An email from CTC Technology & Energy reports…
In late September, USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) opened the FY2021 funding round for its well-regarded Community Connect broadband funding program. Community Connect is a competitive grant program that distributes awards to rural, unserved communities demonstrating economic necessity. Awards range from $100,000 to $3 million and require a 15 percent cash match.
Expect the program to be competitive—historically only about 10 percent of applicants have received awards. Additionally, time is of the essence: The application window is currently open and closes December 23, 2020.
The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) does not include a program budget, suggesting that there is some flexibility to the amount of funding available. In previous years, the program budget has been about $35 million. RUS has indicated that it expects to award 20 grants this funding cycle.
The FOA can be found here and the program application guide here. The following is a brief summary of the opportunity; please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
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