Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE)

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), established by the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, is a federal-state partnership that supports economic development across 423 counties in 13 Appalachian states. The commission aims to bring the Appalachian Region to socioeconomic parity with the rest of the United States. As part of its investment strategy, ARC has launched the Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE), a multi-state grant initiative focused on catalyzing regional economic transformation through collaborative, cross-state projects. The ARISE Initiative 2025 is funded by at least $70 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. Its goal is to leverage multi-state partnerships that result in large-scale, transformative economic outcomes. ARISE projects must demonstrate regional collaboration, economic advancement across multiple states, and alignment with one or more of ARC’s five strategic investment goals: building businesses, infrastructure, workforce ecosystems, culture and tourism, and local leadership and capacity. Funding is available for both planning and implementation grants. Planning grants can receive up to $500,000 with a performance period of up to 18 months, while implementation grants can receive up to $10 million for up to five years. Only specific types of organizations are eligible to apply for ARISE funding. These include local development districts, Indian tribes, state and local governments or their subdivisions, higher education institutions, and public or private nonprofit organizations. For-profit entities and individuals are not eligible. Projects must include partners from at least two Appalachian states, and each partner must contribute actively to the project. A lead applicant must be identified. Furthermore, projects must serve geographic areas within the defined Appalachian Region, and matching funds are required based on the economic status of the counties served—ranging from 20% in distressed counties to 70% in competitive counties. The application process for ARISE is two-phased. First, applicants must submit a pre-application by December 5, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Only those invited by ARC following the pre-application review may submit a full application, which is due May 15, 2026, also by 5:00 p.m. ET. A required step before pre-application submission is contacting the state program managers in the states impacted by the proposed project using ARC's Project Summary Template. This ensures that the proposed work aligns with each state’s development priorities. Only projects acknowledged by state program managers will be eligible to move forward in the process. Evaluation of pre-applications is based on criteria such as need or opportunity addressed, project scope, partner collaboration, budget and matching funds, expected outputs and outcomes, financial sustainability, and feasibility. Applicants must provide a budget narrative and evidence of confirmed or pending match. Invited full applications must comply with additional technical and administrative requirements, including federal forms, Memoranda of Understanding, and letters of support and engagement. Construction-related applications must also meet specific criteria, including site control documentation and basic agency agreements. Award announcements are expected in Summer 2026, and selected projects may begin as early as September 1, 2026. Questions about the ARISE initiative can be directed to ARISE@arc.gov. More information and technical resources, including toolkits and application templates, are available at www.arc.gov/ARISE.

Reach out early to state program managers, align with ARC strategic goals, provide detailed match documentation, ensure collaboration across state lines is robust and well-defined