$85M in Funding Available Through New Ohio Program

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Official program guidelines for the $85 million Appalachian Community Innovation Centers program were released Monday.

Joint vocational school districts, K-12 school districts, regional councils of government or other political subdivisions located in the 32 Ohio Appalachian counties can apply for funding.

Eligible projects include new construction, renovation or expansion of existing facilities that support public education; deliver physical or behavioral health care services onsite to students and the public; and provide community access to job-related programming.

To qualify, projects must demonstrate a significant impact in all three areas.

The new program is administered by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.

“Schools are already centers of the community in Appalachia. With the support of the General Assembly, we can use federal funds made available from the American Rescue Plan Act Capital Projects Fund to promote student engagement while increasing the availability of resources for adults,” Gov. Mike DeWine said.

The application period for the Appalachian Community Innovation Centers Program ends March 21. Ohio Facilities Construction Commission staff members will host a pre-application webinar from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 12 to present the guidelines in detail and allow interested parties to ask questions.

More information about the program is available HERE.

Pictured at top: Photo via Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.