TAT Disaster Grant Funding FY18 | TATDISASTERFY18

Opportunity Information: Apply for TATDISASTERFY18

The TAT Disaster Grant Funding FY18 opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: TATDISASTERFY18) is a discretionary grant program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), specifically through its Utilities Programs within Rural Utilities Service (RUS). Its purpose is to provide extra funding for Technical Assistance and Training (TAT) focused on disaster relief, helping rural communities recover after major events that damage water and wastewater systems. The program is designed not only to support on-the-ground recovery and rebuilding efforts, but also to protect and strengthen the integrity of the existing RUS loan portfolio by helping impacted utilities stabilize financially and administratively after a disaster.

This funding targets technical assistance rather than construction dollars. The idea is to fund experienced, qualified private non-profit organizations that already have a strong track record delivering hands-on training and technical support to RUS-eligible water and sewer utilities. These organizations would then work directly with rural utilities located in areas covered by a Presidential disaster declaration issued on or after the date of the notice. In practical terms, the grant supports specialist support services that can make or break a community's ability to access and manage recovery resources, especially when local utility staff are overwhelmed by emergency response and restoration demands.

The scope of supported work is clearly centered on disaster recovery needs. Examples include helping eligible utilities navigate and complete Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) claims, preparing and submitting insurance recovery claims, and addressing or curing outstanding delinquencies that may have worsened due to storm damage, revenue loss, or unexpected repair costs. The assistance can also extend to the financing side of recovery by helping both new and returning RUS applicants assemble strong applications for USDA water and waste disposal loans and grants, which may be necessary to replace damaged assets, restore service, or build resilience into rebuilt systems.

From an administrative standpoint, the program was posted on October 6, 2017, with an original application deadline of October 18, 2017, reflecting an expedited timeline consistent with disaster-response funding. The award ceiling was set at $600,000, and USDA expected to make about two awards, indicating a small number of relatively substantial grants aimed at organizations capable of deploying assistance across multiple affected communities. The funding activity category is Disaster Prevention and Relief, and the CFDA number associated with this opportunity is 10.761. Eligible applicants are listed broadly as "Others," with eligibility clarified in the full notice, but the description emphasizes qualified private, non-profit entities with demonstrated expertise in technical assistance and training for rural water and wastewater utilities.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as capacity-building for recovery: it funds expert support to help rural utilities handle the paperwork, compliance, financial stabilization, and funding applications that often determine whether infrastructure can be repaired quickly and properly after a disaster. By improving utilities' ability to secure FEMA and insurance reimbursements, resolve delinquencies, and pursue USDA financing, the program aims to speed recovery for rural residents while also reducing longer-term financial risk to the federal rural utilities lending portfolio.

• The Department of Agriculture, Utilities Programs in the disaster prevention and relief sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "TAT Disaster Grant Funding FY18" 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 Oct 06, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 18, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $600,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for TATDISASTERFY18

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