ARC issues RFP to update previous reports on access to capital and credit in region
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is seeking proposals from qualified researchers and consultants to examine access to capital and credit for entrepreneurs and small businesses in the ARC 13-state region.
According to the announcement, ARC previously commissioned two reports on the subject: first in 2007 and then again in 2013. Both studies provided detailed county-level analysis of lending and financial services in Appalachia and examined local and regional trends. The new solicitation would serve as an update to those earlier reports and provide more recent information on the availability of capital and credit in Appalachia. Funding types, levels, needs, and gaps should all be identified. As much as possible, this report should examine the findings from the 2013 report and examine to what extent those takeaways have remained true and/or changed. Innovations that have taken place in the lending and financial services sector should also be examined, along with all relevant data measuring these innovations.
Proposals are due by August 8.
