Commerce Launches New Quality of Place Grant for Rural Revitalization

TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland announced today the launch of the new Towns grant program. This program is an initiative designed to spur quality-of-place improvements in rural Kansas communities that have received no funding from the Kansas Department of Commerce in the past three years. This new opportunity will have $100,000 available for its first round of funding.

The program provides grants that range from $1,000 to $10,000 to support small-scaled projects that will deliver meaningful results in rural communities, with a focus on increasing local capacity, fostering community and youth engagement, and mobilizing volunteers and local investment.

“The Kelly-Toland Administration remains committed to bringing prosperity to all of Kansas, and this program will strategically foster new investments that provide our smaller communities with greater opportunities to flourish,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “These grants will empower local leaders to transform ideas into reality, creating vibrant spaces that attract families, support local businesses, and strengthen the fabric of rural Kansas for future generations.”

Eligible applicants must represent a community with a population of 5,000 or less and that has received no Commerce funding in the preceding three years.

“The Towns grant will provide an opportunity for grassroots, rural leaders to revitalize our small and rural communities,” Assistant Secretary of Quality Places Matt Godinez said. “By targeting these resources to underserved regions of the state, we can continue ushering in a promising future for every Kansan, no matter their geographic location.”

Applicants must demonstrate investment in the projects by providing a minimum match of 10%, which can come in-kind for communities with populations under 1,000. The matching funds must come from a private source or non-state funded grants.

Awards will be disbursed to a variety of eligible project types across the entire state. Communities with similar needs are encouraged to leverage resource sharing such as grant administration, grant writing and matching funds.

To support potential applicants, Commerce will host a series of informational webinars and workshops. The Office of Rural Prosperity (ORP) will host virtual office hours for applicants who might have questions regarding the grant program. Registration for the webinars and office hours, guidelines for the grant application, and a list of eligible communities and project expenses can be found here.

Grant applications open Monday, December 16, and will close February 28, 2025. Awardees will be announced mid-April 2025.

About the Kansas Department of Commerce:

As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses. Through Commerce’s project successes, Kansas was awarded Area Development Magazine’s prestigious Gold Shovel award in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and was awarded the 2021 and 2022 Governor’s Cup by Site Selection Magazine.

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