Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) – Economic Development

* The Kansas Department of Commerce is offering an Economic Development Grant Program to support for-profit businesses and agricultural cooperatives with infrastructure improvements, land acquisition, site preparation, building construction or renovation, machinery, equipment, lease payments, inventory, payroll, and other working capital items. * The program operates as a loan that must be repaid, but 25% of the loan may be forgiven if business financing projects are completed on time and without issues. * Eligible projects include infrastructure improvements, business financing for new or expanding businesses, and non-retail/local service businesses. * Applicants must provide at least a 50% match, and the maximum amount of CDBG funds that can be applied for is $750,000. * Grant applications are evaluated based on project/financing feasibility, per capita job creation/retention, and project leveraging (match). * Key considerations include creating or retaining low- and moderate-income jobs, meeting the National Objective of LMI Jobs Creation/Retention, and demonstrating need through financial and operational data.