Commerce Announces SEED Grant Recipients Supporting Economic Development

TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the award recipients for the new Strategic Economic Expansion and Development (SEED) grant program.

In total, 61 recipients will receive nearly $2.7 million to invest in small communities across the state.

“SEED grants provide funding for quality-of-life enhancements in some of our state’s smallest communities,” said Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland. “These investments will set the stage for future economic development success and prosperity across the state.”

Awardees are located in communities with a population of 5,000 or less, as required by (KS Stat 9-2324 [2021]). They are required to provide a minimum 10-percent match as well as complete the projects within 12 months. Projects must be focused on economic development and revitalization efforts through one of the following quality-of-life categories:

Childcare and senior programming – projects that support or enhance these services, such as building improvements, educational materials, supplies and equipment
Community vibrancy – projects that refresh, re-energize and unlock the attractiveness of rural communities, such as art installations, murals and signage
Food retail – projects that support access to food retail establishments, including development, renovation and/or expansion
Libraries – projects that support providing free and open access to a broad range of materials and services, including reading material, technology, furniture and building improvements

Funding for the SEED program, which is administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce, is provided through the Technology Enabled Fiduciary Financial Institutions (TEFFI) Development and Expansion Fund. The TEFFI Act was enacted in 2021 through bipartisan legislation to promote economic development throughout the state.

The 2022 SEED grant recipients include:

Allen - Thrive Allen County

Food Retail, Library

$49,125

Anderson - Anderson County Development Agency

Childcare, Community Vibrancy, Library

$43,860

Barber - Medicine Lodge Day Care Inc. Childcare

$49,125

Bourbon - The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, Inc.

Community Vibrancy

$33,882

Brown - Hiawatha Foundation for Economic Development

Childcare, Community Vibrancy, Library

$25,049

Chase - Chase County Chamber of Commerce

Community Vibrancy, Library

$26,661

Chautauqua - City of Sedan

Community Vibrancy

$49,125

Cherokee - Weir & Galena Public Library

Library, Senior Programming

$32,118

Cheyenne - Cheyenne Community Development Corporation

Community Vibrancy

$49,125

Clay - Grow Clay County Community

Vibrancy, Food Retail, Library

$46,571

Cloud - The City of Clyde

Community Vibrancy

$49,125

Coffey - Coffey County Library

Library

$49,125

Doniphan - Doniphan County Economic Development

Childcare, Library

$49,125

Edwards - Edwards County Economic Development Corporation

Childcare, Community Vibrancy

$49,125

Elk - Elk County Community Foundation

Community

Vibrancy, Library

$49,125

Ellsworth - Wilson Czech Opera House Corporation

Community Vibrancy

$49,125

Gove - Gove County Economic Development

Childcare, Community Vibrancy, Food Retail

$47,289

Greeley - Growing the Vision

Food Retail, Library

$48,383

Greenwood - City of Eureka

Community Vibrancy, Library

$49,125

Hamilton - Hamilton County

Community Vibrancy

$49,125

Harper - Harper County Community Foundation

Community Vibrancy, Library

$49,125

Harvey - City of Halstead

Community Vibrancy, Library

$49,125

Jackson - Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce

Community Vibrancy, Food Retail, Library

$49,125

Jewell - City of Jewell

Community Vibrancy, Library

$37,040

Kearny - City of Lakin

Childcare

$39,300

Kingman - City of Kingman

Childcare, Community Vibrancy, Library

$48,179

Kiowa - Haviland Heritage Foundation

Community Vibrancy

$49,125

Labette - City of Edna

Community Vibrancy, Library

$49,125

Lincoln - Lincoln County Economic Development Foundation

Childcare, Community Vibrancy, Food Retail, Library

$49,125

Linn - Linn County Library District 1

Library

$49,125

Logan - Logan County Community Foundation

Childcare, Community Vibrancy, Food Retail, Library

$28,701

Marion - Peabody Township Library

Community Vibrancy, Library

$49,125

Marshall - Friends of the Vermillion Community, Inc.

Community Vibrancy

$37,974

Meade - The Community Enhancement Foundation of Plains

Food Retail

$14,738

Mitchell - Mitchell County

Childcare

$49,125

Montgomery - City of Cherryvale

Library

$46,875

Morris - Little Huskies Childcare Center

Childcare

$24,563

Nemaha - Rural Development Association of Northeast Kansas

Community Vibrancy, Food Retail, Library

$48,030

Neosho - Thayer FRC City Library

Library

$35,687

Ness - Ness City Chamber of Commerce

Food Retail

$49,125

Osborne - City of Osborne Economic Development

Childcare, Food Retail, Library

$46,712

Ottawa - Ottawa County Community Development Foundation

Childcare, Library

$49,125

Pawnee - City of Rozel - Park Committee

Community Vibrancy

$49,125

Phillips - Phillipsburg Child Care Center

Childcare

$42,408

Rawlins - Atwood Public Library

Library

$25,054

Republic - Belleville Chamber and Main Street

Food Retail

$49,125

Rice - Rice County Community Foundation

Childcare

$49,125

Rush - Rush County Economic Development

Food Retail

$49,125

Russell - Bunker Hill Lions Club

Community Vibrancy

$34,388

Sheridan - Sheridan County

Childcare, Library, Senior Programming

$49,125

Sherman - Sherman County Community Development Corporation

Childcare, Community Vibrancy, Library

$49,125

Smith - City of Lebanon

Food Retail

$49,125

Stafford - Stafford County Economic Development

Food Retail, Library

$49,125

Stanton - Stanton County Community Foundation

Community Vibrancy

$36,480

Stevens - Heritage Christian Academy

Childcare

$49,125

Sumner - Sumner County Economic Development

Community Vibrancy

$49,125

Trego - WaKeeney Travel & Tourism

Community Vibrancy

$49,125

Wabaunsee - Office of Economic Development, Wabaunsee

Childcare, Community Vibrancy, Library

$49,125

Wallace - City of Wallace

Community Vibrancy

$32,397

Wilson - City of Fredonia

Childcare, Community Vibrancy, Library

$49,125

Woodson - Woodson Co. Revitalization Alliance/Revitalize YC Community Vibrancy

$49,125

For more information about the SEED Grants, visit: kansascommerce.gov/seedgrants

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 and 2022, and was awarded the 2021 Governor’s Cup by Site Selection Magazine.

Governor Laura Kelly and former Lieutenant Governor Lynn Rogers created the Office of Rural Prosperity (ORP), a nonpartisan initiative established in part to ensure that rural Kansas is heard and represented in the statehouse. The ORP aims to streamline rural policy while focusing on the issues that matter to rural Kansans. During the ORP’s 2019 and 2020 statewide listening and action tours, housing was brought up by leaders in every region of the state as a vital component of recruiting and retaining workers, families, and entrepreneurs to help rural Kansas thrive.

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