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    HomeARC’s Investment Priorities for AppalachiaBuilding Appalachian Businesses

        
	
Building Appalachian Businesses
	
			
	
				
	
	
	Collaborative and inclusive economic development approaches are essential to building Appalachian businesses and industries, which in turn create opportunities for residents. ARC investments help our partners develop economic strategies that prioritize the growth of existing industries and home-grown entrepreneurial ideas that capitalize on communities’ unique assets.

ARC grants also provide the tailored technical assistance, access to capital, and capacity-building resources needed to help businesses and industries launch, succeed, and even expand into national and international markets.




	



Investment Impact    
    
    Fiscal Year 2022      
              $26.4M
      
              Invested in 62 Projects											  


Fiscal Year 2022      
              9,658
      
              Jobs Created or Retained											  


Fiscal Year 2022      
              3,939
      
              Businesses Created or Improved





	


  
Providing Financial and Technical Assistance for Businesses
          
                      Behind successful entrepreneurs and small businesses are strong support systems.
From Fiscal Years 2018-2022, **ARC invested $112+ million** in projects that strengthened Appalachian entrepreneurship byfacilitating access to capital and credit; growingentrepreneurial ecosystems to support local businesses; providing technical assistance and training; and addressing physical infrastructure needsthroughincubators, makerspaces, retail space, and more.
To help communities work toward sustainable and diversified economies, ARC investments support ventures in high-growth sectors such as manufacturing, technology, health, the arts, recreation and tourism, local food and agriculture, and energy.






	

Investments in Action        Supporting Businesses of All Backgrounds
							
															For over 20 years, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE) has empowered entrepreneurship in Appalachian Georgia through small business loans to women, people of color, and low-to-moderate income business owners.
							
															Learn More





	


  
Pursuing Development Strategies to Grow Existing Industries
          
                      While business attraction is an effective development tactic, ARC stakeholders have emphasized the need to promote economic diversification from *within* the Region by strengthening existing industries. Place-based strategies that leverage Regional assets, engage a diverse array of partners, and encourage creative collaboration are central to this approach.
To help these efforts succeed, ARC investments convene partners around shared goals, encourage best practice exchange, facilitate access to financing, and support economic development-related technical assistance and capacity-building for communities.





	


  
Building Economic Resilience in Appalachia
          
                      Preparing a community to absorb, resist, and recover from an economic shock—such as an economy-wide recession, industry restructuring, or  COVID-19—is the definition of economic resilience. ARC’s study ***Strengthening Economic Resilience*** offers quantitative analysis exploring factors that increase a community’s ability to buffer an economic shock, and a guidebook of case studies and suggested strategies for economic resilience at the community level.
          
                      Learn More





	



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