Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs

What Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs does

The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) is a state government agency within Indiana's executive branch that administers grant programs targeted at community and rural development across the state. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Indianapolis, OCRA operates with a small staff of 11-50 employees and functions as the primary state conduit for federal and state rural development funding.

OCRA's core offerings consist of three grant programs: (1) the Indiana Connectivity Program, launched in 2021, which awards funding to internet service providers to expand high-speed broadband access to underserved rural areas and has connected approximately 3,000 households, businesses, and institutions with over $14 million in cumulative awards; (2) the Next Level Connect (NLC) Fiber Grant Program, which funds multi-gig symmetrical fiber network deployments in partnership with local ISPs; and (3) a Home Repair Grant Program funded through federal HUD funds that provides $8,700–$27,000 per home for low-to-moderate-income homeowners for roofing, electrical, and accessibility modifications.

As a government entity, OCRA does not generate commercial revenue; it distributes public funds to internet service providers, municipalities, and individual homeowners. Its go-to-market is through official state government channels, direct partnerships with ISPs (e.g., RTC Communications, AMG Technology Investment Group, PSC Fiber, Mainstream Fiber Networks), and coordination with county and municipal governments across all 92 Indiana counties. OCRA's parent entity is the State of Indiana, and its funding derives from state and federal appropriations rather than commercial pricing models.

Name

Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs

Legal name

Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs

Website

https://in.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs is a state agency that administers grant programs—including the Indiana Connectivity Program, Next Level Connect Fiber Grant, and HUD-funded home repair grants—to expand broadband access and housing support in Indiana's rural and underserved communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Community Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administration of Economic Programs (926)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Non-Operating Establishments (9995)

akta.pro primary industry

Intergovernmental Affairs & Federal Grants Administration (BPAIAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Rural community development
• Broadband infrastructure grants
• Rural connectivity programs
• Community development block grants
• Home repair assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Core offering

Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs is a state government agency that administers community and economic development grant programs across Indiana. Its portfolio includes the Indiana Connectivity Program, the Next Level Connect (NLC) Fiber Grant Program, and a Home Repair Grant Program funded through federal HUD dollars, all focused on addressing infrastructure gaps and improving quality of life in Indiana's underserved rural communities.

Product overview

Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs operates as a state government agency administering multiple grant programs focused on rural community development. The agency's portfolio includes three primary offerings: the Indiana Connectivity Program for broadband infrastructure expansion, the Next Level Connect (NLC) Fiber Grant Program for high-speed fiber network deployments, and a Home Repair Grant Program for housing assistance to low-income homeowners. These programs work together to address infrastructure gaps and improve quality of life in Indiana's underserved rural communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Indiana Connectivity Program A broadband infrastructure grant program that awards funding to internet service providers to expand high-speed internet access to underserved rural areas across Indiana. The program has connected approximately 3,000 households, businesses, and institutions since its 2021 launch and supports rural ISPs serving underserved geographic regions.
• Next Level Connect (NLC) Fiber Grant Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,000+ households, businesses, and institutions provided broadband access since 2021

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• RTC CommunicationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRTC Communications received $1 million in NLC grant funding from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs for a $2.5 million fiber broadband expansion project in the West Boggs area of Indiana, connecting nearly 500 residents to multi-gig symmetrical fiber service.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Connected Nation: Nonprofit that works with states, communities, and ISPs to expand broadband access in underserved areas; closely parallels OCRA's mission of mapping gaps, advising on funding, and coordinating infrastructure deployment in rural counties.
• Ohio Department of Development: Ohio's primary state agency for community and economic development, administering grants and programs for rural communities, broadband, and housing — a direct cross-state functional equivalent of OCRA.
• Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority (IHCDA): Indiana's state housing finance and community development agency; operates comparable federal-fund-administration functions (including HUD-administered programs) and shares OCRA's mandate to support low-to-moderate-income Hoosiers, making it the closest in-state peer.
• Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development: Tennessee's state-level ECD agency that administers broadband, rural development, and community grant programs; parallels OCRA in operating state-funded grant pipelines with rural targeting.
• State of Michigan - High-Speed Internet Office (MiHI): Michigan's state broadband office that administers BEAD subgrants and rural connectivity programs; a near-perfect functional analogue to OCRA's Indiana Connectivity Program and an obvious cross-state peer.

Broad incumbents

• Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC): Indiana's primary state economic development agency, focused on job creation and investment attraction; operates alongside OCRA within the State of Indiana's executive-branch economic/community development ecosystem with overlapping rural engagement.
• USDA Rural Development: Federal agency administering rural housing, broadband (ReConnect), and community infrastructure programs; OCRA effectively executes a state-level analogue of USDA RD's rural community development portfolio, including housing repair loans/grants.
• National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA): Federal agency that administers the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program and other major broadband grant initiatives; OCRA's Indiana Connectivity Program is functionally a state-level version of NTIA's broadband funding mission.

Others

• Benton Institute for Broadband & Society: Public policy think tank that advises state broadband offices and rural connectivity stakeholders on grant strategy, digital equity, and federal funding deployment — a thematic peer given OCRA's reliance on federal broadband programs and policy frameworks.
• National Association of Development Organizations (NADO): Membership organization representing regional economic development districts and planning organizations across the U.S.; OCRA frequently engages with NADO-member regional development organizations to localize rural broadband and community development investments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IndianaOCRA
• Facebookfacebook.com/IndianaOCRA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments12 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs