The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a federal-state partnership that works with Appalachian communities to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life. Local Development Districts, like Buckeye Hills Regional Council, work in partnership with the ARC to promote regional strategies for partnerships, progress, and prosperity.
The Appalachian Regional Commission provides funding for projects related to entrepreneurial and business development, workforce development, critical infrastructure, natural and cultural assets, and leadership and community capacity.
Established in 1965, the ARC is led by a Commission composed of the Governors from each of the Region’s 13 states, and a Federal Co-Chair who is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Each year, the governors select a States’ Co-Chair to lead the Commission in partnership with the Federal Co-Chair.
Each Appalachian Governor selects an appointee to represent their states’ interests and priorities to the Commission. These representatives, referred to as State Alternates, are liaisons between the Governors and ARC Leadership. Every state also has a State Program Manager who is the state-level contact for ARC and facilitates ARC investments with ARC staff. Alternates and State Program Managers work closely with local organizations, including Local Development Districts, to guide ARC investment decisions and policy decisions. ARC staff review proposals, manage investments, and conduct research in cooperation with the states.
To maximize investments made by the ARC in Ohio, the Governor’s Office of Appalachia (GOA) was formed in 1986 to enhance those opportunities with matching state funds for projects. Ohio is the only state in the ARC region to match the federal allocation with state funds. To learn more about the GOA, visit their website by clicking here.
ARC approves funding for more than 400 projects annually throughout the 13-state Appalachian Region.
Eligible Applicants for ARC Funding: political subdivisions (county, city, village), educational institutions (school district and vocational school districts, colleges, and universities), public institutions (port authorities, libraries), and non-profit organizations (community improvement corporations, social service agencies).
Eligible Projects for ARC Funding: The mission of the ARC is to be a strategic partner and advocate for sustainable community and economic development in Appalachia. In 2021, ARC approved its 2022-2026 Strategic Plan, “Appalachia Envisioned.” The strategic planning process undertaken by the Commission considered input from about 2,000 participants. These goals guide ARC’s strategies and program investments. Eligible projects for funding must meet at least one of the five goal areas identified by ARC. The goals are categorized as follows, and are in no order of priority:
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.
Please see the ARC 2022-2026 Strategic Plan to assist in preparing your project proposal summary, available here.
FY 2024-25* County Match Rates in association with total project cost:
*County designations are subject to change.
To be considered for funding, you MUST complete the pre-application via SurveyMonkey Apply. No paper or emailed pre-applications will be accepted. Pre-applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on April 25, 2025. Applicants are encouraged to submit pre-applications early and to retain a copy of their entire pre-application in case revisions are requested.
March 24, 2025: Pre-Applications Open
April 25, 2025: Pre-Applications Due
May 2025: BHRC Staff Reviews and Scoring Begins
June – July 2025: Project List Presented to County Commissioners
August 1, 2025: BHRC Executive Committee Approves Project List
August – December 2025: Full Applications Submitted to the Governor’s Office of Appalachia & Appalachian Regional Commission
No earlier than January 2026: ARC Grant Awards Available for Expenditure upon Grant Agreement Signature
BHRC requires additional documentation for pre-applications. The list below explains the purpose and required format of the documents. Once you begin the application, you may save it to return and finish it at a different time. Below are the additional items BHRC requires for the pre-application:
Employer Identification Number (EIN) and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): All applicants must include EIN and UEI in the pre-application. An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is a nine-digit number issued by the IRS for tax purposes, while a UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) is a string of alphanumeric characters issued by SAM.gov for business transactions and credit. Unsure of your EIN? Follow this link. Unsure of your UEI? Follow these instructions from Grants.gov.
Ohio Administrative Knowledge System (OAKS) Supplier/Vendor ID Number: To do business with the State of Ohio, each grantee is required to have an OAKS Supplier/Vendor ID and provide banking information to receive payment. (If your organization currently receives payments from the State or another state agency, it is likely you already have an OAKS Supplier/Vendor ID.)
If you do not have an OAKS Supplier/Vendor ID, you must create a new account.
Allow 5 business days for the documents to be processed. You will be notified via email of your OAKS ID#. In you need additional information, please submit an inquiry or call 877-644-6771.
Project Type and Funding Maximums: Projects fall into one of two categories: construction and non-construction. For projects classified as construction, applicants may apply for up to $750,000. For projects classified as non-construction, applicants may apply for up to $500,000.
Strategic Rationale: Applicants will need to identify the problems and/or opportunities the project will address, explain the critical circumstances that compel the project to be funded, and describe how the project supports a regional strategy or plan.
Counties Served Documentation: For each county claimed to be served by the project, applicants must upload a letter of support or email from community partners within each county served. For example: letters from County Commissioners, Mayors, non-profit leaders, school district administration, etc. At least one letter is required for submission.
Performance Measures: All projects must have documented performance measures. Applicants should estimate their project’s measures in the project pre-application. If selected, these measures will be used to show progress in interim and closeout reports. Measures may be outputs or outcomes. Outputs are the direct products of project activities and are frequently measured in terms of the volume of work accomplished. Outcomes are benefits or changes for individuals, communities, organizations, businesses, or other entities during or after the project’s grant period. They are the measurable results or impact.
For detailed information about measuring performance for your project, visit ARC’s guide to project performance measures.
Project Readiness Documentation: Please include documentation of project readiness in your pre-application. For construction projects, this must be documentation of some sort of site plan or engineering. At minimum for a construction project, this must be a certified cost estimate. Preferably, this would be a Preliminary Engineering Report (PER).
For projects that involve job creation or retention, please attach letters from the company(ies) on company letterhead, in their own words committing the jobs for creation or retention. Job creation and retention must be directly related to your project. Job creation and retention should also be broken down to specify how many jobs are full-time and how many jobs are part-time. Jobs created should be created within a 3-year period of the ARC grant award. Job letters should also include the total amount of private investment resulting from any expansion. Form letters are not accepted by ARC and will no longer be accepted by BHRC; any job creation or retention cited on form letters will not be credited for project rating.
Documentation of Federal/State/Local/Other Court Directive/Urgency of Need/Health and Safety: If you are legally compelled to complete your project, please attach documentation of the directive that compels you to do so (for example, Ohio EPA Findings & Orders). If no court directives are applicable attach the Urgency of Need/Health and Safety Statement explaining your project’s response to health and safety concerns. Either copies of court directives or the urgency of need/health and safety statement are required for application submission.
Funds Commitment Letters: Because ARC is a gap financer, one of the most important components of a pre-application is the status of matching funds. Without the matching funds committed, ARC/GOA will not issue a grant agreement, rendering your project ineligible. However, grant timelines do not always match up, so if you will receive matching funding for your project during FY2025, we encourage you to still submit a pre-application. There is space on the checklist to explain why and when you will be receiving matching funds for your project. If you already have funds committed, please include a letter from the entity committing the funding specifically to the project on letterhead, signed by someone with the authority to commit the funds, appropriately dated, and with the amount of match committed verified on the letter. If you are leveraging Ohio Water Development Authority funding for this project, a letter stating your intent to apply from your chief financial officer is required. If your community is on the principal forgiveness list, please provide the OWDA spreadsheet that shows you received principal forgiveness.
The staff at BHRC is readily available to assist applicants. For any inquiries, concerns, or guidance regarding your pre-application, please contact Emma Yeager, Development Specialist, at eyeager@buckeyehills.org.
Other ARC funding opportunities are available on the Grants and Opportunities page of their website.
The pre-application period for 2025-2026 ARC Area Development funding opens March 25, 2025. Applicants seeking ARC Area Development funding must submit a pre-application by April 25, 2025. The staff at BHRC is readily available to assist applicants. For any inquiries, concerns, or guidance regarding your pre-application, please contact Emma Yeager, Development Specialist, at eyeager@buckeyehills.org.
Buckeye Hills will host a pre-application webinar on March 14, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. Register for the webinar.
Need Help Planning a Project and Applying for Grants?
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