Community Connect Grant Program Issues NOFO for 2025

The United States Department of Agriculture released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Community Connect Grant Program for fiscal year 2025. The USDA’s Rural Utilities Service estimates that approximately $26 million in grants will be available to eligible applicants this year. The Community Connect Grant Program offers financial support to qualified applicants that will deliver broadband services at or above the grant’s specified speed to all premises in rural, economically challenged communities that lack internet access. Establishing broadband services with a focus on “community-oriented connectivity” fosters economic growth and expands access to improved education and healthcare opportunities in these regions, the agency stated in its NOFO announcement and grant guidelines.