The Appalachian Regional Commission, an economic development entity of the federal government and 13 state governments focused on counties in the Appalachian Region, recently awarded nearly $1.7 million in Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies grants.
The grant program drives large-scale, regional economic transformation through multi-state collaborative projects across Appalachia.
The awardees are:
Steel Valley Authority was awarded $500,000 to create the Appalachian Sustainable Finance Hub, a web-based portal of investors, pre-development funds and other capitalization opportunities. The organization will match technical assistance for clean economy projects in Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
Invest Appalachia was awarded $496,500 to collaborate with more than a dozen regional partners to support 165 underserved counties’ downtown redevelopment plans over a five-year period in Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.
PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship was awarded $387,500 to engage 30 communities in Pennsylvania and Ohio to help residents understand the technology needs of the regional outdoor tourism economy.
The organization, in collaboration with its partners, will develop a rural tourism mobile platform that will help communities attract visitors, support businesses, connect supply chains and share job opportunities.
Carnegie Mellon University was awarded $293,551 to analyze and address mobility and transportation challenges in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.