The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC or the Commission) is a regional economic development agency that represents a partnership of federal, state, and local government.
Donor Name: Appalachian Regional Commission
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/05/2025
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
To support development of the new regional multistate initiative, ARC contracted with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to gather input from key leaders and collaborators on the design and implementation of the new initiative.
Goals
- Building Appalachian Businesses: Strengthen and diversify the Region’s economy through inclusive economic development strategies and investments in entrepreneurship and business development.
- Building Appalachia’s Workforce Ecosystem: Expand and strengthen community systems (education, healthcare, housing, childcare, and others) that help Appalachians obtain a job, stay on the job, and advance along a financially sustaining career pathway.
- Building Appalachia’s Infrastructure: Ensure that the residents and businesses of Appalachia have access to reliable, affordable, resilient, and energy-efficient utilities and infrastructure in order to successfully live and work in the Region.
- Building Regional Culture and Tourism: Strengthen Appalachia’s community and economic development potential by preserving and investing in the Region’s local cultural heritage and natural assets.
- Building Community Leaders and Capacity: Invest in the capacity of local leaders, organizations, and communities to address local challenges by providing technical assistance and support to access resources, engage partners, identify strategies and tactics, and conduct effective planning and project execution.
Funding Information
- Planning Grants
- Funding Availability for Planning Grants: At least $10,000,000/Year 1
- Maximum Planning Grant Award Size: $500,000.
- Implementation Grants
- Funding Availability for Implementation Grants: Up to $63,500,000/Year 1
- Maximum Implementation Grant Award Size: $10 Million (ARC reserves the right to award grants in larger amounts on a case-by-case basis and when substantially compelling circumstance are present).
Eligible Criteria
Eligible applicants for ARC’s ARISE planning grant and implementation grant program are the following:
- Local development districts (LDDs);
- Indian Tribes or a consortium of Indian Tribes;
- States, counties, cities, or other political subdivision of a state, including a special purpose unit of a state or local government engaged in economic or infrastructure development activities, or a consortium of political subdivisions;
- Institutions of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education;
- Public or private nonprofit organizations or associations
For more information, visit Appalachian Regional Commission.
