SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the availability of the second round of $550 million in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Reconnect Pilot Program funding appropriated by Congress.
USDA will make available up to $200 million for grants, up to $200 million for 50/50 grant/loan combinations, and up to $200 million for low-interest loans. The application window for this round of funding will open Jan. 31, 2020. Applications for all funding products will be accepted in the same application window, which will close no later than March 16, 2020.
In March 2018, Congress provided $600 million to USDA to expand broadband infrastructure and services in rural America. On Dec. 13, 2018, Secretary Perdue announced the rules of the program, called “ReConnect” including how the loans and grants will be awarded to help build broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 146 applications between May 31, 2019, and July 12, 2019, requesting $1.4 billion in funding across all three ReConnect Program funding products: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA is reviewing applications and announcing approved projects on a rolling basis. To date, USDA has awarded $191 million through the ReConnect program which offers out to 47 additional potential recipients totaling more than $600 million in investments. Additional investments in all three categories will be made in the coming weeks.
