eligible entities to receive or deliver broadband technical assistance and training that promotes the expansion of broadband into rural areas. Funding will support technical assistance projects such as conducting feasibility studies, completing network designs, and developing broadband financial assistance applications. Ultimately, the program is intended to promote the expansion of broadband into rural areas. Funding is also available to help organizations access federal resources, and to conduct data collection and reporting.

Applicants must apply under one of the following funding categories:

  • Technical assistance providers: applicants must propose to deliver broadband technical assistance that will benefit rural communities
  • Technical assistance recipients: applicants must be the recipients of the broadband technical assistance

Project activities may include project planning and community engagement, operations, financial sustainability, environmental compliance, construction and engineering planning, accessing federal resources, and data collection and reporting. Examples of eligible projects include:

  • Identifying resources to finance broadband facilities from public and private sources
  • Preparing feasibility studies, financial forecasts, market surveys, environmental studies, and technical design information to support broadband services
  • Preparing reports and surveys necessary to support the need for broadband services and the price range, and to request financial assistance
  • Analyzing and improving operations related to the management of broadband facilities, including implementing automation, adopting new software, and conducting training; and to the efficiency of the entity

All projects must include a component that allows for active participation and substantial involvement by the funding agency in the applicant's project. Refer to page 3 of the NOFA file for details.

Applicants are encouraged to consider projects that will advance the following key priorities:

  • Creating more and better markets: assisting rural communities recover economically through more and better market opportunities and through improved infrastructure
  • Advancing racial justice, place-based equity, and opportunity: ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to the funding agency's programs and benefits from funding agency-funded projects
  • Addressing climate change and environmental justice: reducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change through economic support to rural communities

The funding agency also encourages applicants to work with the Rural Partners Network (RPN), which 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 that is community-centered and locally driven. Applicants are encouraged to include RPN community networks in their proposals by identifying community networks as collaborative partners or recipients of service. Additional information regarding RPN community networks can be found online at www.rural.gov/community-networks.

Optional webinars are scheduled for this program. Refer to the Application section for details.

Last Updated: July 23, 2024

Eligibility Notes:

Eligible applicants are:

  • Federally recognized tribes and tribal entities
  • State or local governments, including agencies and subdivisions
  • Territories or possessions of the United States
  • Institutions of higher education
  • 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations
  • Cooperatives or mutual organizations
  • Corporations
  • Limited liability companies or limited liability partnerships

Projects must promote broadband expansion in a rural area, which for the purposes of this program is defined as any area not located within a city, town, or incorporated area with a population greater than 20,000, or an urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to a city or town with a population greater than 50,000 people. Certain populations are excluded from this count. A mapping tool with additional eligibility information can be found online at ruraldevelopment.maps.arcgis.com.

All projects must include a component that allows for active participation and substantial involvement by the funding agency in the applicant's project. Refer to page 3 of the NOFA file for details.

Additional consideration will be given to projects that:

  • Target the most distressed communities
  • Serve at least one rural community with a social vulnerability index with a score of 0.75 or higher
  • Are proposed by federally recognized tribes, including tribal instrumentalities and entities wholly owned by tribes
  • Promote the expansion of broadband services on tribal lands
  • Projects proposing at least one rural partners network (RPN) community network 

Refer to pages 13-14 of the Guide file for additional information regarding these criteria.

A tribal government resolution of consent must be provided if a non-tribal applicant is proposing to assist a tribal community or communities.

Each applicant may submit only one application.

Previous award recipients include:

  • Connecting Alaska Consortium (AK)
  • Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (OK)
  • County of Inyo (CA)
  • Fleming County Fiscal Court (KY)
  • Merit Network, Inc. (MI)

Refer to the Award file for additional information on previous award recipients.

Eligible Applicants:
Local Government
Academic Institutions
Native American Tribe
Non Profits
Private Sector
State Government
Tribal Organizations/Institutions
Application Notes:

Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on August 20, 2024.

Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov. Mailed, hand-delivered, emailed, or faxed applications will not be accepted.

Applications must include:

  • SF 424
  • SF 424B
  • Narrative proposal (25 pages max):
    • Work plan
    • Organizational capacity
    • Performance measures
    • Funding category
    • Funding agency substantial involvement
  • Worksheets:
    • Community worksheet and economic need worksheet
    • Budget worksheet
  • Tribal certification (if applicable)
  • Letters of support (optional)

The narrative proposal must be submitted in .pdf format.

The following are required in order to submit an application:

  • Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
  • SAM (System for Award Management) registration

Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam.

Optional webinars will be held for this program as follows:

May 22, 2024
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET
Registration: www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register

July 17, 2024
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET
Registration: www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register

July 31, 2024
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET
Registration: www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register

Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Project work plan (30 points)
  • Organizational capacity (20 points)
  • Rurality (20 points)
  • Economic need (20 points)
  • Creating more and better markets (10 points)
  • Advancing racial justice, place-based equity, and opportunity (10 points)
  • Performance measures (10 points)

Refer to the NOFA, Guide, and AppChecklist files for additional application information.

Match Required: No
Actual Funds: $25,000,000 (Estimated)
Match Notes:

Matching funds are not required for this program.

Funding Notes:

Approximately $25 million is expected to be available to support cooperative agreements through this program. Award amounts will vary according to funding category, as follows:

  • Technical assistance providers: up to $15 million is available to support awards ranging from $100,000 to $1 million
  • Technical assistance recipients: up to $10 million is available to support awards ranging from $50,000 to $500,000

Funds will be provided on a reimbursement basis.

Awards are expected to be made by December 31, 2024.

Project periods will span two years, beginning on the date of the release of funds.

Funds may not be used for:

  • Construction
  • Activities serving communities in non-rural areas
  • Activities supporting communities with existing broadband access
  • Duplicative project costs
  • Indirect costs

In April 2024, a total of $5,248,591 was distributed via 14 awards through this program. In February 2024, a total of $9,703,138 was distributed via 24 awards. Refer to the Award file for details.

Contacts:

Laurel Leverrier
Assistant Administrator
(202) 720-9556
Laurel.Leverrier@usda.gov

Christopher Proctor
Technical Assistance Branch Chief
(202) 619-1739
Christopher.Proctor@usda.gov

Agency Address
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250

Contact Notes:

Questions should be directed to program staff, or to the appropriate telecommunications general field representative listed online at www.rd.usda.gov. Questions may also be submitted directly to the program staff by completing the form available online at www.usda.gov.

Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.

The agency address provided is for reference purposes only.

Files:
Other Pre-Award File: US18053_Webinar_FY2024.pdf (97.5 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US18053_Webinar2_FY2024.pdf (92.0 Kb)
Award File: US18053_Award_FY2024.pdf (244.6 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US18053_AppChecklist_FY2024.pdf (79.7 Kb)
Guide File: US18053_Guide_FY2024.pdf (1.7 Mb)
Other Pre-Award File: US18053_FAQ_FY2024.pdf (336.1 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US18053_FactSheet_FY2024.pdf (255.2 Kb)
NOFA File: US18053_NOFA_FY2024.pdf (263.1 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US18053_Webinar3_FY2024.pdf (85.8 Kb)
File Notes:

The NOFA file contains the full solicitation for this program. The Guide file contains detailed application instructions. The Webinar file contains information regarding an optional webinar scheduled for this program. The Webinar2 file contains information regarding a second webinar that has been scheduled for this program. The AppChecklist file contains a checklist of the application materials required for submission. The FAQ file contains a list of answers to frequently asked questions regarding this program. The FactSheet file contains a fact sheet for this program. The Webinar3 file contains information regarding an additional webinar that has been scheduled for this program. The Award file contains information on previous award recipients. Additional program resources can be found online at www.rd.usda.gov.

July 23, 2024
Information regarding an additional webinar that has been scheduled for this program has been released and attached as the Webinar3 file. The Application section has been updated accordingly.

June 21, 2024
Full solicitation information for this program has been released and attached as the NOFA file. All sections have been updated accordingly.

Grant Keywords
United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture, USDA, Rural Development, RD, community development, information technology, IT, telecommunication, rural issue, rural, rural area, rural community, rural communities, expand, expanding, expansion, high-speed internet, internet, technical assistance, technical assistance funding, TA, TA funding, broadband, broadband technical assistance, broadband TA, broadband cooperative, Broadband Technical Assistance Program, BTA Program, BTA, technical assistance project, TA project, feasibility study, feasibility studies, network design, broadband network, broadband financial assistance, data collection, reporting, access, accessible, accessibility, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, BIL, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, IIJA, connectivity, affordable, affordability, reliable, reliability, economic recovery, infrastructure, improved infrastructure, climate pollution, climate change, economic support, technical assistance provider, TA provider, technical assistance recipient, TA recipient, Native American, American Indian, Indian, Native, Indigenous, tribe, tribal, state government, local government, tribal government, territorial government, territory, territories, institution of higher education, institute of higher education, IHE, academic institution, college, university, universities, 501c3, cooperative, mutual organization, corporation, limited liability company, LLC, limited liability partnership, broadband expansion, construction planning, engineering planning, broadband resource, broadband service, broadband facility, broadband facilities, hardware, software, broadband deployment, RUS–24–TELECOM–0019, RUS
Grant Categories
Community Development
Information Technology/Telecommunications
Rural Issues