Broadband Technical Assistance | RUS BTA 2023

Opportunity Information: Apply for RUS BTA 2023

The Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) opportunity is a competitive federal funding program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through its Rural Utilities Service (RUS), which sits within USDA Rural Development. For Fiscal Year 2023, RUS opened this program to support efforts that help expand broadband in rural areas, not by directly building networks, but by funding the planning, expertise, training, and support work that communities and providers often need before construction or major deployment can happen. Awards are made as cooperative agreements, meaning the federal agency may remain more actively involved than it would under a typical grant, and the work is expected to align closely with program goals and requirements.

The core purpose of BTA is to fund technical assistance and training that either helps an eligible entity receive broadband-related support or deliver that support to others. In practical terms, the program is aimed at the front-end and capacity-building steps that can determine whether a rural broadband project is viable and fundable. Examples specifically mentioned include feasibility studies to evaluate options and costs, network design work to plan the technical build, and the development of broadband financial assistance applications (in other words, preparing strong applications for construction or deployment funding that might come from other state or federal programs). The focus is on clearing common barriers in rural broadband projects, such as limited engineering capacity, lack of planning dollars, weak grant-writing resources, or insufficient organizational readiness.

USDA highlights several priorities it wants applicants to advance through their projects. One is supporting economic recovery in rural communities by improving infrastructure and creating more and better market opportunities, reflecting the idea that broadband is tied to jobs, small business growth, education, and access to services. Another priority is equity and access, emphasizing that all rural residents should be able to benefit from Rural Development programs and the projects those programs fund. A third priority is climate-related: reducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to climate change impacts, framed through economic support for rural communities. Applicants are encouraged to shape their technical assistance efforts so they clearly connect to these outcomes, such as by designing projects that expand access for underserved populations, strengthen local institutions, or support more resilient infrastructure planning.

A notable feature of the announcement is the encouragement to coordinate with the Rural Partners Network (RPN). RPN is described as an all-of-government initiative intended to make federal support more community-centered and locally driven in rural places. Applicants are encouraged to include RPN Community Networks in their proposals, either as collaborators or as recipients of technical assistance services. The notice points to 36 RPN Community Networks across ten states and Puerto Rico and directs interested applicants to Rural.gov for locations, with an email contact (RuralPartnersNetwork@usda.gov) to request connection details and explore potential fit for collaboration.

In terms of who can apply, eligibility is broad and includes many types of public, nonprofit, academic, and private organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; 501(c)(3) nonprofits (excluding higher education institutions); and both for-profit organizations (including small businesses and for-profits other than small businesses). This range suggests the program is designed to support both community-led planning efforts and technical assistance providers that may serve multiple rural communities.

Key administrative details include that this is a discretionary funding opportunity under Assistance Listing (CFDA) number 10.752, with activity areas that include business and commerce, community development, and regional development, and it is associated with Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) themes. The opportunity number is RUS BTA 2023. The announcement was created on April 19, 2023, with an original application deadline of June 20, 2023. USDA anticipated making about 25 awards, with an award ceiling of up to $1,000,000 per award.

Applicants are directed to follow the Broadband Technical Assistance Application Guide and related program resources hosted on the USDA Rural Development BTA program webpage, and to consult the formal Funding Opportunity Announcement published in the Federal Register (document 2023-08233) for the full set of requirements, submission instructions, and compliance expectations. This emphasis signals that application format, required attachments, and program-specific rules matter, and applicants are expected to build proposals that closely track the guide and the FOA language.

• The Department of Agriculture, Rural Utilities Service in the business and commerce, community development, infrastructure investment and jobs act (iija), 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 Apr 19, 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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 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.

Apply for RUS BTA 2023

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