Appalachian Regional Commission Grant Program

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs administers Appalachian Regional Commission funding for projects within Georgia's Appalachian Regional Commission footprint. The funding opportunity supports community and economic development activities in the eligible portion of the state's 37-county ARC region. Proposed projects must address at least one goal in the Appalachian Regional Commission Strategic Plan and must also align with Georgia's investment priorities. The five ARC goals encompass building Appalachian businesses, strengthening the workforce ecosystem, improving infrastructure, developing regional culture and tourism, and building community leadership and capacity. Georgia identifies several investment priorities for ARC funding. Downtown development projects may support job creation and retention, existing and new businesses, quality of life improvements, and the economic success of rural, small, and medium Appalachian cities. Infrastructure investments may help communities attract industry and businesses, build capacity for development, support affordable workforce housing, and expand energy infrastructure for industrial innovation, alternative energy, electric vehicle production, and emerging technologies. Resilient community projects may support local and regional planning and projects that form part of larger plans undertaken by local governments or authorities. The program also supports local rural economies and workforce development. Economic development activities may capitalize on North Georgia's natural and cultural resources, tourism-based businesses, and strategies for diversifying local economies. Workforce projects may help residents increase or enhance skills, provide apprenticeships benefiting employers and employees, or provide services that help workers remain employed. ARC's strategic goals also encompass education, healthcare, housing, childcare, utilities, infrastructure, entrepreneurship, business development, cultural heritage, natural assets, technical assistance, organizational capacity, planning, and effective project execution. The maximum ARC funding available is $1,000,000 per project. Matching requirements apply and vary according to the ARC economic status of the county. Chattooga County is classified as Distressed with an 80 percent ARC and 20 percent match structure. Elbert and Franklin counties are At-Risk with a 70 percent ARC and 30 percent match structure. The listed Transitional counties use a 50 percent ARC and 50 percent match structure, while Dawson, Hall, Jackson, and Paulding counties are Competitive and use a 30 percent ARC and 70 percent match structure. Cherokee and Forsyth counties are classified as Attainment and are not eligible for ARC funding. Eligible applicants include local units of government, including authorities; nonprofit organizations recognized under federal and state law; and public or nonprofit educational and healthcare organizations. Eligible proposals must serve the applicable Appalachian Georgia geography and satisfy the strategic alignment requirements. Full construction applications require a Preliminary Engineering Report or Preliminary Architectural Report. The required PER or PAR must be prepared by a qualified professional who was procured through the appropriate competitive process. Pre-applications must be submitted to arc.biz@dca.ga.gov by October 9, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Applications for the funding opportunity are due to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs on October 30, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Because the source does not specify a time zone, the stated times are treated as Eastern Time for data-entry purposes. The source does not provide an application opening date, award notification date, performance period, number of awards, total program funding amount, or an explicit statement that the opportunity recurs annually or on another regular schedule. Questions about the opportunity may be directed to Annaka Woodruff at Annaka.woodruff@dca.ga.gov. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs also lists its primary telephone number as (404) 679-4840. Applicants should ensure that proposed activities clearly connect an ARC Strategic Plan goal with a Georgia investment priority and should account for the match applicable to the project's county. Construction applicants should also ensure that the required preliminary engineering or architectural documentation has been prepared by a qualified professional selected through the appropriate competitive process.

Align the proposal clearly with both an ARC Strategic Plan goal and a Georgia investment priority. For construction projects, secure the required PER or PAR from a qualified professional procured through the appropriate competitive process. Account for the county-specific matching requirement when developing the project.