Applications are due March 10, 2025 for funding through ARC’s INSPIRE Initiative, which seeks to help Appalachians in recovery enter and reenter the workforce.
Washington, D.C., January 13, 2025—Today, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) issued a notice of solicitation of applications (NOSA) for its Investments Supporting Partnerships in Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Initiative. INSPIRE supports projects that create or expand support services that help individuals impacted by substance use disorder (SUD) enter or reenter the workforce.
Successful INSPIRE projects focus on the creation and expansion of services in the recovery-to-work ecosystem, including skills and workforce training programs, mentoring, peer support, and other wraparound services tailored to individuals in recovery. INSPIRE projects can also build partnerships and coordination among recovery services and providers, establish or expand recovery-ready workplace models, as well as integrate local economic development plans with existing state and regional recovery-to-work activities.
“Substance use disorder recovery isn’t a singular event, but a continuum. Both workforce training and ending the stigma surrounding substance use disorder are equally important in providing a renewed sense of hope and purpose to Appalachians in recovery,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “ARC’s INSPIRE initiative helps remove the barriers to workforce participation entry when it comes to recovery-to-work projects across the region, ensuring that all Appalachians have an opportunity at a bright future.”
“Focusing on recovery-to-work by providing wraparound services builds strength and resiliency in the Appalachian Region,” said Tennessee Governor and ARC States’ Co-Chair Bill Lee. “We are proud of the work that’s been completed through the INSPIRE program, and we look forward to the additional progress that will be made with this new round of funding.”
Key dates for the 2025 INSPIRE application process include:
- January 28, 2025 (11:00 a.m. ET): Pre-application webinar
- January 30-February 6, 2025: In-person pre-application workshops
- Jan. 30, 2025 in Charleston, WV
- Feb. 4, 2025 in Cartersville, GA
- Feb. 6, 2025 in Ithaca, NY
- February 14, 2025 (5:00 p.m. ET): Mandatory letters of intent (LOI) due
- March 10, 2025 (5:00 p.m. ET): Grant applications due
- Fall 2025: Awards announced
Since INSPIRE was established in 2021, ARC has invested $53.6 million in 166 projects supporting Appalachians impacted by SUD across all 13 Appalachian states. Collectively, ARC’s INSPIRE investments have impacted 360 Appalachian counties, improved over 3,000 businesses and helped prepare nearly 16,200 SUD-impacted individuals for new opportunities in the workforce.
Learn more about ARC’s INSPIRE Initiative, the 2025 NOSA, and how to apply.
About the Appalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission is an economic development entity of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation.