The Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) has launched the second round of the Arkansas Site Development Program with applications now open.
The program provides matching funding for site development improvement efforts with the goal of enhancing industrial site readiness and competitiveness for job-creating projects in Arkansas. Eligible applicants for the Arkansas Site Development Program include cities, towns, and counties in Arkansas; economic development organizations; and chambers of commerce.
“Arkansas is proving that when sites are ready, jobs follow,” said Governor Sanders. “Recent investments from companies like Welspun Tubular and Elopak at the Port of Little Rock show how preparation paves the way for transformative projects. This next round of Site Development grants will equip even more communities to be ready when opportunity knocks.”
The Arkansas Site Development Program was first announced in June 2024. The first-of-its-kind program in Arkansas history, the Site Development Program was developed by AEDC under the leadership of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the Arkansas General Assembly. The initial funding round of $10 million was awarded to 13 communities in December 2024. The Arkansas General Assembly has appropriated $50 million for site development efforts over the next two years.
“Building our inventory of shovel ready sites is critical for economic development success in Arkansas,” said Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “With the Arkansas Site Development Program, we are partnering with communities to provide the resources needed to get their industrial sites into a more competitive condition, which will position the state for long-term growth and more and better job opportunities for Arkansans.”
To qualify for the program, applicants must submit industrial sites with a minimum of 30 acres of contiguous land, and sites must be listed on the Arkansas Site Selection Database. Sites must be owned or optioned by an applicant, and optioned sites must be owned by the applicant at the time the grant agreement is executed.
Funding through the Arkansas Site Development Program can be used for a range of site development projects. Eligible projects include extension and improvement of public infrastructure to the site; right of way acquisition; easement acquisition; soil borings and analysis; construction costs for site improvements, including drainage improvements, easement, dozer or dirt work, grading, site mitigation, and site rehabilitation; due diligence study costs; and other site development-related activities deemed necessary by AEDC to improve a site’s competitiveness.
Applications will be judged on a 100-point scale with seven categories, including site conditions, utilities, transportation infrastructure, site due diligence, current marketing efforts, local match, and site certification.
Each application will be date-stamped and reviewed by an AEDC review committee and a third-party site selection consultant in the order the applications are received. Eligible applications will receive a desktop review, and select applications will receive a site visit.
Applications for the Arkansas Site Development Program open on August 25, 2025. Applicants must submit their intent to apply for program funding by October 3. The deadline to submit an application is 5pm CT on Friday, November 7, 2025.
For more information, view the FAQ sheet for the Arkansas Site Development Program.
To apply for the program, click here.
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