Community Connect Guide FY26_FINAL.pdf

USDA Rural Development

Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide Fiscal Year 2026

Together, America Prospers

Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide 2026 2

Table of Contents

Introduction and General Information

When and Where to Submit an Application

Application Submission

Program Updates

Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD)

Important Definitions and Limits:

Applying for a Grant

Grant Processing

Applicant Eligibility

Project Eligibility

Eligible Grant Purposes

Ineligible Grant Purposes

Matching Funds Requirements

Special Matching Provisions for American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands

Completing the Grant Application

Required Application Materials

A. Standard Form 424, SAM Registration and Other Documentation

Executive Summary of the Project

B. Scoring Criteria Documentation

C. System Design

D. Service Area Demographics

E. Scope of Work

F. Community-Oriented Connectivity Plan

G. Financial Information and Sustainability

General Pro-Forma Financial Forecast Guidance

Pro-Forma Income Statement Guidance

Revenues

Expenses

Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide 2026 3

Additional Fields

Pro-Forma Balance Sheet Guidance

Liabilities and Equity

Pro-Forma Statement of Cash Flows Guidance

Guidance Related to the Pro-Forma Financial Assumptions

Income Statement Assumptions

Balance Sheet Assumptions

Proforma 5-Year Financial Forecast Workbook

H. Statement of Experience

I. Additional Funding

J. Compliance with Other Federal Statutes and Regulations

Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide 2026 4

Introduction and General Information

Rural Utilities Service Telecommunications Program

Community Connect Grant Program

The Community Connect Grant Program (Community Connect Program) provides financial assistance to install high-speed internet at the Broadband Grant Speed in rural, economically-challenged communities where broadband service does not currently exist. Grant funds may be used to: (1) deploy high-speed internet at the Broadband Grant Speed to essential community facilities, rural residents, and rural businesses, (2) construct, acquire, or expand a community center, and (3) equip a community center willing to provide at least 2 years of free access to high-speed internet to community residents. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. The purpose of this grant program is to ensure rural consumers enjoy the same quality and range of high-speed internet services as are available in urban and suburban communities.

!! BEFORE YOU GET STARTED!!

You must read:

7 CFR 1739, Subpart A and

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) published on the Community Connect Web Site and Grants.gov.

The regulation MUST be used in conjunction with this Application Guide. Should any differences result in the interpretation of this Application Guide and the regulation, the regulation takes precedence over information contained in this

Application Guide.

For additional information concerning this grant program, please use the Contact Us form located at www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants#contact.

Additional information and forms are available on our website at:

www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants.

http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants#contact http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants#contact http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants

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When and Where to Submit an Application

Grant applications must be submitted by:

June 29, 2026

Applications submission information can be found on Grants.gov.

Applications must be submitted by 11:59 am Eastern Standard Time on June 29, 2026. The online application system will disable the ability to submit the application after this time, and any application which has not been submitted before the window closes will not be considered.

Prior to official submission of applications, you may request technical assistance or other application guidance from the Agency. It is recommended that requests be made prior to June 15, 2026. Requests made after this date will be handled to the best of our ability, but be aware RUS has finite capacity to assist and may not be able to fully address requests submitted after June 15, 2026. Technical assistance is not meant to be an analysis or assessment of the quality of the materials submitted, a substitute for agency review of completed applications, nor a determination of eligibility, if such determination requires in-depth analysis. The Agency will not solicit or consider scoring or eligibility information submitted after the application deadline.

The Agency reserves the right to contact applicants to clarify information on materials in the submitted application.

Application Submission

Electronic applications will only be accepted when submitted through Grants.gov.

From Grants.gov, applicants will be redirected to the Community Connect Application Intake System (www.rd.usda.gov/community-connect).

Before applying online, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) strongly encourages applicants to obtain all necessary sign-ups, credentials and authorizations for the systems required during the applications process well in advance of the deadline.

Unique Entity Identifier – As of April 2022, applicants must obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) to apply for federal contracts or financial assistance. Obtain your organization’s UEI when you create or update your SAM.gov entry. You can obtain your UEI at SAM.gov even if you have no updates to your SAM.gov record. If your organization is currently registered in SAM.gov with either an active or inactive registration, you have already been assigned a UEI.

Your UEI is viewable on your entity's registration record in SAM.gov. Note that the UEI must http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.rd.usda.gov/community-connect

Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide 2026 6 belong to the entity that is applying, not to a parent, affiliate, or other related entity. Applicants must register with SAM at https://sam.gov/. It can take up to 15 business days to register with SAM, so plan accordingly and begin the process well in advance of the application deadline.

Applicants must have their registration active prior to submitting their application and must have made all required certifications.

Please refer to pages 33 and 34 of SAM’s Quick Start Guide for Grant Registrations (https://tinyurl.com/bdedv74p).

The RUS Community Connect Application Intake System, like all web facilities, has finite capacity. It is possible system usage could be very high in the final days or hours of the application window and system issues may be experienced. Please plan accordingly.

Program Updates

Program Requirement Updates

• The program updated the general grant terms and conditions. You can review them at:

www.usda.gov/about-usda/general-information/staff-offices/office-chief-financial-officer/federal-financial-assistance-policy/usda-general-terms-and-conditions.

• Additional reporting requirements will apply to any awarded project. Annual reporting will be made through the RUS reporting system, and awardees are required to report annually until 3 years after project completion.

• The expiration date for reporting is now three years from the Release of Funds. It was previously three years after the agreement was executed.

• The final project performance activity report due date is now 120 days after expiration. It was previously 90 days after expiration.

• The project construction start date is now 180 days after the Release of Funds date. It was previous180 days from the agreement execution date.

Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD)

For FY 2026, the Community Connect Program will have 10% of available funding set aside for Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD) projects. SECD projects promote and implement strategic community investment plans. These plans use the unique strengths of rural communities to advance prosperity. USDA Rural Development helps finance these projects by using community assets, identifying resources, convening partners, and leveraging federal, state, local, or private funding. Those interested in applying for SECD funds should indicate this in the Executive Summary and include the RD Form 1980-88.

See the SECD website at www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/strategic-economic-and-community-development for more information on how to qualify. Applications https://sam.gov/ https://tinyurl.com/bdedv74p http://www.usda.gov/about-usda/general-information/staff-offices/office-chief-financial-officer/federal-financial-assistance-policy/usda-general-terms-and-conditions http://www.usda.gov/about-usda/general-information/staff-offices/office-chief-financial-officer/federal-financial-assistance-policy/usda-general-terms-and-conditions http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/strategic-economic-and-community-development http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/strategic-economic-and-community-development

Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide 2026 7 for SECD must meet all other Community Connect Program requirements to be considered for SECD funding.

Eligible applications which request SECD funding but are not awarded SECD funding will still be considered within the scoring provisions of the standard Community Connect funding.

Applying for SECD does not disadvantage an applicant from non-SECD funds.

Important Definitions and Limits:

1. Grant Request Limits

a. The minimum grant request amount is: $100,000

b. The maximum grant request amount is: $5 million

2. Broadband Speeds

a. Broadband Service means any terrestrial technology having the capacity to provide transmission facilities that enable subscribers of the service to originate and receive high-quality voice, data, graphics, and video at the minimum data rate of ten (10) megabits per second downstream and one (1) megabits per second upstream for fixed service. Satellite and mobile services are not considered broadband services. Any proposed service area that is currently served with broadband service is ineligible to receive funding.

b. Applications must undergo a Public Notice Filing (PNF) and Public Notice Response (PNR) process where the service areas of each application will be posted to allow potential service providers within the area to challenge eligibility of the project. Those providers will have 45 days from the date the notice is published to file their responses. Any response filed will be subject to validation by RUS staff.

c. Broadband Grant Speed means the minimum data rate of one hundred (100) megabits per second (Mbps) downstream and twenty (20) Mbps upstream for both fixed and wireless. The applicant must propose to deliver at least this minimum data to every customer in the proposed funded service area for the Agency to approve a broadband grant. Mobile wireless technologies are not eligible for funding.

3. Proposed Funded Service Area (PFSA) – Applications will serve only one proposed funded service area. Applicants define their PFSA by using the mapping module within the RUS online application system. The service area can be uploaded by providing zipped shapefile including a single contiguous polygon. The polygon must be closed, non-overlapping, and must have an assigned projection with an accompanying .prj file. The PFSA must be a single contiguous geographic area that may consist of a single or multiple community(ies), a single or multiple county(ies), and may be located in more than one state. The entire PFSA must be rural with no

Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide 2026 8

Broadband Service available. It is important to note all premises (households and businesses) in the service area must be offered service at the Broadband Grant Speed.

a. Under the Community Connect Program, a rural area is defined as any area, as confirmed by the most recent 2020 Decennial Census of the United States, which is not located within (1) A city, town, or incorporated area that has a population of greater than 20,000 inhabitants; or (2) An urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to a city or town that has a population of greater than 50,000 inhabitants, and which excludes certain populations pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(H) and (I).

For purposes of the definition of rural area, an urbanized area means a densely populated territory as defined in the most recent 2020 Decennial Census.

b. Due to the removal of the term “urbanized area” in the U.S. Census, the Agency will treat any Census-designated “urban area” in the 2020 Decennial Census as an “urbanized area”. The “non rural” layer within the application system reflects this revision. Please review the non-rural layer to ensure that your Proposed Funded Service Area is eligible with respect to rurality.

c. As you are adding your PFSA, the layers can be used to assist in the evaluation of your proposed project’s eligibility or the determination of whether a tribal resolution is required for eligibility.

4. Matching Fund Contribution – The match the applicant is required to contribute towards the project must be at least 15% of the requested grant amount. The match must be in cash and available at closing and can be used to fund RUS-approved operations or facilities of the project. In-kind contributions are not eligible to be used to satisfy the match requirement.

5. Operating Expenses – Operating expenses are not an eligible grant purpose, with the exception of:

a. Bandwidth expenses to provide free broadband service at the Broadband Grant Speed to all the essential community facilities for two years.

b. Leasing of facilities which may include spectrum, land, towers or buildings that will be used to deploy service at the Broadband Grant Speed.

6. Community Center – Grant funds for the community center will be limited to the lesser of 10% of the requested grant amount or $150,000. If grant funds are used for the construction of a community center, then the building must reside on property owned by the applicant.

Applying for a Grant

GRANT PROCESSING

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Electronic applications will only be accepted when submitted through Grants.gov. From grants.gov, applicants will be redirected to the Community Connect Application Intake System (https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants#to-apply).

Grant applications will be reviewed and scored in accordance with the provisions of 7 CFR 1739 and the NOFO.

Only one proposal per applicant is eligible for approval. If an applicant submits more than one proposal, then the Agency will only consider the application with the highest score.

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY

Only legally organized entities as one of the following are eligible for funding:

a) An incorporated organization

b) An Indian tribe or tribal organization, as defined in 25 U.S.C. 5304

c) A state

d) A unit of local government

e) Any other legal entity, including a cooperative, private corporation, or limited liability company organized on a for-profit or not-for-profit basis

NOTE: The applicant may not be an individual or partnership.

Applicants must have the legal capacity and authority to:

• Own and operate the broadband facilities as proposed in the application

• Enter into contracts

• Comply with applicable federal statutes and regulations.

If the applicant is seeking to partner with another entity to operate the system, an agreement or draft agreement to do so must be provided with the application. This agreement must address the specific financial terms of this partnership, and the specific entity/entities must be identified, along with their qualifications to operate the system.

Applications which rely on such a partnership but do not provide pertinent details will be rejected, as RUS cannot determine the technical and financial feasibility of the project lacking such information. RUS may consider an application based on such an agreement submitted with the application, but if the application is ultimately awarded, RUS reserves the right to require modifications to such agreements if they are found to contain terms which are unacceptable to

RUS.

Unique Entity Identifier – In April 2022, the federal government replaced the DUNS number with the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) as the authoritative identifier for organizations that apply for federal contracts or financial assistance. Applicants must provide a UEI when applying for Community Connect funding. Obtain your organization’s UEI when you create or update your SAM.gov entry. You can obtain your UEI at SAM.gov even if you have no updates to your SAM.gov record. If your organization is currently registered in SAM.gov with either an active or http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants#to-apply https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants#to-apply

Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide 2026 10 inactive registration, you have already been assigned a UEI. Your UEI is viewable on your entity's registration record in SAM.gov.

Note: The UEI must belong to the applicant, not an affiliate, subsidiary, or parent company.

Project Eligibility

To be eligible for a grant, the project must:

• Serve a Proposed Funded Service Area (PFSA) where Broadband Service at 10 Mbps/1 Mbps does not currently exist. The PFSA is defined as a contiguous geographic area within an eligible rural area. When determining if a PFSA has no existing Broadband Service, we encourage applicants to refer to the Federal Communication Commission as one of their sources at https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov or https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/maps/. Information is also available through the mapping functionality in the RUS Community Connect Application Intake System. The applicant is ultimately responsible for verifying lack of service availability and should review all applicable resources.

• Offer service at the Broadband Grant Speed to ALL residential and business customers within the PFSA.

• Offer service at the Broadband Grant Speed, free of charge for at least 2 years starting from the time service becomes available to each Essential Community Facility, as defined in 7 C.F.R. 3570.53, located within the PFSA.

• Provide a Community Center located in the PFSA, with at least two Computer Access Points and wireless access at the Broadband Grant Speed (100 Mbps/20 Mbps) for free for at least 2 years. The Community Center must be open to the public before, during and after normal working hours and on Saturdays or Sundays. Applicants should address the specific needs of their community. Up to 10 Computer Access Points may be funded with grant funds.

• Not overlap with the service areas of current RUS borrowers and grantees.

• Not overlap with the service areas that have an Enforceable Commitment at the time of publication of the NOFO. For this notice only, Enforceable Commitment means a legally enforceable obligation by any federal, state, or local agency utilizing federal funds, to provide broadband service with speeds of at least 10 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps upstream. Enforceable commitments do not negate RUS’s intention to coordinate and communicate with federal partners before extending an offer to ensure awards made under this application window do not duplicate awards made by other federal and state partners.

However, if an applicant submits evidence that the entity that received the Enforceable Commitment has not deployed broadband service as required by the awarding Agency’s regulations or award documents, the Agency may consider such area eligible for funding after consultation with the awarding agency. To assist applicants with identifying areas that are already receiving federal funds to deploy broadband, areas with Enforceable https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/ https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/maps/ https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/maps/

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Commitments are identified in a GIS layer located in the RUS mapping tool and on the FCC’s National Broadband Funding Map.

• Contain a written approval from the appropriate entity with jurisdiction over the tribal land in question so that construction can take place, if service is being proposed on or over tribal land. Any applicant that fails to provide written approval to provide service on the Tribal Lands identified in the PFSA will not be considered for funding. A mapping layer showing what are considered Tribal Lands is available in the RUS Community Connect Application Intake System as well as the RUS mapping tool.

ELIGIBLE GRANT PURPOSES

Grant funds may be used to finance:

1. The construction, acquisition, or leasing of facilities, including spectrum, land, towers or buildings, used to deploy high-speed internet service to all residential and business customers located within the PFSA and all participating Essential Community Facilities, including the funding for at least two but no more than 10 Computer Access Points to be used in the Community Center. Buildings constructed with grant funds must reside on land owned by the applicant. Leasing costs will only be covered for a three-year period during the advance of funds period which will be listed in the award documents.

2. The improvement, expansion, construction, or acquisition of a Community Center that is used for providing free access to high-speed internet. The Community Center must be open and accessible to area residents before, during, and after normal working hours and on Saturday or Sunday. Grant funds provided for the Community Center shall not exceed the lesser of 10% of the total grant amount requested or $150,000. The costs of the computer access points, their installation, or connection to the broadband system are not included in this limitation.

Note: If the total construction cost of the Community Center exceeds the maximum limit mentioned above, it will be the responsibility of the applicant to finance the additional costs.

3. The cost of providing the necessary bandwidth to provide service at the Broadband Grant Speed free of charge to the Essential Community Facilities for two years.

NOTE: All equipment purchased for the project must be new or non-depreciated.

INELIGIBLE GRANT PURPOSES

Grant funds may not be used to finance:

1. The duplication of any existing Broadband Service provided by other entities.

Operating expenses, except for leasing costs for facilities used to deploy broadband service and bandwidth expenses. However, all other operating expenses can be

Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide 2026 12 funded by the required matching contribution, such as the cost associated with the leasing of building space for a Community Center.

NOTE: All costs incurred by the applicant, or others on behalf of the applicant, with respect to the Project rendered or incurred prior to submission of a completed application, shall not be considered as eligible grant or match purposes.

MATCHING FUNDS REQUIREMENTS

When the application is submitted, the awardee must provide or demonstrate available cash reserves equal to at least 15% of the total amount of financial assistance being requested.

Matching contributions must be used solely for the project. Those selected for a Community Connect Grant Program award must submit quarterly schedules to RUS that identify how the match contribution was used to support the project until the total contribution is expended.

Matching funds shall be in the form of cash and can be used for any expenses related to the project, including any operating expenses.

Ineligible sources of matching contributions:

1. Manufacturer or service provider discounts.

2. In-kind contributions.

3. Income generated from the proposed project.

4. Any financial assistance from federal sources unless there is a federal statutory exception authorizing the federal financial assistance to be considered as a matching contribution.

5. All non-cash items.

SPECIAL MATCHING PROVISIONS FOR AMERICAN SAMOA, GUAM, THE

VIRGIN ISLANDS, AND THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS.

Under federal law, applications from the governments of these areas may be exempt from matching requirements up to $200,000.

If the Administrator determines that a community in trust land (as defined in section 3765 of title 38, United States Code) has a high need for the benefits of the Infrastructure Program, he may designate the community as a substantially underserved trust area (SUTA), as defined in section 306F of the RE Act. To receive SUTA consideration the applicant must request it and must identify which of the provisions it is requesting.

One of the provisions that may be requested is a waiver of the matching requirement. If the application as submitted is dependent on the application of a SUTA provision to be eligible, the applicant understands it is applying at its own risk and the application may be rejected as ineligible if the SUTA consideration is not approved and the application is determined to not be otherwise eligible for failing to meet match if the ability to meet that match has not been demonstrated in the application.

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Completing the Grant Application

Electronic applications will only be accepted when submitted through Grants.gov. From Grants.gov, applicants will be redirected to the Community Connect Application Intake System (www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants#to-apply). A guidance document on accessing the system is available on the Community Connect website at www.rd.usda.gov/community-connect. Please review it for full instructions on how to utilize that system. When first accessing the system, you must complete a credentialing process. Please start this process early to ensure access to the system. Applicants must use the Community Connect Application Intake System to draw the Proposed Funded Service Area map and upload the required schedules of the application.

REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS

The following is a list of required information, support, or attachments that must be completed in the Community Connect Portal system for an application to be deemed complete and considered for funding.

Please make sure that all the necessary information is included in the appropriate section.

The following is a list of information and attachments that must be included for an application to be deemed complete and considered for funding. This list has been kept in the format consistent with prior years’ applications to assist.

Please make sure all the necessary information is included in the appropriate section. Additional resources can be found at the Community Connect webpage located at the following location:

www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants#to-apply.

Failure to submit all required schedules or supporting information will result in the application being ineligible.

A. Standard Form 424, SAM Registration, Legal Existence, and Other Documentation B. An Executive Summary of the Project C. Scoring Criteria Documentation D. System Design E. Service Area Map and Demographics F. Scope of Work G. Community-Oriented Connectivity Plan H. Financial Information and Sustainability I. A Statement of Experience J. Additional Funding K. Compliance with Other Federal Statutes and Regulation http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants#to-apply http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants#to-apply http://www.rd.usda.gov/community-connect http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants#to-apply http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/community-connect-grants#to-apply

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A. STANDARD FORM 424, SAM REGISTRATION AND OTHER

DOCUMENTATION

The following Schedules (A-1 and A-2) must be uploaded to the Community Connect Application Intake System. This information should be uploaded as attachments in the “Project” Tab of the Community Connect Application Intake System:

Schedule A-1

All applicants requesting funding under the Community Connect Grant Program must complete the Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424). A copy of the form and instructions has been attached to this document. Additional instructions for specific line items also are included below. The form and any attachments referenced in this guide can also be found on our website at www.rd.usda.gov/community-connect.

Block 10: The Name of the Federal Agency is Rural Utilities Service.

Block 11: The Catalog of Federal Assistance Number is 10.863.

Block 12: Funding Opportunity Number is RDRUS-CC-2026. The Title is “Community Connect Grant Program”.

Block 14: Please provide the name of the Community(ies), County(ies), and State(s) where the grant funds will be used.

Block 15: Brief descriptive title of project.

Block 16: Please provide the Congressional District(s) for the service area you are proposing to cover in your project.

Block 19: Please select “C” “Program is not covered by E.O. 12372”.

Block 20: You must supply an explanation of the delinquency if you check “yes”.

Block 21: Please be sure to check “I agree”. The application must be signed by an authorized representative of the organization that will own and operate the project if the grant is awarded. If the authorized representative is not a corporate officer, evidence must be included that demonstrates that the authorized representative has authority to obligate the organization.

Schedule A-2

SAM Registration, Supporting Documentation and Proof of Legal Existence

The applicant must provide a printout of the organization’s SAM.gov registration which confirms the registration was active before the application was submitted. The SAM.gov registration must remain active with current information while RUS is considering an application and while a Federal Grant Award is active. To maintain registration in the SAM.gov database, http://www.rd.usda.gov/community-connect https://sam.gov/

Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide 2026 15 the applicant must review and update it annually. Beginning February 2019, applicants now complete several government wide certifications in SAM. Applicants must make the certifications and representations required of entities that are applying for or have received funding under any federal financial assistance project or program (aka the “Financial Assistance Representations and Certifications”) to be eligible for a Community Connect Program. Please refer to SAM’s instructions at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration for more details.

Additional relevant instruction is also provided below. A SAM registration that lacks the Financial Assistance Representations and Certifications will cause an application to be deemed ineligible.

Additional Guidance for Completing the Financial Assistance Representations and Certifications in SAM.gov

Applicants will be asked “Does [Entity Name] wish to apply for a Federal financial assistance project or program, or is [Entity Name] currently the recipient of funding under any Federal financial assistance project or program?” The system default answer to this question is “No”.

Applicants must make the certifications and representations required of entities which are applying for or have received funding under any Federal financial assistance project or program to be eligible for the Community Connect program. To do this, applicants must change the answer to “Yes” as shown below.

For this schedule, please provide a printout of your organization’s SAM registration which confirms the registration was active before the application was submitted. Only entities legally organized as one of the following are eligible for funding:

i. An incorporated organization

ii. An Indian tribe or tribal organization, as defined in 25 U.S.C. 5304

iii. A state

iv. A unit of local government https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration

Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide 2026 16

v. Any other legal entity, including a cooperative, private corporation, or limited liability company organized on a for-profit or not-for-profit basis

The Entity Name, UEI Number and SAM.gov registration must be for the applicant. It cannot be for a parent, subsidiary or other affiliated entity.

It is important that the exact name of the legal entity applying for the grant be listed in block 8 of the SF 424, Application for Federal Assistance, and that the entity be legally eligible to receive the award and take legal ownership over items acquired under the grant.

Applicants must have the ability to enter into a contract with the Federal Government and must be able to own and manage grant-funded assets as required by the grant agreement and applicable regulations, including 2 CFR Part 200. RUS will not transfer awards to another entity because the applicant has later determined that it cannot close the award, execute the standard grant agreement, which is publicly available, or hold the grant assets in its name.

The applicant must provide acceptable evidence of legal existence. Corporations or LLCs must provide evidence of good standing in accordance with the laws of the state or other body under which they are organized (typically found on each State’s Secretary of State website). For entities that exist under law, rather than through incorporation or other action, a copy of the state statute, regulation, or other appropriate documentation must be provided to confirm the legal name of the entity, the state in which it was established and the type of entity.

Note: A SAM registration is not sufficient evidence of legal existence, nor is an IRS or state statement of tax status. Applications that do not demonstrate the applicant’s legal existence as an entity that is eligible to apply for a grant may be deemed ineligible. Supporting documentation must be uploaded as an attachment in the “Project” Tab of the Community Connect Application Intake System.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT

The Executive Summary of the project is one of the most important parts of the application. It gives reviewers their first overall view of the area to be served, what problems the residents face, and how the proposed project will help alleviate those problems, increase quality of life, and provide enhanced opportunities for businesses and rural residents. This is your opportunity to discuss the core aspects of the project. Be clear and provide convincing links between the project and the benefits to the Proposed Funded Service Area (PFSA). There is a Tab within the Community Connect Application Intake System for providing this information, though the applicant can upload supporting documents in the Application Intake System to supplement the text fields of this Tab.

The Executive Summary must provide a general project overview covering the following five categories:

Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide 2026 17

1. A detailed description of the Existing Operations: For entities other than startups, describe the existing operations of the applicant organization, with a special focus on existing or prior experience operating systems similar to what is proposed in this application.

2. Discussion about Key Management: Provide information on the experience of key management and other employees in building and operating a system similar to what is proposed in this application, or any other relevant experience you wish to highlight.

3. Description of the Company’s Workforce: Describe the current workforce of the company, especially with regards to those who would be involved in operating the proposed system. To the extent outside entities would be contracted for construction and/or operational services, describe that in this section.

4. Description of Interactions Between Any Parent, Affiliate, or Subsidiary Operation.

5. A list of the participating Essential Community Facilities (such as schools, public medical clinics, police and fire departments, public hospitals, etc.) and evidence that any remaining Essential Community Facility located in the PFSA has rejected the offer for free service at the Broadband Grant Speed. This can be in the form of a letter preferably on official letterhead from the organization, if available. The Community Center must be addressed and to the extent it depends on other entities, these commitments should be addressed (letters of intent, lease agreements, etc.)

If the applicant intends to request SUTA consideration, this should be addressed in this schedule.

To receive SUTA consideration, the applicant must attach all of the information requested in 7 CFR 1700, Subpart D to the application and do both of the following:

1. Notify the Agency in writing that it seeks consideration as a substantially underserved trust area.

2. Identify the discretionary authorities of 7 CFR 1700, Subpart D that apply to the request.

If the application as submitted is dependent on the application of a SUTA provision to be eligible, the applicant understands it is applying at its own risk, and the application may be rejected as ineligible if the SUTA consideration is not approved and the application is determined to not be otherwise eligible.

If the applicant is proposing service on or over tribal land, written approval from the appropriate entity with jurisdiction over the tribal land in question is required so that construction can take place.

Applications that are seeking consideration under the Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD) funding should indicate this in the Executive Summary and include the RD Form 1980-88. See the SECD website at www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/strategic-economic-and-community-development for more information on how to qualify for a SECD award and information to address within this schedule to maximize chances of successfully getting SECD funding.

http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/strategic-economic-and-community-development http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/strategic-economic-and-community-development

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Applicants are encouraged to upload any attachments with information that cannot easily be integrated into the “Executive Summary” text fields in the Community Connect Application Intake System. Additional information on uploading files can be found in the Intake User Manual.

B. SCORING CRITERIA DOCUMENTATION

A subtab has been added within the “Project” portion of the Community Connect Portal system which provides a space to fill in information for the PFSA Needs and Community Support scoring elements. Management Experience information is provided in the Executive Summary subtab; However, applicants may upload supporting information to supplement what they provide in the Executive Summary. Information that is recommended to be addressed by the Applicants should provide the following information to maximize their application score.

1. The ranking of the benefits of the project will be based on documentation in support of the need for services, benefits derived from the proposed services, characteristics of the Proposed Funded Service Area (PFSA), local community involvement in planning and implementation of the project, and the level of experience of the management team. In ranking applications, the Agency will consider the following criteria based on a scale of 100 possible points: PFSA Needs (up to 50 points):

An analysis of the challenges found within the PFSA using the following criteria, and discussion of how the project proposes to address these issues. Be sure to address any state or federally recognized designations, awards, or special zones present in the PFSA (e.g., Broadband Technical Assistance awards, Persistent Poverty Counties, Manufacturing Zones, or other recognized indicators of need):

a. The economic characteristics. Describe the economic conditions of the PFSA including current quality of life, household income, unemployment data, employment by sector (manufacturing, agriculture, retail, etc.), and any major employers in the area. Include information on the distance and difficulty residents currently face in accessing employment opportunities or economic services.

Scored with a preference to areas with low income compared to the state MHI, high unemployment, and overall economic trend (stagnant or declining economic characteristics will score higher).

b. Educational challenges. Describe the challenges facing educational institutions within the PFSA and provide an assessment of these institutions’ current use of technology (e.g., distance learning programs, computer classes, use of online tools for classroom presentations by instructors and students). Include the distance students or residents must travel to access educational facilities or technology resources and describe barriers to access. In addition, describe in detail how the proposed project will not only increase but improve the use of technology at these

Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide 2026 19 institutions. Scored with preference given to applications that have specific support of challenges identified with support for these challenges.

c. Health care needs. Provide a complete list of public medical clinics and hospitals in the PFSA and their current use of broadband services, if any, such as telemedicine. Statements can be provided from medical professionals describing their need for broadband services to provide advanced medical technology and describe how the proposed project can support these advances. Describe the distance and difficulty residents face in accessing health care services, including any barriers such as travel constraints or service limitations. Scored with preference given to applications that have specific support of health care needs identified and a full proposal for how the project will improve health care conditions.

d. Public safety issues. Include a listing of police, fire and rescue services which cover the PFSA and the distance or difficulty of accessing these services. Address the current state of any public safety issues and how the proposed project will lead to improvements of the technology being used. Scored with preference given to applications that that have specific support of issues provided and fully address how the project will improve these public safety issues.

2. Stakeholder Involvement (up to 40 points):

Documentation that demonstrates the extent of participation and support by local residents and Essential Community Facilities in the project’s planning, development, and implementation. The application should include evidence of local involvement activities such as community meetings, public forums, and surveys. Preference will be given to applications that show support from residential, business, and local, state or Federal entities within the PFSA. Support letters should address specific needs and where there is interest in participating in the project (donation of space for the Community Center, for example).

3. Management Experience (10 points):

Qualifications and ability of the key personnel who will construct, manage, and operate the broadband system. Include any past experiences and successes of operating a broadband system similar to the proposed broadband system. This information is generally provided as part of the Executive Summary, but to the extent applicants want to highlight anything for scoring purposes, they may upload an attachment identified as pertaining to Schedule C.

Note: Administrator Consideration

In making the final selection among and between applications with comparable rankings and geographic distribution, the Administrator may take into consideration the characteristics of the PFSA. Only information that is provided in the application will be considered; therefore, RUS

Community Connect Grant Program Application Guide 2026 20 strongly encourages the applicant to specifically address each of the following criteria to differentiate their application(s) from other applications:

a. Persistent poverty counties that will be served within the PFSA

b. Out-migration communities (continuous movement of population out of the community) that will be served within the PFSA

c. The rurality of the PFSA

d. The speed of broadband service that is offered to all the subscribers in the PFSA

e. Substantially Underserved Trust Areas (SUTA) that will be served within the PFSA. If the Administrator determines that a community in “trust land” (as defined in section 3765 of title 38, United States Code) has a high need for the benefits of the Community Connect Program, he may designate the community as a “substantially underserved trust area” (as defined in section 306F of the RE Act)

f. Community members with disabilities that will be served within the PFSA

g. Any other additional factors that may be outlined in the NOFO

C. SYSTEM DESIGN

The system design contains all the technical information on the applicant’s existing (if applicable) and proposed system. The following information must be included in this section, now covered within the “Network” tab within the Community Connect Application Intake System. The applicant may also provide attachments if necessary to supplement the information for this schedule:

1. A detailed description of the existing network, if applicable, which includes the following:

a. The current service area(s)

b. The types of services (voice, video and/or data) offered and the number of subscribers taking each type of service

c. The total number of establishments served. For wireline networks, specify the number of establishments passed with the network. For wireless networks, specify the total number of establishments covered by the network.

d. The types of technologies used in the network.

e. A description of the current connection to the Internet Service Provider (ISP).

2. A detailed description of the proposed network which includes the following:

a. The PFSA as proposed in the application.

b. Any upgrades that will be made to the existing network, if applicable.

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c. The types of services (voice, video and/or data) to be offered in the PFSA.

d. The types of technology to be deployed in the PFSA and how the technology will facilitate the offering of service at the Broadband Grant Speed.

e. The estimated number of establishments to be served. Provide detailed information showing that all households and businesses within the PFSA will be offered broadband service at the Broadband Grant Speed when the system is complete.

f. A description of the proposed connection to the ISP and any changes needed to the existing system to accommodate additional capacity, if any. To the extent this includes any facilities located outside of the PFSA such as fiber routes to make interconnections, please address this in your description.

g. A description of the design parameters used in engineering the system. Examples include oversubscription ratio calculations, bandwidth consumption per user, link loss, data rates per link, redundancy requirements, and technical specifications.

h. A description of any licenses and agreements required to construct and operate the network and the status of securing those licenses or agreements. These are addressed in a newly introduced Licenses and Agreements tab in the Intake System. The document types listed here are the kinds of licenses and agreements that a Community Connect-funded project might need to ensure that the project can be constructed and operated.

• Video Franchise Agreement

• Internet Services Agreement

• Pole Attachment Agreement

• Spectrum Lease Agreement

• Tower Lease Agreement

• Building Lease Agreement

• Video Services Agreement

• Fiber Lease Agreement

• Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN)

• Wireless Spectrum License(s) for Backhaul

• Wireless Spectrum License(s)

• Special Permits (Federal, highway, bridge, etc.)

• Network Management Agreement

• Internet Service Connection Backhaul Agreement

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• Tower Attachment Agreement

For any agreement required to operate the proposed system, please select that agreement type and its status from Draft, Existing- No Amendments Needed, Existing- Amendment(s) Needed, Applied-Approval Pending, Contingent Upon Award, or Contingent Upon Availability of Award Funds. If existing or draft agreements are available, please upload a copy of each in the Licenses and Agreements Tab. For license or agreement types that do not apply to the proposed system, select the status of N/A.

3. A network diagram of the applicant’s existing network (if applicable) and the proposed network (required) are uploaded as within the “Network” tab of the Application Intake System. This diagram must be a block diagram that clearly shows how the traffic flows through the network from the interconnection points with the backbone service providers to the end users. The following information must be shown on the network diagram:

a. The location of the essential community facilities, the proposed community center, and all major network elements

b. The route miles between each network element

c. The bandwidth capacity between the network elements

d. The types of facilities (fiber, copper, microwave, etc.) that are or will be used for establishing the connection between the network elements and the points-of-connection with the backbone service providers

e. The location of any leased facilities and the owner of…