DevelopOhio

The Ohio Department of Development’s Governor’s Office of Appalachia recently released new details for a program that will infuse up to half a billion dollars into the 32-county region (see our September 21, 2022 blog post), Gongwer reports. The Appalachian Community Grant Program, funded through the American Rescue Plan Act, is “part of Gov. Mike DeWine’s ‘Ohio Builds — Small Communities, Big Impact — A Plan for Appalachia,’” according to the article. Up to $30 million “will support project planning and technical assistance, and the remaining $470 million will be awarded to implement development projects” that “incorporate infrastructure, workforce, and healthcare.” Appalachian Technical Assistance Grants of $250,000 will be awarded to each county from the $30 million. Those grants “cover the county’s cost of helping lead applicants with planning and design of eligible projects and coordination.” In a statement, Governor DeWine said, “[t]here has never been a better time to live in Ohio, and we’re making sure that our Appalachian communities also experience the economic growth that we’re seeing across the state.” Applications for grants open November 2, 2022.