Technical Assistance and Training Grant Program
Open Posted
- Opportunity number
- TAT-FY27
- Agency
-
Rural Utilities Services
Washington Office, Department of Agriculture
- Applications due
- Award size
- Not on record
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Categories
-
- Community Development
- Employment, Labor and Training
- Environment
- Eligible applicants
-
- 501(c)(3) Nonprofits
- Points of contact
-
- Christina Cerio water-rd@usda.gov (202) 568-1119
- Full announcement
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
USDA Rural Utilities Service is soliciting applications from private nonprofit organizations for technical assistance and training grants to rural water and wastewater systems, with applications due December 31, 2026. Approximately $35 million in funding is anticipated, supporting approximately 22 awards. There is no cost-share or matching requirement, though voluntary contributions are considered advantageous in scoring.
Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) nonprofits legally established within a U.S. state, incorporated by December 31, 2026, with proven ability to deliver technical assistance and training to rural associations on a regional or multi-state basis. Applicants must either employ sufficient staff in-house, be assisted by an affiliate or member organization with documented capacity, or contract with a nonaffiliated organization for no more than 49 percent of the grant amount. Applications with less than 50 percent staff allocation are ineligible.
Grant funds support identifying and evaluating solutions to water source, storage, treatment, and distribution problems; evaluating waste collection, treatment, and disposal solutions; assisting RUS pre-applicants in preparing water and waste loan and grant applications; and training water and wastewater system personnel on management, operation, and maintenance. Grants may not fund capital assets, vehicles, real estate, office renovation, construction, operation and maintenance of facilities, or activities duplicating current consultant services. Project performance periods cannot exceed 12 months (October 1, 2027 through September 30, 2028).
Competitive scoring emphasizes work plan (40 points), type of assistance provided (30 points), needs assessment and evaluation methods (20 points each), matching funds and sustainability (15 and 10 points), and administrative discretion (15 points). Total application score reaches 170 points. Assistance Listing 10.761 (7 CFR Part 1775). Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
Synopsis
Funds may be used to pay expenses associated with providing technical assistance and/or training (TAT) to: Identify and evaluate solutions to water problems relating to source, storage, treatment, or distribution; identify and evaluate solutions to waste problems relating to collection, treatment, or disposal: assist applicants, that have filed a pre-application with RUS, in the preparation of water and/or waste loan and/or grant applications; and/or provide technical assistance and/or training to water/wastewater system personnel that will improve the management, operation and maintenance of water and waste disposal facilities. Grant funds may not be used to duplicate current services, such as those performed by an association's consultant in developing a project; fund political or lobbying activities; pay for capital assets; purchase real estate or vehicles; improve or renovate office space, or repair and maintain privately owned property; pay the costs for construction, improvement, rehabilitation, modification or operation and maintenance of water, wastewater, and solid waste disposal facilities; and pay costs incurred prior to effective date of grant.
Eligibility
(a) Entities eligible for grants must be private nonprofit organizations with tax exempt status, designated by the Internal Revenue Service. A nonprofit organization is defined as any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that:(1) Is operated primarily for scientific, education, service, charitable, or similar purposes in the public interest.(2) Is not organized primarily for profit.(3) Uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve, and/or expand its operations.(b) Entities must be legally established and located within a state as defined in §1775.2.(c) Organizations must be incorporated by December 31 of the year the application period occurs to be eligible for funds.(d) Private businesses, Federal agencies, public bodies, and individuals are ineligible for these grants.(e) Applicants must also have the proven ability, background, experience (as evidenced by the organization's satisfactory completion of project(s) similar to those proposed), legal authority, and actual capacity to provide technical assistance and/or training on a regional basis to associations as provided in §1775.33. To meet the requirement of actual capacity, an applicant must either:(1) Have the necessary resources to provide technical assistance and/or training to associations in rural areas through its staff, or (2) Be assisted by an affiliate or member organization which has such background and experience, and which agrees, in writing, that it will provide the assistance, or (3) Contract with a nonaffiliated organization for not more than 49 percent of the grant to provide the proposed assistance. Eligible Projects. Grants may be made to organizations as defined in §1775.35 to enable such organizations to assist associations to: (a) Identify and evaluate solutions to water problems of associations in rural areas relating to source, storage, treatment, and/or distribution (b) Identify and evaluate solutions to waste problems of associations in rural areas relating to collection, treatment, and/or disposal (c ) Prepare water and/or waste disposal loan/grant applications (d) Provide technical assistance/training to association personnel that will improve the management, operation, and maintenance of water and waste facilities (e) Pay the expenses associated with providing the technical assistance and/or training authorized in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| PKG00294289.pdf | ||
| FY27_TAT_Application_Guide.pdf | ||
| FY27_TAT_NOFO.pdf |
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