Appalachian Area Development (23.002)
Appalachian Area Development (Assistance Listing 23.002) is run by the Appalachian Regional Commission. It awarded $988 million in 1,825 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $541,511 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $276,000. Half of the 1,825 awards fell between $90,000 and $500,000, and they ranged from $3,357 to $32.2 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$988 million
- Grant awards1,825
- Typical award$276,000
- Awarded in FY 2025$254 million
- Size rank256 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceProject grants
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $25.5 million in fiscal 2021 to $254 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 256th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 21% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 19 states and territories.
What the program funds
To help the regional economy become more competitive by putting in place the building blocks for self-sustaining economic development, while continuing to provide special assistance to the Region's most distressed counties and areas. This program focuses on activities which support ARC's mission to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia. Activities funded must advance ARC's strategic plan. Specific program goals are: (1) Invest in entrepreneurial and business development strategies that strengthen Appalachia's economy; (2) Increase the education, knowledge, skills, and health of residents to work and succeed in Appalachia; (3) Invest in critical infrastructure—especially broadband; transportation, including the Appalachian Development Highway System; and water/wastewater systems; (4) Strengthen Appalachia's community and economic development potential by leveraging the Region's natural and cultural heritage assets; and (5) Build the capacity and skills of current and next-generation leaders and organizations to innovate, collaborate, and advance community and economic development.Specific objectives were developed for each goal. Grants are made either directly by the Commission or grants may supplement other Federal grants.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
States, their subdivisions and instrumentalities and private nonprofit agencies.
What the money can and cannot pay for
The grants may be used for providing supplemental funds under Federal grant-in-aid programs. To be eligible for special basic grants, projects must be of high priority in the State's Appalachian development plan and be either of critical importance to a phased investment and development program for a multicounty area, or of unusual economic benefit to such area. Refer to "General Provisions for Area Development Program" of the Appalachian Regional Commission Code and ARC Project Guidelines for additional use restrictions. Also, please see www.arc.gov.;
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Generally grants are limited to 50% of project costs. For projects in counties designated as At Risk, this limit can be raised to 70%, and in economically distressed counties, it can be raised to 80%. For projects in counties designated as competitive (those that are approaching national economic norms), funding is usually limited to 30% of project costs. Funding is usually not available for projects located in counties that have attained or exceeded national economic norms. If otherwise eligible for funding, projects involving construction assistance for housing under the Appalachian Regional Development Act (ARDA) (40 U.S.C. 14503) cannot exceed 10% of total project costs regardless of location. The ARC Code and "Appalachian Regional Commission Project Guidelines" furnish details.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Appalachian Area Development (23.002) awarded $988 million across 1,825 grant awards, an average of $541,511 per award.
Who usually wins
State and local governments received 50% of the money, nonprofits 35% and colleges and universities 11%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| State and local governments | 907 | $489 million | 50% |
| Nonprofits | 628 | $350 million | 35% |
| Colleges and universities | 194 | $104 million | 11% |
| Other | 93 | $43.7 million | 4.4% |
| Small businesses | 1 | $271,989 | less than 0.1% |
| Tribal governments and organizations | 2 | $103,000 | less than 0.1% |
By state
16 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 177 | $164 million |
| Kentucky | 165 | $139 million |
| Pennsylvania | 294 | $128 million |
| Tennessee | 178 | $103 million |
| Ohio | 197 | $93.4 million |
| Alabama | 145 | $64.8 million |
| Virginia | 122 | $56.5 million |
| Mississippi | 108 | $55.7 million |
| North Carolina | 119 | $52.4 million |
| Georgia | 57 | $34.3 million |
| New York | 112 | $24.3 million |
| South Carolina | 63 | $21.7 million |
| California | 2 | $16.3 million |
| Maryland | 79 | $15.0 million |
| District of Columbia | 1 | $10.0 million |
| Connecticut | 2 | $8.7 million |
| Texas | 2 | $859,847 |
| Oregon | 1 | $50,000 |
| Minnesota | 1 | $49,830 |