Technical Assistance Grants

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency delivering the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Utilities Programs, amends the regulation utilized to administer the technical assistance grant programs. This action is necessary to separate the technical assistance and training grant and solid waste management grant programs for clarification purposes, and to bring the regulation in line with revisions to OMB circulars. Additionally, it eliminates the requirement that applicants submit a pre-application when applying for grant funds. This action also transfers grant processing and servicing from the National Office to Rural Development State Offices. The intended effect is to separate the technical assistance and solid waste management programs and to reduce regulatory burdens on applicants.