Deadline: 30-Jun-2020
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Community Services has announced the availability of approximately $9.2 million in the Rural Community Development (RCD) discretionary grant funds.
RCD funds must be used to provide training and technical assistance to: Increase access for low-income families to water supply and waste disposal services, preserve affordable water and waste disposal services in low-income rural communities, increase local capacity and expertise to establish and maintain needed community facilities, increase economic opportunities for low-income rural communities by ensuring they have basic water and sanitation, utilize technical assistance to leverage additional public and private resources, and promote improved coordination of Federal, state, and local agencies and financing programs to benefit low-income communities
Objectives
- The overarching goal of the RCD program is to enhance the overall health of small, lowincome, rural communities and the well-being of their residents through training and technical assistance in support of the development and/or maintenance of water and wastewater systems. In addressing this goal, the program will:
- Ensure that individuals with low incomes living in rural communities have access to safe and affordable drinking water in their homes.
- Protect the health and safety of individuals with low incomes in rural areas through the environmentally sound disposal of wastewater and sewage from their homes and other facilities in the community.
- Resolve water or wastewater disposal issues affecting individuals with low incomes in rural areas that may be influenced by population size or geographic isolation through cooperation among communities on a local or regional basis.
- Strengthen economic conditions and opportunities for individuals with low incomes in rural communities, as a result of water supply and wastewater disposal training and technical assistance. Enhance the capacity of local communities and tribal organizations to manage and operate water and wastewater systems that are programmatically and fiscally sound.
- Increase community awareness of, and adherence to, sound water use and disposal practices, and support for safe and affordable water systems that protect the health and safety of individuals with low incomes.
Expected Outcomes
The RCD program is expected to produce the following outcomes:
- Improved processes, procedures, and governance structures enabling improved operation and management of water and sewer systems;
- Improved processes and procedures related to the execution of key functions of water and sewer service delivery;
- Strengthened compliance with government rules and regulations;
- Increased access to new sources of funding to support the mission;
- Achievement of a high level of operational reliability and financial security for critical infrastructure (e.g., water or sewer infrastructure);
- Access to drinking water that meets public heath guidelines (e.g., the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), or other federal or local regulations) in sufficient quantities to meet basic needs; and
- Access to a sewage system that adheres to public health guidelines and meets basic needs.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Funding: $9,200,000
- Award Ceiling: $1,156,250 Per Budget Period
- Award Floor: $400,000 Per Budget Period
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible applicants are multi-state, regional, private, non-profit organizations, including those that support tribal entities to enable the organizations to provide training and technical assistance to small, low-income, rural communities concerning their community facility needs.
- Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.
- Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity announcement.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=322274