Thrive Awarded $2.87 Million ARC ARISE Grant

The new Appalachian Regional Commission ARISE award, funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will expand capacity building programs across Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama

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Chattanooga, TN — Today, Thrive Regional Partnership was awarded $2,870,702 from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for the Thrive Regional Resource Hub: Driving Connectivity and Resilience in the Cradle of Southern Appalachia. The funding was made available through ARC’s Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE) which drives large-scale economic transformation through multi-state collaboration.

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Thrive along with partners in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama, will expand three collaborative programs across the region, directly impacting 16 counties in three Appalachian states. This expansion of services will improve climate resiliency through increased community capacity, identify and deploy strategies to address digital equity gaps, and enhance local understanding of regional freight capacity and transportation needs.

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“On behalf of the greater Chattanooga region, our hearts are filled with gratitude at the tremendous recognition ARC is giving to Thrive’s collaborative tri-state framework. This funding will enable us to expand momentum, capacity and tools that will further drive connectivity in transportation, broadband, and environmental resilience across our greater Chattanooga region.

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— Bridgett Massengill, President and CEO of Thrive Regional Partnership

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Thrive and its partners are bringing $2,256,969 in match funding to this project, for a total project cost of $5.1 million over the next five years.

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Project Snapshot:

The ARISE funding opportunity drives large-scale economic transformation through collaborative multi-state projects. Since January 2023, ARC has used funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to invest over $136.3 million in 51 ARISE projects that will strengthen Appalachian business and industry, as well as support the development of new economic opportunities across the region.

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Additional information about ARC’s ARISE funding opportunity for multi-state collaboration is available here.