COLUMBUS – The Ohio Department of Development today announced additional support for entities interested in applying for the Appalachian Community Grant Program.

Development has procured planners to assist Ohio’s Appalachian communities with the creation of comprehensive plans and applications for the grant program. Planners will provide communities with a variety of planning services, including project engineering, architecture, design, surveying, and grant writing.

“This program will open the door to many opportunities for growth in Appalachia Ohio, but we don’t expect our local communities to create major development plans all on their own,” Gov. Mike DeWine said. “With this additional support, we can better ensure that this once-in-a-lifetime investment in Appalachia creates a lifetime of returns for our residents.”

The $500-million Appalachian Community Grant Program is part of Governor DeWine’s “OhioBuilds – Small Communities, Big Impact – A Plan for Appalachia” and is administered by Development’s Governor’s Office of Appalachia.

The program will specifically support transformational projects in Ohio’s Appalachian communities that focus on infrastructure development, physical and behavioral health, and workforce development.

“Our administration launched this program as a huge opportunity to improve the quality of life within Appalachia, and through this extra resource announced today, we are taking another step towards delivering on our promise to support these communities as they work to do that,” Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said.

Planners approved by the Controlling Board are:

• 143 Engineers
• American StructurePoint, Inc.
• APG Architects, LLC
• Arcadis IBI Group
• Burgess & Niple, Inc.
• Choice One Engineering
• CT Consultants, Inc.
• Designing Local, Ltd
• DLZ Ohio, Inc.
• Environmental Design Group
• Envision Group, LLC
• Hammontree & Associates, Limited
• MKSK
• MS Consultants, Inc.
• Nationwide Children’s Hospital – Research Institute
• OHM Advisors
• Poggemeyer Design Group
• Swiss Valley Associates, Inc.
• The Mannik & Smith Group, Inc.
• Wallace Pancher Group.

“We want to give our communities all the tools they need to create transformational projects in their regions,” Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development, said. “This is a historic investment. We’re not just cutting checks; we’re working to provide the resources and tools needed along the way to have the best success for the region.”

GOA conducted a Request for Proposal process to identify firms to assist program applicants on project feasibility and design.

Eligible applicants can request to be matched with procured planners on the program website.

The Appalachian Community Grant Program was created with the support of the 134th Ohio General Assembly and is funded as part of House Bill 377. The law permits the Director of Development to use $15 million for planning, and up to $30 million depending on the need.

Approximately $7 million of the planning funds will cover the costs of selected planners. The remainder will be awarded through Technical Assistance grants, which will be announced in the near future.

Guidelines for the grant program were developed in coordination with members of the legislature and numerous stakeholders. Full program guidelines are available at development.ohio.gov/AppalachiaCommunityGrant.

The Ohio Department of Development empowers communities to succeed by investing in Ohio’s people, places, and businesses.

Learn more about our work at development.ohio.gov.