Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)

Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) ARC Guidelines ARC Construction Guidelines Apply Contact Us Overview The Appalachian Region, as defined in ARC’s authorizing legislation, is a 205,000-square-mile region that follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi. It includes all of West Virginia and parts of 12 other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Each year in Pennsylvania, ARC provides funding for numerous projects in the Appalachian Region in a wide range of program areas. The projects funded in the program areas create thousands of new jobs, improve local water and sewer systems, increase school readiness, expand access to health care, assist local communities with strategic planning and provide technical and managerial assistance to emerging businesses. Uses The state will look favorably at projects where there are new business start-ups and job creation and at those projects that will enhance the community and economic vitality of the state. When approving a particular project, the state will also consider whether the project will improve, on a continuing rather than a temporary basis, the opportunities for employment and the average level of income or economic and social development of the area served by the project. Eligibility Technical assistance projects that: Provide services to a community or region to enhance business development Meet the criteria for immediate, permanent job creation/retention or strategic plan implementation Construction and infrastructure development Including site preparation, water, sewer, broadband, or other needed improvements. Industrial site development Local access road (only road construction-related activities) Local government assistance projects providing for service consolidation, management assistance or any other arrangements directed to more effective delivery of