COMMUNITY CONNECT GRANT PROGRAM

The Community Connect Grant Program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations to deploy broadband internet in rural, economically challenged communities. The program is linked to climate goals by enabling the use of precision agriculture and smart home energy devices. For fiscal year 2023, Congress appropriated $35 million for the program, which requires grant recipients to provide a cash match of at least 15%.

• The Community Connect Grant Program supports the transition to a clean energy economy by providing rural broadband access, which enables the use of smart home energy devices and precision agriculture to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• The 2018 Farm Bill codified the program with authorized discretionary annual appropriations of $50 million through fiscal year 2023, though the actual appropriation for FY 2023 was $35 million.
• To be eligible for a grant, an entity must provide a cash contribution of at least 15 percent of the grant amount, which cannot include Federal funds unless specifically permitted by statute.
• Eligible projects must provide broadband service to all essential community facilities and residential/business customers in the service area, and must provide free service and at least two computer access points to a community center for at least two years.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2023). COMMUNITY CONNECT GRANT PROGRAM. https://www.eesi.org/files/Farm-Bill-2023-Side-by-Side-Community-Connect-Grant-Program.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. COMMUNITY CONNECT GRANT PROGRAM. 2023. https://www.eesi.org/files/Farm-Bill-2023-Side-by-Side-Community-Connect-Grant-Program.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=COMMUNITY CONNECT GRANT PROGRAM |date=24 February 2023 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/Farm-Bill-2023-Side-by-Side-Community-Connect-Grant-Program.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2023community, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{COMMUNITY CONNECT GRANT PROGRAM}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/Farm-Bill-2023-Side-by-Side-Community-Connect-Grant-Program.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }