The Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative provides grants to help communities and regions affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations, and coal-related supply chain or logistics industries.
Donor Name: Appalachian Regional Commission
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/12/2025
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 5-10 Years
Details:
The Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative targets federal resources to expand economic opportunities for coal communities by creating high-quality, in-demand jobs, attracting new sources of private investment, and providing comprehensive workforce services and skills training.
ARC prioritizes POWER funding for projects that will produce diverse economic development outcomes, such as the following:
- Diversifying the commercial and industrial bases of local and regional economies
- Creating high-quality, well-paying jobs in new and existing industries
- Attracting new sources of public and private investment
- Providing a range of workforce services and skills training, including paid work-based learning opportunities, resulting in industry-recognized credentials for high-quality, in-demand jobs
- Supporting the expansion of coal technology, including technologies that utilize coal and coal byproducts such as building materials, battery materials, carbon fiber, synthetic graphite, and steelmaking
In addition, it’s important for POWER projects to be collaborative in nature. Successful POWER projects should meet both the following criteria:
- Be specifically aligned with state, local, and/or regional economic development plans
- Be designed collaboratively by a diverse blend of state, local, and regional stakeholders
All POWER Initiative applications must address one or more of ARC’s strategic investment 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.
Priorities
- Fostering Entrepreneurial Activities
- This refers to programs that support the development and expansion of entrepreneurial enterprises and business activity in Appalachia. These strategic investments will create and strengthen the ecosystems that provide broad-based support for business startup and growth.
- Building a Competitive Workforce
- This refers to targeted training that prepares individuals for specific jobs or careers, or for advancement within an occupation, in industries with high workforce demand. Proposals for training programs should be supported with evidence that indicates a demand for that particular skillset in the area to be served. There should be no overlap with existing workforce programs in those areas.
Funding Information
Implementation Grants
- Between $400,000–$2 million, except,
- Broadband construction and BaaS: $400,000–$2.5 million
- Between 12 and 36 months, except,
- Projects with construction activities: Between 12 and 48 months
- BaaS: Minimum 7-years
Planning Grants
- Up to $100,000
- Period of Performance- Up to 12 months
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants for ARC’s POWER Initiative include the following:
- Local development districts (LDDs)
- Indian tribes or a consortium of Indian tribes
- States, counties, cities, or other political subdivisions 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.
