About the Lab
Welcome to the Local Economy Lab, our central hub for helping coal communities seed, grow, and scale transformative economic projects.
Guided by our Framework for Economic Transition, the Lab supports bold, community-driven solutions across three connected areas: workforce development, entrepreneurship and small business support, and place-based infrastructure. Together, these strategies create economic opportunity in place and strengthen local economics from the ground up.
The Lab supports projects at every stage of development, from early planning and piloting to full implementation and growth.
Our Grantmaking Strategy and Priorities
We believe the most effective economic development efforts are rooted in local assets and shaped by the people who live and work in these communities. Coal community recovery takes more than replacing jobs, and requires investment on multiple fronts. When plants and mines close, communities lose critical tax base, infrastructure investment, and economic momentum all at once.
Through the Lab, we support projects that drive locally led economic diversification through:
Workforce Development
Now accepting applications!
We support workforce programs that train local workers for jobs in growing sectors, including programs that partner with local employers, offer wraparound support, and create youth career pathways.
Entrepreneurship & Small Business Support
Now accepting applications!
We know small businesses are the backbone of rural communities. To help them grow, we prioritize projects that provide direct support for individual entrepreneurs and businesses and build the competitive industry sectors that generate lasting jobs.
Place-based InfrastructurE
RFP coming early June!
Critical to economic diversification are quality of life strategies that make necessary investments in a place. We support projects to strengthen broadband infrastructure, make a place more attractive to live and visit, and make site-specific investments on former coal sites.
Benefits of the Lab
Through the Lab, we will provide winning projects:
Flexible one-year grants that support a wide range of activities, planning to implementation
Tailored technical assistance, including help accessing federal funding
Connection to a national peer network
What We’re Looking For
We’re looking to support projects with a profound vision and the ability to make a lasting impact on their local economies, and will evaluate all proposals on the following criteria:
- Bold ideas with potential to transform local economies.
- Alignment with a growing sector that has a strong local fit.
- Meaningful engagement from community-based organizations, local government, employers, and educational institutions.
- Secured or forthcoming financial commitment from public and/or private sources, from seed funding for early-stage projects to significant investment for proven models.
- An approach that could be adapted in other rural coal communities with limited access to financial resources and services.
Ready to apply for support for your workforce development or entrepreneurship and small business project?
Fill out our Step 1 Application.
Questions? Contact Marissa Berkley.
Sign Up to Receive Announcements and Updates About Future Opportunities.
Our next RFP will open in summer 2026.
Looking for information on our Federal Access Center?
Helping communities access federal funding remains a key service we’ll provide. We’ve folded the FAC into our Local Economy Lab. Funding to support federal applications will be available for our current grantees. You can review the impact made by our Federal Access Center here.