Public Opportunity Briefing
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service is funding rural organizations to acquire the telecommunications equipment and technology needed to deliver distance learning and telemedicine services to students, teachers, medical professionals, and residents who cannot access adequate education or health care through conventional means. The Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2026 supports projects that connect rural sites through audio, video, and advanced telecommunications systems. Applications are due June 30, 2026, with awards expected by September 30, 2026.
Assistance Listing Number: 10.855
Funding Opportunity Number: RUS-26-01-DLT
Funding Agency: Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Application Deadline: June 30, 2026
Rural Health Care Providers, Schools, and Nonprofits in Small Communities Are the Target Applicants
Eligible applicants include educational institutions, rural health care providers, local governments, tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations with the legal authority and operational capacity to own and manage the equipment purchased with grant funds. Faith-based organizations may apply on the same basis as any other organization.
The most critical eligibility requirement is geographic. The project's end-user sites must be located in rural areas as USDA defines them: communities not located within a city or town with more than 20,000 inhabitants and not situated within an urbanized area contiguous to a city or town with more than 50,000 inhabitants. USDA uses 2020 Census data to make this determination, and a dedicated mapping tool on the DLT program website allows applicants to verify the rural status of each proposed site before submitting. Hub sites may be located in non-rural areas only when their non-rural location is necessary to serve rural end-user residents.
A mandatory financial match is an eligibility condition, not a scoring factor. Every applicant must document matching contributions equal to at least 15 percent of the grant amount requested. Match may come from cash or in-kind contributions using non-depreciated items. Applications that do not include sufficient match documentation are disqualified regardless of project quality.
Awards Up to $750,000 Over Three Years Require a Documented 15 Percent Match
Approximately $27 million is available for this competition, distributed across roughly 40 awards. Individual grants range from a minimum of $50,000 to a maximum of $750,000. The three-year performance period begins when funds are released following award, anticipated by September 30, 2026.
The 15 percent matching requirement carries significant practical implications. An applicant requesting $500,000 must document at least $75,000 in qualifying match contributions. An applicant requesting the maximum of $750,000 must document at least $112,500. Match contributions must be committed at the time of application and must be clearly documented with authorized signatures from all contributing parties. Vendors may not satisfy the match requirement through donated items if those donations create an obligation for the applicant to purchase that vendor's products with grant funds.
Video conferencing platform licenses may be included as an eligible cost under specific conditions: the license cost may not exceed 10 percent of the total grant amount, the platform must be integral to the project, the majority of use must be for the funded purpose, and the licenses must be new rather than renewals. Each applicant may submit only one application.
Environmental Review, Federal Cost Standards, and Audit Requirements Apply from Day One
All DLT awards are governed by 2 CFR Part 200. Organizations whose total federal expenditures from all sources in a fiscal year reach or exceed $1,000,000 are subject to a Single Audit. Rural organizations already receiving other federal funding should assess their total federal spend before assuming the DLT award will fall below this threshold.
An environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act is a required component of the application, not a post-award step. Projects that include any physical construction must also comply with the Build America, Buy America Act. Organizations planning construction-related activity should consult the USDA BABA waiver process early if domestic procurement presents a challenge.
Reporting obligations continue throughout the three-year project period. Grantees submit annual Project Performance Activity Reports by January 31 of each year following any disbursement of funds, and a final performance report is due within 120 days of project completion, grant expiration, or final disbursement.
Intergovernmental review under Executive Order 12372 applies to this program, meaning applicants must contact the designated Single Point of Contact for their state and include any resulting comments in the application package. Federally recognized tribes are exempt from this requirement.