Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative Grant

Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Appalachian Regional Commission
Amount: Up to US $2,500,000
Last Updated: August 28, 2025

Summary

The Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative aims to revitalize communities impacted by coal industry transitions. This initiative provides funding for projects that diversify local economies, enhance job training, and create new employment opportunities. By fostering collaboration among various stakeholders, the POWER Initiative supports strategic investments that align with regional economic development plans, ensuring a more resilient future for coal-affected areas.

Overview

NOTE: Prior to submission of the application, every applicant is required to contact the state program managers of the states to be impacted by the project proposal. The state officials will ensure that the proposals are also in alignment with their respective state Appalachian economic development plans and strategy statements. Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative Any selection and award under this NOSA is subject to the availability of appropriated funds, any other legislative action, or policy priorities. The Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative provides funding to help communities and regions affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations, and coal-related supply chain or logistics industries due to the changing economics of America’s energy production and the coal economy. The POWER Initiative supports efforts to create a more vibrant economic future for coalimpacted communities by cultivating economic diversity, enhancing job training and reemployment opportunities, creating jobs in existing or new industries, and attracting new sources of investment. For coal-impacted communities to diversify their local and regional economies successfully, POWER prioritizes the allocation of federal resources to projects and activities with the following characteristics: Will produce diverse economic development outcomes, such as the following:Diversify the commercial and industrial bases of local and regional economies.

Create high-quality, well-paying jobs in new and existing industries.
Attract new sources of public and private investment.
Provide a range of workforce services and skills training, including paid work-based learning opportunities, resulting in industry-recognized credentials for high-quality, in-demand jobsAre specifically identified under state, local, and/or regional economic development plans.
Have been collaboratively designed by a diverse blend of state, local, and regional stakeholders
The POWER Initiative seeks to align and leverage complementary economic development resources to provide assistance through competitively awarded grants to partnerships anchored in coal-impacted communities. By aligning and leveraging multiple resources (federal, state, local, nonprofit, and private sector), POWER solicits and prioritizes the selection of projects that integrate multiple economic development systems and support the implementation of existing economic development strategic plans. Additionally, applicants to ARC’s POWER Initiative should apply an equity lens to their projects. This may be done by including intentional strategies that aim to increase inclusion of underrepresented communities in their proposed work. Applicants should consider how their project will aim to expand access to and increase representation and participation of underrepresented communities in their proposed activities.
POWER Investment Priorities
As adopted by the Commission, the POWER investment priorities build upon ARC’s strategic investment goals. ARC’s POWER Initiative will continue to focus on investments that are regional, strategic, and focused on the economic revitalization of coal-impacted communities and regions.
Project proposals need not include all the following POWER investment priorities to be considered for funding; however, all applications will be reviewed for their ability to address at least one of these priority areas.
Fostering Entrepreneurial ActivitiesDeveloping Industry Clusters in CommunitiesBuilding a Competitive WorkforceBroadband
Grant Types
Implementation Grants: Implementation grants awarded under the POWER NOSA are for the support of programmatic delivery. Applicants may also request funding to support construction incidental to their project. The Commission will make individual implementation grants in amounts between $400,000 and $2,000,000 for each project it awards within the congressionally defined Appalachian Region, with exceptions for broadband deployment and BaaS projects, which have a range of $400,000 to $2,500,000. Specific award guidelines may vary by type of project.Planning Grants: In addition to implementation grants, ARC will also award smaller planning grants in amounts up to $50,000. These grants will assist coal-impacted communities and regions in the Appalachian Region in the development of plans, strategies, and feasibility studies targeted to the diversification and growth of their economies. Planning awards should result in grantees better understanding their resources, identifying strengths and needs, and helping focus their future efforts through cost/benefit analyses. The objective of the planning projects is to assist entities with the development of an implementation project following their completion; therefore, no activities in the scope of work can include the delivery of a program or services. Planning grantees are encouraged to follow up with a POWER implementation application, but there is no guarantee of funding. Planning grantees should, within the context of their work, identify other possible sources of programmatic funding.

Eligibility

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