ARC Opportunities

Southern Tier 8 Regional Board advances infrastructure investment, workforce development, and economic opportunity across 56% of Appalachian NY by building community capacity with local partners for project & partnership development, while encouraging process efficiencies with grant compliance and administration.

Each year, County Planning Departments and Southern Tier 8 staff help applicants develop their ARC project application & provide grantees with grant training, partnership development and advocacy efforts.  Southern Tier 8's FY2027 ARC Area Development Grant Cycle is now underway, and project concepts are under review. 

Check back in early 2027 here to see when FY2028 funding opportunities will be announced.

The following steps offer a reference point for submitting successful projects (note that with local, state & federal partners, some processes may change each year).

STEP 1: Review the FEDERAL ARC Strategic Plan & STATE NY Program Strategies & LOCAL CEDS to see how your new (or expanding) project supports ARC’s Investment Goals.

STEP 2: PAST TRAINING MATERIALS listed here (for reference only) Review the Training Materials: Overview of the Program & Collaborative Partnerships , Budgets & Performance Measures & Sustained Efforts.

STEP 3: Talk with your County Planning Director about the project & request a letter of alignment (for your pre-application).

STEP 4: in 2027, check HERE for upcoming trainings & review the current CFR-200

STEP 5: in 2027, when available, complete the Pre-Application HERE

STEP 6: Upon completing the pre-application, projects will be reviewed by the Committee and grantees will be notified by with an invitation to submit a full application, with a mandatory training day and more deadlines to follow.  

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a regional economic development agency that represents a partnership of federal, state and local government. Established by an act of Congress in 1965, ARC is composed of the governors of the 13 Appalachian states and a federal co-chair, who is appointed by the president. New York State Department of State serves as the state partner for this federal investment opportunity. Local participation is provided through multi-county local development districts (LDDs). Southern Tier 8 is the Region’s Local Development District for the 8 counties of  Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Tioga and Tompkins.

ARC invests in projects that support their current investment goals.

Goal 1: Building Appalachian Businesses
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 parthway. 

Goal 3: Building Appalachia's Infrastructure
Ensure that the residents and businesses of Appalachia have access to reliable, affordable, resilient, and engery efficient utilities and infrastructure in order to successsfully live and work in the Region. 

Goal 4: Building Regional Culture and Tourism
Strengthen Appalachia’s community and economic development potential by perserving and investing in the Region's local cultural heritage and natural 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.