Community Connect Grant Program

The summary for the Community Connect Grant Program grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the Rural Utilities Service, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Community Connect Grant Program: The Community Connect Grant Program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants that will provide service at or above the Broadband Grant Speed (100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up) to all premises in rural, economically-challenged communities where broadband service (10 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up) does not exist. The deployment of broadband services on a “community-oriented connectivity” basis stimulates economic development and provides enhanced educational and health care opportunities in rural areas. RUS will give priority to rural areas that demonstrate the greatest need for broadband services, based on the criteria contained in the regulation and Application Guide.The regulation for the Community Connect Grant Program can be found at 7 CFR part 1739.All applicants should carefully review and prepare their applications according to instructions in the FY 2026 Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide (Application Guide) and program resources. This Application Guide can be found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/community-connect. Expenses incurred in developing applications will be at the applicant’s own risk. Applications will be submitted through the online application system available on the program web site. The application system will open for accepting Community Connect applications on May 13, 2026. Applications must submitted by no later than 11:59 a.m. Eastern Time, June 29, 2026. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.