Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
Notice of Solicitation of Applications (NOSA).
The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces that it is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2016 for the Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee program (the Broadband Program).
In addition to announcing the application window, RUS announces the minimum and maximum amounts for broadband loans for FY 2016.
Applications under this NOSA will be accepted immediately and must be submitted through the Agency's online application system
For further information contact Shawn Arner, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Loan Originations and Approval Division, Rural Utilities Service, STOP 1597, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250–1597, Telephone: (202) 720–0800, or email:
The Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program (the Broadband Program) is authorized by the Rural Electrification Act (7 U.S.C. 901
During FY 2016, loans will be made available for the construction, improvement, and acquisition of facilities and equipment to provide service at the broadband lending speed for eligible rural areas. Applications must be submitted in accordance with the interim final rule published July 30, 2015.
For questions about the requirements of completing an application please use the RUS contact listed in the
Loans under this authority will not be made for less than $100,000. The maximum loan amount that will be considered for FY 2016 is $10,000,000.
The interim regulation for the Broadband Program requires that certain definitions affecting eligibility be revised and published from time to time by the agency in the
Applications for FY 2016 will be accepted from April 8, 2016 through July 7, 2016. Although review of applications will start when they are submitted, all applications submitted by July 7, 2016, will be evaluated and ranked together on the basis of the number of unserved households in the proposed funded service area. Subject to available funding, eligible applications that propose to serve the most unserved households will receive funding offers before other eligible applications that have been submitted.
Applications will not be accepted after July 7, 2016, until a new funding window has been opened with the publication of an additional NOSA in the
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the information collection requirements associated with Broadband loans, as covered in this NOSA, have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control Number 0572–0130.
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD–3027, found online at
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.