The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is an economic development partnership agency 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.
Tennessee’s broadband infrastructure program facilitates broadband access to all Tennesseans while promoting practices that increase deployment and encourage adoption. It includes the Broadband Accessibility Grant Program that aims to close broadband gaps by offsetting the capital expenses in the deployment of broadband in unserved areas. In FY22, the state’s Financial Stimulus Accountability Group (FSAG) designated […]
The Tennessee Certified Sites Program helps communities prepare to attract new companies by certifying shovel-ready sites that have undergone evaluation and have minimized risk to corporate investors. Grants are available after the site visit to assist in completion of needed studies and reports for publicly owned sites.
The federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, administered in Tennessee by ECD, provides annual grants on a formula basis to states, cities, and counties to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons.
The Downtown Improvement Program assists Tennessee Main Street and Tennessee Downtown communities in improving the exteriors of their downtown commercial buildings, streetscape improvements, signage, amenities, and gateway improvements.
FastTrack assists Tennessee communities in attracting eligible businesses, jobs and capital investment. There are three FastTrack grant types: FastTrack Job Training Assistance, FastTrack Infrastructure Development, and the FastTrack Economic Development Fund.
Historic development grants help to renovate and preserve the state’s historic buildings and expand the state’s economy, create new employment opportunities, revitalize and renew communities, create an environment for investment, and promote tourism and rural economic development.
Infrastructure Planning Grants help financially distressed counties and rural communities with financially distressed utility systems to plan for improvements so their utility systems can serve their communities and be financially sustainable. These funds, provided as matching grants between the state and communities, support water loss studies, sewer investigation studies, system mapping for water or wastewater […]
Entrepreneur Centers and Network Partners are important resources for Tennessee entrepreneurs and inventors. There are seven entrepreneur centers in cities across the state with specialized resources for the dominant industries in their cities. Network Partners, meanwhile, include statewide and regional organizations that – in collaboration with LaunchTN – provide additional resources and opportunities for entrepreneurs […]
The Launch TN Impact Fund provides funding to early-stage companies based in Tennessee. Funding is available as pre-seed investment, seed investment, and follow-on investment. Funding from each initiative requires a match of private dollars, a thorough diligence process by LaunchTN, and approval from the Impact Fund Committee.
The SBIR/STTR Matching Fund is a strategic initiative developed and administered by LaunchTN to advance the commercialization of technological innovations across the state. The Fund matches successful Phase I and Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) federal awards up to $100,000 and $300,000, respectively.
The National Main Street Four-Point Approach supports communities that want to revitalize their downtown commercial districts through training and assistance to those communities and an annual accreditation process for Main Street communities, coordinated or provided by ECD.
This grant program provides funding for universities and research institutions to develop new and further existing nuclear education programs, for site development efforts for new nuclear projects, and for incentive grants to nuclear energy-related businesses.
The Property Evaluation Program helps communities improve their inventory of industrial sites and buildings in Tennessee by evaluating potential properties, advising counties on where investment may be most beneficial and what steps are needed to address issues.
The Site Development Grant Program invests in developing quality sites and the development of infrastructure plans to advance the economic development pipeline in all Tennessee communities. These programs ensure sites are ready to locate companies by providing funds to develop a site’s infrastructure, grading, etc., to enhance sites, overcome obstacles for certification or improve a […]
Fund Tennessee (SSBCI 2.0) supports and expands an inclusive continuum of access to capital for small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout Tennessee. Fund Tennessee includes investment capital and technical assistance for small businesses and entrepreneurs through loans and equity investments. InvestTN’s Regional Seed Fund is a $28M Tennessee-focused initiative for Pre-Seed and Seed stage startups. Up […]
ECD develops downtowns in rural communities in Tennessee using the Main Street Four-Point approach—design, economic restructuring, promotion, and organization—with communities that would like to engage the Main Street program but lack the staffing or funding to do so.
The Tennessee Entertainment Commission Incentive Fund promotes and facilitates the recruitment of businesses in the entertainment industry to Tennessee. In doing so, it helps grow Tennessee’s film, movie, television, and creative technology industries, including the production of films, movies, television pilots and programs, computer-generated imagery and interactive digital media, and stand-alone post-production scoring and editing […]
ThreeStar is a unique strategic community development program that helps Tennessee counties prepare for a better future. It is designed to encourage community collaboration; communication between local stakeholders; the adoption of practices that strengthen performance, accountability, and efficiency; and goal setting and resource alignment. Certification in the ThreeStar program is based on annual documentation of […]
