Rural Utilities Service · Department of Agriculture
Technical Assistance and Training Grant Program
Key facts
- Deadline
- Due Dec 31, 2026 · 85 days left
- Award size
- Not stated: see the official notice
- Total available
- $35M · about 40 awards
- Match ?
- Not required · Work out your budget and match
- Who can apply
- Nonprofit with 501(c)(3)
- Where
- Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee
How this fits you
- Available in Henry County (nationwide program)
- No match required
- Past Tennessee awards on file: 18
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/671860ad-eac6-468f-838b-a119e7b5994b · Printed from grantme.click/grants/4ea81894-a074-4ea8-acdb-176e59ab4ad7
View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar
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About this grant
Funds may be used to pay expenses associated with providing technical assistance and/or training (TAT) to: Identify and evaluate solutions to water problems relating to source, storage, treatment, or distribution; identify and evaluate solutions to waste problems relating to collection, treatment, or disposal: assist applicants, that have filed a pre-application with RUS, in the preparation of water and/or waste loan and/or grant applications; and/or provide technical assistance and/or training to water/wastewater system personnel that will improve the management, operation and maintenance of water and waste disposal facilities. Grant funds may not be used to duplicate current services, such as those performed by an association’s consultant in developing a project; fund political or lobbying activities; pay for capital assets; purchase real estate or vehicles; improve or renovate office space, or repair and maintain privately owned property; pay the costs for construction, improvement, rehabilitation, modification or operation and maintenance of water, wastewater, and solid waste disposal facilities; and pay costs incurred prior to effective date of grant.
Who can apply, from the official notice
(a) Entities eligible for grants must be private nonprofit organizations with tax exempt status, designated by the Internal Revenue Service. A nonprofit organization is defined as any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that:(1) Is operated primarily for scientific, education, service, charitable, or similar purposes in the public interest.(2) Is not organized primarily for profit.(3) Uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve, and/or expand its operations.(b) Entities must be legally established and located within a state as defined in §1775.2.(c) Organizations must be incorporated by December 31 of the year the application period occurs to be eligible for funds.(d) Private businesses, Federal agencies, public bodies, and individuals are ineligible for these grants.(e) Applicants must also have the proven ability, background, experience (as evidenced by the organization's satisfactory completion of project(s) similar to those proposed), legal authority, and actual capacity to provide technical assistance and/or training on a regional basis to associations as provided in §1775.33. To meet the requirement of actual capacity, an applicant must either:(1) Have the necessary resources to provide technical assistance and/or training to associations in rural areas through its staff, or (2) Be assisted by an affiliate or member organization which has such background and experience, and which agrees, in writing, that it will provide the assistance, or (3) Contract with a nonaffiliated organization for not more than 49 percent of the grant to provide the proposed assistance. Eligible Projects. Grants may be made to organizations as defined in §1775.35 to enable such organizations to assist associations to: (a) Identify and evaluate solutions to water problems of associations in rural areas relating to source, storage, treatment, and/or distribution (b) Identify and evaluate solutions to waste problems of associations in rural areas relating to collection, treatment, and/or disposal (c ) Prepare water and/or waste disposal loan/grant applications (d) Provide technical assistance/training to association personnel that will improve the management, operation, and maintenance of water and waste facilities (e) Pay the expenses associated with providing the technical assistance and/or training authorized in paragraphs (a) through (d) of...
Your schedule, working back from the deadline
- Oct7
Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov - Dec10
Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters. - Dec24
Finish a complete draft for a final review
Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft. - Dec29
Submit
Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog - Dec31
Deadline
From the funder.
Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.
Writing the need statement? Henry County facts with citations.
What the official notice requires
Pulled from the official notice FY27_TAT_NOFO.pdf (17 pages) so you can see the requirements at a glance. Each item shows the notice's own words. Open the page to read it in context.
Registrations you need first (3)
Grants.gov · p. 2
“Make sure to have the most recent copy of Adobe Reader installed on your computer and that it is compatible with Grants.gov software.” Open page 2
Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 2
“Remember to input the correct UEI number on the SF-424 cover page.” Open page 2
SAM.gov · p. 8
“The items at 7 CFR §1775.10(c)(3), (4), and (5) are no longer required to be separately submitted as part of the application as they are covered under the USDA Terms & Conditions and the System for Award Management and Unique Entity Identifier.” Open page 8
Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist
What to submit
Form SF-424 · p. 2
“Remember to input the correct UEI number on the SF-424 cover page.” Open page 2
Timeline or schedule of completion · p. 5
“To be considered for administrative points, the applicant’s work plan must include a separate section titled, “Administrative Points” that provides information detailing how the project proposal will support the key priorities. 1.2 PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM The…” Open page 5
Audit or financial statements · p. 15
“Further, all grantees must submit an audit or financial information covering the defined period of performance as outlined in 7 CFR § 1775.21, Audit or financial statements, and the Grant Agreement. 7.0 FEDERAL AWARD AGENCY CONTACTS For general questions…” Open page 15
Length limits
Page limit (see quote): 50 pages max · p. 7
“The total application package, including all addendums except financial audits, must be no more than 50 pages.” Open page 7
Proposals: 20 pages max · p. 8
“Proposals must be no more than 20 pages as further defined in the FY 2027 TAT Application Processing Guide, and clearly identify language that supports priority scoring elements.” Open page 8
Cost share or match
Cost share / match · p. 12
“(15 points max) Demonstrated commitment of non-federal resources of 25% or more of total budget. 15 points Demonstrated commitment of non-federal resources between 10% and 24.99% of total budget. 10 points Between 1% and 9.99% of non-federal resources. 5…” Open page 12
Dates in the notice
October 1, 2026 · p. 1
“October 1, 2026 Application Due Date:” Open page 1
December 31, 2026 · p. 9
“Applications and supporting information must be submitted electronically and be received by http://www.grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m., ET, on December 31, 2026, to be eligible for FY 2027 funding.” Open page 9
Mistakes that get applications rejected (6)
Missing a required part: Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. · p. 2
“Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.” Open page 2
Missing a required part: If any authorizing or organizational documents are missing, the application will NOT be considered for funding. · p. 7
“If any authorizing or organizational documents are missing, the application will NOT be considered for funding.” Open page 7
Not an eligible applicant: Proposals with any ineligible components will not be considered for funding. · p. 8
“Proposals with any ineligible components will not be considered for funding.” Open page 8
Missing a required part: Late or incomplete applications will not be considered for funding. 4.3 SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT AND... · p. 8
“Late or incomplete applications will not be considered for funding. 4.3 SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT AND UNIQUE EN TITY IDENTIFIER (a) Prior to application submission, each applicant must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) in…” Open page 8
Missing a required part: Late, incomplete, or ineligible applications will not be considered for funding. · p. 9
“Late, incomplete, or ineligible applications will not be considered for funding.” Open page 9
Missing a required part: (a) Incomplete or ineligible applications as of the deadline for submission will not be considered. · p. 14
“(a) Incomplete or ineligible applications as of the deadline for submission will not be considered.” Open page 14
Who in Tennessee has won this program
2 awards to Tennessee groups in 2 counties since 2022 · 0 in Henry County. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc | Nashville, Davidson County | $1.1M spent that year | 2023 |
| Tennessee Association of Utility Districts | Murfreesboro, Rutherford County | $502K spent that year | 2025 |
Source: Federal Audit Clearinghouse. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.
Tennessee groups that got this money through Tennessee Department of Agriculture
This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. In Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Agriculture passes it on: watch that agency for applications, not the federal agency. 16 pass-through grants on file · 0 in Henry County. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Through | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Association of Utility Districts | Murfreesboro, Rutherford County | National Rural Water Association | $613K spent that year | 2023 |
| Chattanooga Area Reg Council of Governments/Se TN Development District | Chattanooga, Hamilton County | Tennessee Department of Agriculture | $145K spent that year | 2023 |
| Tennessee Association of Utility Districts | Murfreesboro, Rutherford County | National Rural Water Association | $139K | 2025 |
| Chattanooga Area Regional Council of Governments | Chattanooga, Marion County | U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Housing Service | $139K spent that year | 2025 |
| Tennessee Association of Utility Districts | Murfreesboro, Rutherford County | National Rural Water Association | $138K | 2024 |
| Tennessee Association of Utility Districts | Murfreesboro, Rutherford County | National Rural Water Association | $138K | 2025 |
| Tennessee Association of Utility Districts | Murfreesboro, Rutherford County | National Rural Water Association | $129K | 2024 |
| Tennessee Association of Utility Districts | Murfreesboro, Rutherford County | National Rural Water Association | $129K | 2025 |
| Tennessee Association of Utility Districts | Murfreesboro, Rutherford County | National Rural Water Association | $120K | 2025 |
| Tennessee Association of Utility Districts | Murfreesboro, Rutherford County | National Rural Water Association | $120K | 2024 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | West Virginia University Research Corporation | $70K | 2024 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | West Virginia University Research Corporation | $68K | 2025 |
Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).
About the federal program
Water and Waste Technical Assistance and Training Grants, also called “Water & Waste Disposal TAT Grants”
Program number 10.761 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Utilities Service · Project grant
How applications are judged
Assistance will be directed to those applicants who: (1) have demonstrated ability to provide technical assistance and/or training to rural associations; (2) propose to serve multi-state, regional, or nationwide areas; (3) maximize use of grant funds for direct staffing of activities that are delivered to the associations; and (4) the population of the associations served have low income.
Match
None required (federal program listing).
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal year 2025: Training and hands on technical assistance to small water system operators in rural communities. Provide Geographic Information System (GIS) services to rural communities for effective operations, asset management, and emergency response. Help rural communities prepare applications for water and waste disposal loan and grants.