Small Business Grants in Kansas
Three Kansas state grants are open right now, and the biggest one is not on most lists. Kansas Tourism has $1 million in Attraction Development money running to October 16, and for profit companies win it regularly.
Three Kansas state grants are open right now, and the biggest one is not on most lists. Kansas Tourism has $1 million in Attraction Development money running to October 16, and for profit companies win it regularly. ACCEL-KS pays up to $25,000 for proof of concept work, with no match and no equity taken, and it closes on September 18. The big names here, PEAK and HPIP, are tax credits rather than grants, and they charge $750 and $1,000 just to apply.
Which Kansas grants fit your business?
Answer 7 quick questions and we sort the 13 programs on this page into likely fits and long shots. Nothing personal is asked or stored, and final eligibility is always decided by the granting agency.
Kansas Small Business Grant Programs
State-administered funding programs available to Kansas small businesses. Verify deadlines directly with the granting agency before applying.
Kansas Registered Apprenticeship Small Business Grants
Kansas Department of Commerce
$7,000
No deadline publishedA one-time $7,000 grant for small businesses with fewer than 10 full-time employees, covering the cost of registering new apprentices in high-wage, high-demand occupations. It pays for training equipment, instruction and related costs.
Apply / Learn MoreGrowKS Loan Fund (SSBCI)
NetWork Kansas / Kansas Department of Commerce
Up to $100,000+ from the $42M loan fund
RollingSubordinated companion loans matching private capital, funded from the $69 million Kansas received under the Treasury State Small Business Credit Initiative. That allocation split into a $42M loan fund and a $27M equity fund. Rates run 4 percent on one to five year loans and 6 percent on six to ten year loans. This is a loan program, not a grant.
ACCEL-KS Proof of Concept Grants
Kansas Department of Commerce Office of Innovation
Up to $25,000
Apply by Sep 18, 2026It is open again. ACCEL-KS pays up to $25,000 for proof of concept work, with no match required and no equity taken. The money cannot cover salaries, rent, travel or general operating costs. KU Innovation Park in Lawrence and Groover Labs in Wichita both run it, and you may apply to one of them only. At least 30 percent of funded projects have to sit in a rural Kansas county.
Promoting Employment Across Kansas (PEAK)
Kansas Department of Commerce
95% payroll withholding tax retention for 7 to 10 years, $750 to apply
RollingA job creation incentive letting a company retain or reclaim 95 percent of the payroll withholding tax on qualified new jobs. Basic projects need at least 10 new jobs in metro areas or 5 outside them within two years, for up to seven years of savings. Projects creating 100 or more jobs can run ten years. The application fee is $750 per entity and it is not refundable.
Apply / Learn MoreHigh Performance Incentive Program (HPIP)
Kansas Department of Commerce
10% capital investment tax credit, plus training credit up to $50,000
RollingA 10 percent income tax credit on capital investment of at least $50,000, rising to $1 million in the metro counties of Douglas, Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Wyandotte. Also carries a sales tax exemption on that investment, a training credit up to $50,000 and a 16 year carryforward. Most local service businesses cannot qualify.
Apply / Learn MoreKansas Angel Investor Tax Credit
Kansas Department of Commerce
Up to 50% credit, paid to your investor
Deadline Sep 30, 2026A tax credit of up to 50 percent that goes to the angel investor, never to the business. Your job is to get approved as a Kansas qualified company first, which is what makes an investment in you creditable. The qualified business application costs $250 and investors pay $150 to register.
Apply / Learn MoreOffice of Minority and Women Business Development
Kansas Department of Commerce
Varies
RollingProvides information, referrals, procurement assistance, and statewide certification for disadvantaged, minority, and women-owned businesses in Kansas. Administers the DBE, MBE, WBE, and ACDBE certification programs.
Kansas Attraction Development Grant
Kansas Tourism, Kansas Department of Commerce
Varies, $1 million available this round
Deadline Oct 16, 2026Capital funding to build a new visitor attraction or improve an existing one, aimed at drawing travellers to Kansas and keeping them here longer. For-profit companies compete alongside cities and museums, and they win regularly. Recent rounds funded an RV park, a winery, a brewery, several farms and a mini golf operator.
Kansas SBIR/STTR Matching Program
Kansas Department of Commerce
$3,000 Phase 0, up to $25,000 Phase I
Phase 0 rolling, Phase I rounds closedState money that sits on top of a federal SBIR or STTR award. Phase 0 pays up to $3,000 toward writing the federal proposal at a 50 percent match. Win the federal Phase I and Kansas adds up to $25,000. Paid on a reimbursement basis, with indirect costs capped at 15 percent.
View program pageFederal Grant Programs
These federal programs are available to small businesses in every state.
SBA 7(a) Loan Program
The SBA's primary lending program guarantees loans through participating lenders. This is a loan, not a grant. But the terms favor small businesses that may not qualify for conventional financing.
Learn moreSBA Microloan Program
Loans up to $50,000, not grants. You borrow from a nonprofit lender near you, not from the SBA itself. The money can cover working capital, inventory, supplies or equipment. Most people get far less than the cap. The average microloan is about $13,000.
Learn moreSBIR/STTR Grants
Competitive federal grants for small businesses doing research and development with commercial potential. Eleven federal agencies take part. Phase I funds proof of concept. Phase II funds full development.
Learn moreMinority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Programs
Help for minority owned businesses that need capital, contracts or new markets. MBDA runs business centers around the country. They give advice, help with bids, and point you toward lenders.
Learn moreGet Grant-Ready
Before you apply, most Kansas grant programs expect these basics to be in place.
Form your business entity
Most Kansas grant programs require applicants to be a registered LLC, corporation, or nonprofit. If you haven't formed yet, that's the first step.
$39 + state fee. Includes registered agent, business address, and more.
Get your EIN
An Employer Identification Number is free from the IRS and required on nearly every grant application. You can apply online and receive it immediately.
Open a business bank account
Grant funds need to go into a dedicated business account, not your personal checking. Most agencies will ask for your banking details on the application.
Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC.
Grants by Business Type
Targeted programs for specific business owners in Kansas.
Women-owned Business Grants
Kansas has no grant that only women can win. What it has is certification. The Office of Minority and Women Business Development runs the DBE, MBE and WBE programs. Certification opens state contracting, not a check. GrowKS keeps a women starter track inside its $42 million loan fund.
- ›Office of Minority and Women Business Development
- ›GrowKS Loan Fund
- ›Kansas SBDC
Minority-owned Business Grants
Same office, same path. GrowKS runs minority tracks for starter and growth loans. In Topeka, GO Topeka pays $500 to $4,000 for professional services. It tests you against area median income, not ownership alone.
- ›Office of Minority and Women Business Development
- ›GrowKS Loan Fund
- ›GO Topeka Economic Mobility Funds
Rural Business Grants
Read this before you chase the rural money. Two famous programmes are not yours. SEED grants go to city and county governments, chambers and nonprofits, and a business cannot apply, though that round is live until October 19. Rural Opportunity Zones paid people who moved to a listed county, and the last deadline was June 30, 2026. What is left is quieter but real. PEAK drops its job threshold from 10 to 5 outside metro areas. ACCEL-KS has to place 30 percent of its projects in rural counties, and it is taking applications until September 18. Kansas is generous about what counts. Rural means any county under 40,000 people, so only 10 of the 105 fail.
- ›PEAK
- ›ACCEL-KS Proof of Concept Grants
- ›Kansas Office of Rural Prosperity
Technology/Innovation Business Grants
Kansas is strongest here. The Kansas SBIR/STTR match pays up to $3,000 toward writing a federal proposal, and that Phase 0 money is rolling. Win the federal Phase I award and the state adds up to $25,000. ACCEL-KS is open again and pays up to $25,000 for proof of concept work through KU Innovation Park or Groover Labs, with no match and no equity, and applications close on September 18. The GrowKS equity fund holds $27 million and writes first checks of $50,000 to $250,000.
- ›Kansas SBIR/STTR Matching Program
- ›ACCEL-KS Proof of Concept Grants
- ›Kansas Angel Investor Tax Credit
Tips for Applying in Kansas
Increase your chances of approval with these state-specific tips.
- 1Your city is likelier to fund you than your state. Kansas City, Kansas pays up to $10,000 through DotteBiz. Leavenworth covers half a building improvement, up to $5,000 for one unit and $15,000 for a multi-tenant site. GO Topeka opens a window every month. Wichita and Sedgwick County list no grant at all. They lend instead.
- 2Watch August 3, 2026. GO Topeka summer questionnaires are due that day. Materials follow on August 7 and answers by August 30. The autumn round closes November 2. It is the nearest real deadline in Kansas.
- 3Get approved before you spend. GO Topeka says no exceptions. Leavenworth wants a word before your project starts and pays only after final inspection. Spend first and you have bought a receipt.
- 4Budget the entry fee. PEAK charges $750 per applicant. HPIP charges $1,000 for a first certification and $500 to renew. A qualified business filing for the angel credit costs $250. None of it comes back.
- 5GrowKS will not take your call. A NetWork Kansas approved partner has to bring you in. Ring 1-877-521-8600 and ask who covers your county.
- 6Use the Kansas SBDC. There are 7 centers plus outreach offices, and most advising costs nothing. They read these applications for a living.
State Economic Development Agency
Kansas Department of Commerce
The Kansas Department of Commerce runs the state incentives, grants, and workforce training. Its grants calendar lists 32 awards, and on most of them the applicant is a city, county, chamber or nonprofit rather than a business.
Funding While You Wait
Grant applications in Kansas can take weeks or months to process. These options can bridge the gap.
Grants in Other States
All state grant guidesFrequently Asked Questions
Yes, and three are open today. Kansas Tourism has $1 million in Attraction Development grants running to October 16, and for profit companies win them regularly, recent rounds funded an RV park, a winery and a brewery. The apprenticeship grant pays $7,000 to employers with under 10 full-time staff. ACCEL-KS pays up to $25,000 for proof of concept work, with no match and no equity, and it closes on September 18. City programmes are the other real source, Kansas City pays up to $10,000 and Leavenworth covers half a renovation. The rest of this page is loans, tax credits, or money for someone else.
Yes. A Kansas LLC can apply to every state program here. Most of them want a registered entity before you start. The angel investor credit is the strict one. Your company needs a Kansas headquarters, revenue under $5 million, and under 5 years of trading. It must issue equity or a SAFE. Convertible notes and crowdfunding do not count.
Yes, and it is municipal. Leavenworth matches you dollar for dollar up to $5,000 for one unit, or $15,000 across a multi-tenant building. GO Topeka pays $500 to $4,000 for legal, accounting, or marketing help. Kansas City, Kansas goes to $10,000. No statewide grant sits at that size.
Usually you do not. The reason is age. Kansas City excludes any business under a year old, and home based ones too. The angel credit needs an investor already lined up. Start with a Kansas SBDC advisor. Then GO Topeka if you are in Shawnee County. Then the GrowKS loan fund at 4 percent over five years.
Not for most. PEAK, HPIP, the $7,000 apprenticeship grant, and the SBIR match all ignore ownership. Certification matters in 2 places. It opens state contracting preferences, and it strengthens a GrowKS application into the minority or women starter tracks. The certificate itself is not money. It is a door.
Was this article helpful?
Grant programs change frequently. Deadlines, eligibility requirements, and funding amounts listed here may be outdated. Always verify information directly with the granting agency before applying. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice.
Sources & References
- Kansas Department of Commerce Grants Calendar
- Promoting Employment Across Kansas (PEAK)
- High Performance Incentive Program (HPIP)
- Kansas Registered Apprenticeship
- Kansas SBIR and STTR Matching Program
- Kansas Angel Investor Tax Credit
- NetWork Kansas GrowKS Programs
- Kansas Small Business Development Center
- Kansas City Kansas Small Business Grant (DotteBiz)
- City of Leavenworth Small Business Grant Program
- GO Topeka Small Business Incentives
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