Appalachian Regional Commission

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a regional economic development agency that represents a partnership of federal, state, and local government. It was established by an act of Congress in 1965. The Appalachian region is home to more than 25 million people covering 420 counties in 13 states from New York to Mississippi. Local Development Districts (LDD) work together with their states and ARC to promote regional strategies for partnerships, progress and prosperity. This partnership in turn assists the people of Appalachia create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life. For more information about the ARC, visit their website.

The Eastgate ARC program is funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the Ohio Governor’s Office of Appalachia (GOA) to provide matching grant funds to fill a gap for eligible applicants in support of projects that meet federal and state program goals. These projects are administered by the Local Development Districts. In Ohio, the four LDDs are: Buckeye Hills Regional Council, OMEGA, Ohio Valley Region Development Commission, and Eastgate. In 2020, the Ohio LDDs administered 46 ARC projects with a total project investment of $71.9 Million which resulted in 614 new jobs and another 1,079 jobs retained in the region. See our 2020 Return on Investment report for more information.

2021 Ohio ARC Return on Investment Annual LDD Report

Types of Eligible Projects:

  • Projects that support job creation and/or retention jobs in the District
  • Extend or upgrade water or sewer service to residents of the District
  • Support workforce development in the recovery to work efforts of overcoming opioid addiction
  • Provide job skills training/workforce development for residents of the District
  • Develop/improve infrastructure for residents of the District
  • Improve economic opportunity
  • Improve broadband access
  • Improve AHDS and access roads to decrease isolation and increase job creation
  • Strengthen economic development by leveraging natural and cultural assets
  • Foster leadership and community capacity

Eligible applicants:

  • Political subdivisions (county, city, village)
  • Educational institutions (school district and vocational school districts, colleges and universities)
  • Public institutions (port authorities, libraries)
  • Non-profit Organizations (community improvement corporations, social service agencies)

Federal ARC Priority Goal Areas and Ohio Appalachian State Goals and Strategies

The Appalachian Regional Commission’s federal priority goal areas and the Ohio Appalachian state goals-strategies are listed below. For more information, please visit the ARC website.

  • Goal 1: Building Appalachian Business
    Strengthen and diversify the Region’s economy through inclusive economic development strategies and investments in entrepreneurship and business development.
  • Goal 2: 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.
  • Goal 3: 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.
  • Goal 4: Natural and Cultural Assets
    Strengthen Appalachia’s community and economic development potential by leveraging the Region’s natural and cultural heritage assets.
  • Goal 5: 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.

Information on the Goals, Objectives, Strategies, and Suggested Performance Measures for federal ARC projects can be found in the 2022-2026 ARC Strategic Plan.

Through the Governor’s Office of Appalachia (GOA) state funds are provided for projects. Ohio is the only state in the ARC region to match the federal allocation with state funds. For more information about the GOA, visit their website.

Resources