Opportunity Information: Apply for RUS BTA 2024
The USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS), through USDA Rural Development, is offering the Fiscal Year 2024 Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) opportunity to help speed up broadband expansion in rural America by funding planning, training, and other forms of hands-on technical support. This is a competitive, discretionary funding opportunity, and awards will be made as cooperative agreements, meaning RUS may remain actively involved with recipients during the life of the project in ways that are typical for cooperative agreements (as opposed to a more hands-off grant). The core purpose is practical: pay for expert assistance that helps rural communities and broadband stakeholders move from ideas to ready-to-build projects and stronger funding applications.
BTA funds are specifically meant to support broadband technical assistance activities that promote broadband expansion into rural areas. The program is not framed as construction funding; instead, it focuses on the steps that often block rural projects from getting off the ground, such as early-stage analysis and project development. The announcement highlights examples like conducting feasibility studies, completing network designs, and developing broadband financial assistance applications. In practice, that can include assessing whether a project is financially and technically viable, mapping needs and service gaps, outlining engineering approaches, building cost estimates and business models, preparing environmental or permitting strategies where relevant, and packaging the documentation needed to compete for larger capital programs.
RUS encourages applicants to design projects that align with several federal priorities. One priority is supporting rural economic recovery by opening more and better market opportunities and strengthening infrastructure, reflecting the idea that reliable broadband is now foundational for small businesses, agriculture, remote work, telehealth, and education. Another priority is equity in access to Rural Development programs and in the benefits of RD-funded projects, signaling interest in efforts that reach underserved populations and ensure that rural residents can participate in and benefit from federal investment. A third priority emphasizes reducing climate pollution and improving resilience to climate impacts, pointing applicants toward technical assistance that supports sustainable network planning, resilient infrastructure approaches, and economic support strategies that help rural communities withstand and adapt to climate-related disruptions.
Eligibility is broad and includes many of the entities that typically lead or support rural broadband planning. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; federally recognized Tribal governments and other Tribal organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; 501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than institutions of higher education); and for-profit entities (including small businesses and other for-profits). This range allows both community-based organizations and technical providers to apply, whether they are delivering technical assistance directly, organizing regional planning efforts, or building capacity for rural partners to pursue broadband financing and implementation.
For FY 2024, the posted award ceiling is $1,000,000, and RUS expects to make about 35 awards. The opportunity is listed under CFDA 10.752 and is categorized under business and commerce, community development, and regional development-related activity areas. Applications were announced as being accepted with an original closing date of August 20, 2024. Applicants are expected to follow the Broadband Technical Assistance Application Guide and related program resources provided on the USDA Rural Development BTA website, and the controlling program requirements are laid out in the official Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) published in the Federal Register (document number 2024-13691).Apply for RUS BTA 2024
- The Rural Utilities Service in the business and commerce, community development, iij, regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Broadband Technical Assistance" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.752.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-06-21.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-20. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 35 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, 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, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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FY 2024 USDA RUS Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) FAQs
1. What is the USDA RUS Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) opportunity?
The Fiscal Year 2024 Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) opportunity is a competitive, discretionary USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) funding program offered through USDA Rural Development. It is designed to speed up broadband expansion in rural America by paying for planning, training, and other hands-on technical support that helps communities and broadband stakeholders move projects from early concepts to ready-to-build plans and stronger funding applications.
2. What is the main purpose of BTA funding?
The core purpose is practical: to fund expert assistance that removes common early-stage barriers and helps rural broadband efforts become viable, well-designed, and better positioned to compete for larger broadband financing programs.
3. Is this a construction or broadband deployment grant?
No. The BTA program is not framed as construction funding. It focuses on technical assistance and project development steps that often prevent rural broadband projects from getting off the ground.
4. What types of activities can BTA funds support?
The announcement describes BTA as funding broadband technical assistance activities that promote broadband expansion into rural areas. Examples highlighted include feasibility studies, network designs, and developing broadband financial assistance applications. In practical terms, this can include early-stage analysis and project development tasks needed to turn broadband ideas into well-documented, fundable projects.
5. What are examples of deliverables that might be developed with BTA support?
Examples mentioned or implied by the opportunity description include feasibility studies, completed network designs, and packaged broadband financial assistance applications. The description also points toward activities like mapping needs and service gaps, outlining engineering approaches, building cost estimates and business models, preparing relevant environmental or permitting strategies, and assembling documentation needed to compete for larger capital programs.
6. What does it mean that awards will be made as cooperative agreements?
A cooperative agreement means RUS may remain actively involved with recipients during the life of the project in ways typical for cooperative agreements, rather than operating in a more hands-off manner as is common with many standard grants.
7. Who is offering and administering this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) through USDA Rural Development.
8. Is the BTA opportunity competitive?
Yes. It is described as a competitive, discretionary funding opportunity.
9. Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include:
- State, county, city or township, and special district governments
- Independent school districts
- Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities
- Federally recognized Tribal governments and other Tribal organizations
- Public and private institutions of higher education
- 501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than institutions of higher education)
- For-profit entities (including small businesses and other for-profits)
10. Can for-profit entities apply?
Yes. For-profit entities are explicitly listed as eligible applicants, including small businesses and other for-profits.
11. Can nonprofits apply?
Yes. 501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than institutions of higher education) are listed as eligible applicants.
12. Can Tribal governments or Tribal organizations apply?
Yes. Federally recognized Tribal governments and other Tribal organizations are included in the eligibility list.
13. Can local governments and special districts apply?
Yes. The eligibility list includes state, county, city or township, and special district governments.
14. Can schools and higher education institutions apply?
Yes. Independent school districts and both public and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible applicants.
15. Can public housing authorities apply?
Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are included as eligible applicant types.
16. How much funding is available per award?
For FY 2024, the posted award ceiling is $1,000,000.
17. How many awards does RUS expect to make?
RUS expects to make about 35 awards for FY 2024.
18. What areas or categories does this opportunity fall under?
The opportunity is categorized under business and commerce, community development, and regional development-related activity areas.
19. What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 10.752.
20. What federal priorities does RUS encourage applicants to align with?
Applicants are encouraged to design projects that align with several federal priorities described in the announcement:
- Rural economic recovery: supporting market opportunities and strengthening infrastructure, recognizing broadband as foundational for small businesses, agriculture, remote work, telehealth, and education.
- Equity in access and benefits: improving access to Rural Development programs and ensuring underserved populations can participate in and benefit from RD-funded projects.
- Climate pollution reduction and resilience: supporting sustainable network planning, resilient infrastructure approaches, and strategies that help rural communities withstand and adapt to climate-related disruptions.
21. What does the program mean by supporting rural economic recovery?
The announcement connects broadband expansion to rural economic recovery by emphasizing that reliable broadband enables small businesses, agriculture, remote work, telehealth, and education, and can open more and better market opportunities while strengthening local infrastructure.
22. What does the equity priority suggest applicants should consider?
The equity priority signals interest in efforts that expand access to Rural Development programs and ensure underserved populations can participate in and benefit from RD-funded broadband-related investments.
23. How does climate resilience relate to broadband technical assistance?
The announcement highlights reducing climate pollution and improving resilience to climate impacts. For technical assistance, this points toward planning and project development approaches that consider sustainability, resilient infrastructure concepts, and strategies that help rural communities withstand and adapt to climate-related disruptions.
24. When was the application deadline?
Applications were announced as being accepted with an original closing date of August 20, 2024.
25. Where are the official program requirements described?
The controlling program requirements are described in the official Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) published in the Federal Register, document number 2024-13691.
26. What guidance should applicants follow when preparing an application?
Applicants are expected to follow the Broadband Technical Assistance Application Guide and related program resources provided on the USDA Rural Development BTA website, in addition to the requirements in the official NOFO.
27. What kind of problem is the BTA program trying to solve?
The program targets the common bottlenecks that slow rural broadband projects before construction begins, such as insufficient early-stage analysis, lack of complete network design work, and underdeveloped or noncompetitive funding applications. The intent is to help communities and stakeholders progress from ideas to ready-to-build projects and stronger applications for capital funding.
28. How does this program relate to other broadband funding programs?
Based on the description, BTA is positioned as an upstream support program that helps applicants and communities develop feasibility, design, and application materials needed to pursue larger capital programs that fund actual deployment.
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