Technical Assistance and Training Grant Program | TAT FY26

Opportunity Information: Apply for TAT FY26

The Technical Assistance and Training (TAT) Grant Program (Funding Opportunity Number: TAT FY26, CFDA 10.761) is a discretionary grant offered by the USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS). Its purpose is to strengthen water and waste disposal services in rural areas by funding organizations that can deliver hands-on technical assistance and practical training to local “associations” and system operators. In plain terms, the program is designed to help rural communities diagnose problems in their drinking water or wastewater systems, figure out workable solutions, and build the skills and capacity needed to run and maintain those systems more effectively over time.

Grant funds can be used to cover the costs of providing technical assistance and training related to a wide range of water and waste challenges. On the water side, this includes helping rural systems identify and evaluate solutions connected to the water source, storage, treatment processes, and distribution networks. On the wastewater and waste side, it supports assistance focused on collection systems, treatment methods, and disposal approaches. The program also specifically allows support for applicants who have already submitted a pre-application to RUS, helping them prepare stronger water and/or waste disposal loan and grant applications. Another central use is training water and wastewater personnel in ways that directly improve management practices and day-to-day operations, including maintenance routines that reduce breakdowns, compliance issues, and service interruptions.

At the same time, the opportunity draws clear boundaries around what it will not fund. These grants are not meant to pay for building or upgrading infrastructure, running facilities, or covering routine operational costs of water, wastewater, or solid waste systems. Funds cannot be used for construction, improvement, rehabilitation, modification, or operation and maintenance of facilities. They also cannot be used for capital assets, real estate purchases, or vehicles, nor for office renovations or improvements, or repairs to privately owned property. Political or lobbying activity is prohibited. Another important restriction is that the grant cannot be used to duplicate services that are already being provided, such as work currently performed by an association’s consultant for project development. Finally, costs incurred before the grant’s effective date are not allowable.

Eligibility is limited to private nonprofit organizations that have IRS-recognized tax-exempt status (specifically noted as 501(c)(3) organizations other than institutions of higher education). To qualify, the nonprofit must be legally established and physically located within a state as defined in the program’s regulations, and it must be incorporated by December 31 of the year in which the application period occurs. Private businesses, federal agencies, public bodies, and individuals are explicitly ineligible.

Beyond basic eligibility, applicants must also demonstrate that they are truly capable of delivering technical assistance and training at a regional level. This includes showing proven experience and a track record of successfully completing similar projects, plus the legal authority and operational capacity to do the work proposed. The program lays out three ways an applicant can meet the “actual capacity” requirement: (1) having sufficient staff and resources in-house to serve rural areas directly, (2) relying on an affiliate or member organization with the needed experience that commits in writing to provide assistance, or (3) contracting with a non-affiliated organization, as long as no more than 49 percent of the grant is used for that contracted support.

Eligible project activities align closely with the program’s core goals: helping rural associations evaluate solutions to drinking water challenges (source, storage, treatment, distribution), helping evaluate solutions to waste and wastewater challenges (collection, treatment, disposal), supporting the preparation of RUS water and/or waste disposal loan and grant applications, and delivering training and technical assistance that improves management, operations, and maintenance of water and waste facilities. In short, the program funds the expertise, training time, and support services that help rural systems become more reliable and better managed, without paying for the physical infrastructure itself.

Key administrative details provided in the opportunity listing include an application closing date of 2025-12-31, an expected 40 awards, and an award ceiling listed as 0 (which typically signals that the ceiling is not specified in the summary listing or is defined elsewhere in program guidance). The funding activity categories include community development, employment/labor/training, and environment, reflecting the program’s focus on strengthening essential services through capacity-building rather than construction.

• The Rural Utilities Service in the community development, employment, labor and training, environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Technical Assistance and Training Grant Program" 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 2025-10-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-12-31. (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 40 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for TAT FY26

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