TAT Grant Program FY16 | TATFY16

Opportunity Information: Apply for TATFY16

The TAT Grant Program FY16 is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) under CFDA 10.761. Its purpose is to support technical assistance and training (often shortened to TAT) that helps rural communities and eligible organizations address drinking water and wastewater challenges and successfully move projects forward within the RUS Water and Waste Disposal financing framework. In practical terms, the program is designed to strengthen the planning, application, and operational know-how that rural systems need, rather than paying for construction or physical infrastructure.

Grant funds can be used to cover costs tied to delivering technical assistance and training that help identify and evaluate solutions to water issues involving source, storage, treatment, and distribution. On the wastewater side, the grant supports assistance related to collection, treatment, and disposal. A major emphasis is helping entities that have already filed a preapplication with RUS by supporting them in preparing complete and competitive water and/or waste disposal loan and/or grant applications. The program also supports training intended to improve the management, operation, and maintenance of water and wastewater facilities, which can include strengthening governance, financial management, compliance readiness, operator practices, and general system sustainability.

At the same time, the program draws clear boundaries around what it will not pay for. Funds cannot be used to recruit applications, and they cannot be used to duplicate services that are already being provided in the same way a consultant would develop a specific project. The grant also cannot support political activities. It cannot be used for capital assets, real estate purchases, or vehicles, and it will not pay for office improvements, renovations, or repairs and maintenance of privately owned property. Importantly, it does not pay for construction costs or routine operations and maintenance (O&M) costs of systems, and it will not reimburse expenses incurred before the grant's effective start date. The overall message is that this funding is meant for capacity-building and application/technical support, not bricks-and-mortar work or backfilling normal operating budgets.

Eligibility is limited primarily to private nonprofit organizations that have IRS-recognized tax-exempt status. The notice defines a nonprofit broadly (corporations, trusts, associations, cooperatives, and similar entities), but stresses that the organization must operate for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar public-interest purposes, must not be organized primarily for profit, and must reinvest net proceeds into maintaining, improving, or expanding operations. Eligible organizations must be legally established and located within a state as defined in the program regulations (referenced as 7 CFR 1775.2). Another timing requirement applies: organizations must be incorporated by December 31 of the year in which the application period occurs to qualify.

Several categories of applicants are explicitly ineligible, including private businesses, federal agencies, public bodies, and individuals. Beyond basic nonprofit status, applicants also have to demonstrate that they are genuinely capable of delivering the proposed technical assistance and training on a regional basis, consistent with 7 CFR 1775.33. That means showing proven ability and relevant experience, typically evidenced by successful completion of similar projects, plus the legal authority and real operational capacity to do the work. The program allows flexibility in how capacity is demonstrated: an applicant can rely on its own staff resources, partner with an affiliate or member organization that agrees in writing to provide the assistance, or subcontract a portion of the work. Subcontracting is capped, however, because a nonaffiliated organization may perform no more than 49 percent of the grant-funded work, ensuring the primary grantee remains responsible for the majority of delivery.

Administratively, the funding opportunity is identified as "TAT Grant Program FY16" (Funding Opportunity Number TATFY16), issued by the Rural Utilities Service, with an original closing date of December 31, 2015. The listing indicates an expected 17 awards, and the award ceiling is shown as 0, which typically signals that a maximum per-award amount is not specified in the summary field and would need to be confirmed in the full notice or program guidance. Overall, this opportunity is best understood as targeted support for nonprofit technical-assistance providers that can help rural water and wastewater systems solve problems, prepare RUS financing applications, and improve long-term operational performance without funding construction or other capital purchases.

• The Rural Utilities Service in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "TAT Grant Program FY16" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.761.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2015-10-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2015-12-31. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 17 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for TATFY16

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: