North Carolina Appalachian Regional Commission Funds Grant

The North Carolina Appalachian Regional Commission Funds support economic development across 13 states, focusing on infrastructure, workforce, and community resilience. Administered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the program prioritizes projects that enhance local economies, particularly in areas affected by Hurricane Helene. Funding caps are set at $700,000 for construction and $300,000 for non-construction projects, with special considerations for distressed counties and workforce development initiatives.

NOTE:
A pre-application must be received in order to be invited to submit a full application. See Pre-proposal deadline above. Appalachian Regional Commission Funds
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a unique federal-state partnership providing social and economic support for a 13-state region stretching along the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi.
In North Carolina, ARC supports economic development activities in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Davie, Forsyth, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey counties.
ARC Strategic Plan
A comprehensive strategic planning process involving federal, state, and local officials and citizens resulted in, Appalachia Envisioned: A New Era of Opportunity – ARC Strategic Plan 2022-2026, which focuses investments under these five general goals:
Building Appalachian Businesses: Strengthen the economy through entrepreneurship and business development.Building Workforce Ecosystems: Expand systems to help people secure and advance in stable careers.Building Infrastructure: Ensure access to reliable, affordable, and resilient utilities and infrastructure.Building Regional Culture and Tourism: Preserve and invest in cultural and natural assets to drive community and economic development.Building Community Leaders and Capacity: Support local leaders with technical assistance and resources for effective planning and project execution.
Pre-applications must meet one of the ARC Goals.
North Carolina Targeted Investment Priorities
Governor Stein will utilize resources provided by the ARC to advance North Carolina’s economic development goals in Western North Carolina. Aligned with Governor Stein's priorities, ARC resources will be used to: strengthen the workforce, support businesses, and empower communities while supporting the region to become more resilient as a result of Hurricane Helene.
NC ARC Investment Priorities:
Projects that enhance long-term infrastructure commitments that allow for commerce and creation and retention of jobs,Projects that support local government infrastructure resiliency, with an emphasis on enhancing economic development opportunities,Projects that enrich partnerships between local industries, k-12 schools, and community colleges to expand and enhance workforce development opportunities to ensure a pipeline of skilled workers in the region, andProjects that spur economic activity in the health care sector and improve the quality of health care services in rural communities throughout the region; while supporting local efforts to tackle health care challenges, specifically substance use disorder.
Funding
The state has set a general guideline that ARC assistance will not exceed $700,000 for construction projects and $300,000 for non-construction projects.
However, special consideration will be given to construction projects in distressed and at-risk counties resulting in job creation, as well as projects that make necessary improvements that build resiliency as direct result of Hurricane Helene. Selected projects that address these priorities may request up to $1,000,000 in ARC funding.
Special consideration may also be given to non-construction projects with an emphasis on workforce development, that is providing job training opportunities for individuals impacted by Hurricane Helene, with an allowable funding amount up to $500,000.
The NC ARC Program has the discretion to reduce the requested funding amount for projects when necessary to meet all investment needs.
To comply with Congressional instructions, the matching requirements in multicounty projects will vary, depending on the designated economic status of the counties involved. Multicounty projects serving fewer than the 31 counties will be computed based on the average of the eligible financing level for the counties involved.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are local development districts, Indian tribes, states, counties, cities, institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations located in or serving in the Appalachian Region of North Carolina are eligible for funding.