Chester County has begun accepting applications for funding requests from a pool of nearly $102 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money. County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell and Michelle Kichline said the grants are intended to provide an infusion of resources to meet pandemic recovery needs and to accelerate the ongoing rebuilding of Chester County's economy.

Municipalities, public authorities, small businesses and nonprofit organizations in Chester County, as well as organizations that provide substantial service to the county, are invited to submit their proposals. A committee of 36 volunteers, half county employees and half residents, has created a system, following ARPA guidelines, to review and prioritize proposals.

Six teams will address each priority for ARPA funding. The teams will evaluate the proposals and present their recommendations to the commissioners for final consideration.

The commissioners acknowledge worthy applications could exceed the available $102 million. That means in addition to selecting winning proposals, the committee could, in some cases, approve an application, but recommend funding less than the amount requested. In addition, awards may include phased funding. There is no minimum or maximum amount of funding that can be proposed.

Chester County has designed the ARPA application so that applicants provide the necessary information for the evaluation teams to make their recommendations to the county. Eligible entities must indicate their interest in funding by completing the online application.

The deadline for applying is Monday, May 16. If an applicant is unable to complete the electronic application, they may request a printed copy by emailing ARPA@chesco.org.

For further details and to access the online application, visit http://www.chesco.org/arpa.