U.S. Department of Agriculture: Community Connect Grant Program

The Community Connect program serves rural communities where broadband service is least likely to be available, but where it can make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for citizens. The projects funded by these grants will help rural residents tap into the enormous potential of the Internet. Grant funds may be used to finance the following:

• The construction, acquisition, or leasing of facilities, including spectrum, land or buildings, used to deploy service at the Broadband Grant Speed to all residential and business customers located within the Proposed Funded Service Area (PFSA) and all participating Critical Community Facilities.
• The improvement, expansion, construction, or acquisition of a Community Center and provision of Computer Access Points. Grant funds for the Community Center will be limited to 10% of the requested grant amount or $150,000.
• The cost of providing the necessary bandwidth for service free of charge to the Critical Community Facilities for two years.

Amount: Up to $11,740,000 is available. Grants will range from $100,000-$3,000,000.

Eligibility: Incorporated organizations; Indian tribes or tribal organizations; state or local units of government; or cooperatives, private corporations or limited liability companies organized on a for-profit or not-for-profit basis.

Link: http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/community-connect-grants

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