Towns Grant Funding Available for Rural Quality-of-Place Projects

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced a second round of Towns Grant funding is available to help spur quality-of-life improvements in rural Kansas communities. A total of $500,000 funding is available.

 “The Towns Grant is another example of our commitment to giving small and distressed communities the resources they need to work together to create appealing places for businesses and residents alike,” ha declarado el Vicegobernador y Secretario de Comercio, David Toland.

The program, administered by the Kansas Office of Rural Prosperity, provides grant awards that range from $1,000 to $25,000 in single communities or up to $50,000 for projects across multiple zip codes to support small-scale projects. This is designed to deliver meaningful results with a focus on increasing local capacity, fostering community and youth engagement, and mobilizing volunteers and local investment.

“After the first round of Towns funded projects, it was noticeable that rural communities were eager to find support to bring their projects to life,” La Directora de la Oficina para la Prosperidad Rural, Trisha Purdon, declaró. “These projects are truly a win-win for each community because it supports growth and engagement while equally increasing the investment in the community and its businesses.”

Eligible applicants must represent a community with a population of 5,000 or fewer residents or distressed urban census tracts as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau DCI report.

Applicants are required to provide a minimum 10% match for project costs. For communities with populations under 1,000 residents, the match may be provided through in-kind contributions. Matching funds must originate from private sources or non-state funded grants. All communities that have received funding from the Department of Commerce since 2019 are now eligible to apply for grant funding. However, preference in the scoring process will be given to communities that have not received Commerce funding since 2019.

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

There will be an informational webinar at 10 a.m. Friday, October 30, for interested applicants. A recording of the webinar will be posted on the program’s webpage. Additionally, virtual office hours will be held five times throughout the application period to address technical questions regarding the program. Registration for the webinar, office hours and guidelines for the grant application can be found aquí. The grant application portal will open October 23 and close at 5 p.m. December 23. Awardee announcements are contingent upon the completion and processing of grant contracts and are expected in January 2027.