Commerce Launches Grant to Promote Rural Opportunities in Kansas

TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the launch of the WorKS: Public Broadcasting Grant. The new grant opportunity has $500,000 available for Kansas public broadcasting stations to produce original, educational content highlighting rural workforce opportunities, remote work readiness, and emerging technologies that are transforming how Kansans live and work in rural communities.

“We’re growing our workforce and bringing new technologies and opportunities to all parts of the state — with a special emphasis on our small, rural communities,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Part of that focus means creating opportunities for our public broadcasting stations to bring awareness to available tools and promote the innovation happening all across the state.”

Eligible applicants are licensed public broadcasting radio or television stations that serve Kansas communities.

The grant funding will support projects that create educational or documentary-style content that address one or more of the following themes:

• Emerging technologies in rural economic development
• Remote work readiness; or
• Youth and the future of workforce in rural communities

The goal of this new initiative is to create at least one broadcast-quality program or series on television, radio or other digital format — accompanying digital content that can be shared online on podcasts, online series or social media shorts. Successful projects also will have a public engagement plan and be able to generate a brief impact summary after the program is released.

The WorKS program will be administered by the Office of Rural Prosperity at the Kansas Department of Commerce. The application window will be open until 5:00 p.m. Friday, March 20, with award announcements expected in April.

For interested parties, a virtual webinar about the specifics of the program is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Thursday, January 29. Registration is required. A Zoom link will be provided once registration is complete. To register, click here.

The Office of Rural Prosperity will host office hours from 10 to 11 a.m. every Wednesday from February 5 through March 19. To register for the office hours, sign up here.

For additional information about the WorKS Public Broadcasting Grant program, click here.

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.

About the Quality Places Division:

Established in 2024, the Quality Places Division at the Kansas Department of Commerce exists to improve quality of life in communities across the state through various programs and services. The Kansas Department of Commerce understands the immense role played by strong communities in economic development and prioritizes investments in people and communities as major contributors to the overall strength of the Kansas economy. To learn more, click here.

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