STC's designation as the local development district (LDD) for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the economic development district (EDD) for the Economic Development Administration (EDA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce provides local access to federal funding to meet priority local economic development needs. As the local administrator of both the ARC and EDA programs, STC works with other local, state, and federal funding sources to support economic development projects.

Assistance is provided for a variety of economic development activities including:

• Improvement of municipal water and wastewater systems
• Strengthening of transportation systems
• Development and rehabilitation of brownfield sites
• Workforce training and entrepreneurial skills development
• Business development and downtown revitalization
• Leadership training and capacity building
• Grant writing and project management
• Activities that promote the unique assets of the region including cultural tourism

Economic Profiles are prepared annually for each county and the overall region.  STC also prepares and assists with the implementation of an annual regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) that identifies and prioritizes regional issues and opportunities and implements a comprehensive strategy.