The Rural eConnectivity Program | RUS REC 2022 2

Opportunity Information: Apply for RUS REC 2022 2

The Rural eConnectivity Program, commonly called ReConnect, is a USDA Rural Development funding opportunity run through the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) that helps pay for broadband internet deployment in rural areas. The program is designed to expand high-speed internet infrastructure and service where it is lacking, with the broader goal of strengthening long-term economic development and creating new opportunities for residents, businesses, schools, and community institutions across rural America. Funding can be provided as loans, grants, or a combination of the two, giving applicants flexibility depending on their project finances and community needs.

ReConnect is backed by federal law and formal program rules. It was authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141) and is carried out under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.). The operating requirements, policies, and procedures are codified in the program regulations at 7 CFR part 1740, which were published as a final rule in the Federal Register on February 26, 2021 (86 FR 11603). This particular Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) uses funds appropriated under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (Public Law 117-58), tying the program to the federal government’s larger investment in infrastructure and connectivity.

The FOA (Funding Opportunity Title: The Rural eConnectivity Program; Funding Opportunity Number: RUS REC 2022 2) is categorized as discretionary funding and is associated with activity areas such as business and commerce, community development, and regional development (CFDA/Assistance Listing 10.752). The maximum award amount listed is up to $35,000,000 per award (award ceiling), indicating the program can support large, infrastructure-intensive builds. While the source data does not state a specific number of expected awards, the scale suggests funding is intended for substantial network deployment projects rather than small pilots.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of entities that commonly build, own, operate, or support broadband systems. Eligible applicants include state, county, and municipal governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses); small businesses; and other eligible entity types. The announcement also explicitly notes that cooperatives or mutual organizations and limited liability partnerships are eligible to apply, which matters because many rural broadband providers are electric or telecommunications cooperatives, and some projects are structured through partnership entities.

USDA highlights several policy priorities that applicants are encouraged to align with when designing their projects. These include helping rural communities recover economically from COVID-19 impacts, with particular attention to disadvantaged communities; ensuring equitable access so that all rural residents can benefit from Rural Development programs and investments; and reducing climate pollution while improving resilience to climate change impacts through economic support to rural communities. In practice, this means proposals that demonstrate clear community benefits, address gaps in service for underserved populations, and incorporate resilience-minded infrastructure planning may be more responsive to the agency’s stated direction.

Applications for this FOA were required to be submitted online through the RUS application portal hosted on the ReConnect program website. For this specific cycle, the submission window opened September 6, 2022 and closed at 11:59 a.m. Eastern on November 2, 2022, with the notice stating that no applications would be accepted after that deadline until a new FOA is published in the Federal Register. Applicants were directed to follow the ReConnect Program Application Guide and use the official forms and resources provided on the USDA ReConnect site (https://www.usda.gov/reconnect/forms-and-resources). Questions and comments were routed through the program’s Contact Us form, reinforcing that the agency expects applicants to rely on the official guide and portal processes for compliant submission.

• The Rural Utilities Service in the business and commerce, community development, iij, regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "The Rural eConnectivity Program" 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 2022-08-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-11-02. (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 $35,000,000.00 in funding.
• 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, Nonprofits that do not have 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, Others.

Apply for RUS REC 2022 2

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