Technical Assistance and Training Grant Program
Rural Utilities Service grants fund technical assistance and training to address water and waste problems, help prepare loan and grant applications, and improve system management, operation, and maintenance.
Funder: Rural Utilities Service
Due Dates: December 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET (Application)
Funding Amounts: $35 million estimated program funding; one-year grants; no matching requirement
Summary: Supports private nonprofits providing free technical assistance and training to rural water and wastewater systems.
Key Information: Applicants must be private 501(c)(3) nonprofits, excluding institutions of higher education, with demonstrated technical assistance capacity.
Description
USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) funds qualified private nonprofits to deliver free technical assistance and training to rural water and wastewater organizations. The program supports identifying and evaluating solutions to water supply, storage, treatment, and distribution problems, and waste collection, treatment, and disposal problems. Recipients also help communities prepare financing applications and improve system management, operation, maintenance, and sustainability.
FY 2027 priorities include lead and emerging contaminants such as PFAS, capital financing application development, and analysis of project alternatives. Operational sustainability work may include cybersecurity, disaster recovery, revenue enhancements, partnerships, consolidation, and regionalization. The program serves small rural communities, helping improve water and waste facilities for households and businesses. Water and Environmental Programs staff administer the grants.
