Kansas small business grants, loans and training funds (2026)

What each Kansas program actually pays

Most lists of “Kansas small business grants” mix these together. Know which kind of money you are applying for:

• Repayable loans. The GrowKS Loan Fund, plus the eCommunity, Kansas Community Investment Fund, Kansas Healthy Food Initiative and EDA revolving loan funds that Network Kansas also manages ⁠⁴.
• Equity. The GrowKS Direct Equity, Community Equity Ownership and Multi-Fund programs, which buy a stake in a company or invest in a venture fund ⁠¹.
• Training reimbursements. KIT and KIR pay for training costs after the training, based on an approved plan ⁠⁸.
• Reimbursement grants for specific activities. STEP and K-GLOBE for exporters, and the Kansas SBIR/STTR Matching Program for firms chasing federal R&D awards ⁠⁹⁠¹⁰⁠¹¹.
• Building and investor incentives. HEAL grants rehabilitate downtown buildings ⁠¹³. The Kansas Angel Investor Tax Credit gives the tax break to the investor, not to you ⁠¹².

Network Kansas and the $69.6 million GrowKS pot

Treasury lists four Kansas SSBCI programs, all run by Network Kansas for Commerce, totaling $69.6 million ⁠¹. Network Kansas says Kansas was among the first five states to receive its SSBCI money ⁠².

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Network Kansas’s June 2026 quick guide sets the loan terms: 4% fixed for terms of one to five years, 6% fixed for six to 10 years ⁠⁴. A GrowKS loan needs a bank loan that is secured and supports the same project. Your private match must have closed within the past 90 days ⁠⁴. Network Kansas deducts fees at closing: a 1% origination fee (at least $500, at most $3,000), a $399 documentation fee, $15 per soft credit pull, and filing fees for collateral ⁠⁴. Treasury notes that the fund works with more than 500 partner lenders and pays for equipment, construction and qualified real estate ⁠¹. Network Kansas says the programs focus on rural and urban-distressed areas, minority-, women- and economically disadvantaged owners, and target sectors ⁠².

The equity programs are only for companies already raising money from private investors. Treasury says the Direct Equity Program usually joins first rounds that average about $1 million ⁠¹.

eCommunity loans for towns outside the big metros

Network Kansas also runs the eCommunity Partnership, with 82 community partnerships across the state ⁠⁵. Each eCommunity has a local financial review board and a revolving loan fund. An eCommunity loan can cover up to 60% of your total financing, and the other 40% must come from a bank, credit union, city or county loan fund, USDA program or foundation ⁠⁵. The 2026 quick guide caps eCommunity loans at $52,000, with up to a 150% match, and you must be located in an eCommunity ⁠⁴. The EDA Revolving Loan Fund lends up to $150,000 for projects in 15 listed counties, among them Clay, Douglas, Franklin, Leavenworth, Lyon, Shawnee and Wabaunsee. If no bank is involved, you need a denial letter from other lenders ⁠⁴. The local board, not Network Kansas staff, sets the review timeline for eCommunity loans ⁠³.

KIT and KIR: Commerce pays for training, not wages

These two programs are the closest thing Kansas has to a general business grant, but they only reimburse training costs.

Kansas Industrial Training (KIT) helps firms that create at least one net new job in Kansas. For a new company, every Kansas job counts as net new. For an expanding company, a new job is one above its average headcount over the past 12 months ⁠⁸. The typical award runs $1,200 to $2,000 per trainee, and KIT does not require a company match ⁠⁸. Contracts last 12 months. Commerce reimburses instructor salaries, curriculum work, materials and minor training equipment. It also covers travel, capped at 50% of the award. It does not pay trainee wages ⁠⁸.

Kansas Industrial Retraining (KIR) helps firms that are restructuring, adding technology or changing production. The workers being retrained must be at risk of displacement. KIR requires at least a dollar-for-dollar cash match, and a company can hold at most two KIR contracts in four years ⁠⁸.

Both programs have rules that rule out many small shops ⁠⁸:

• Priority goes to “basic” industries such as manufacturing, multi-state distribution, regional or national services, agriculture and R&D.
• A non-manufacturer must earn at least 51% of its revenue from outside Kansas.
• You must pay at least the county median wage and offer health coverage to all employees.
• You must apply before or when training starts, and pay a $500 non-refundable fee.

Commerce also lists a separate Apprenticeship Tax Credit for for-profit employers, with a maximum of $25,000 and rolling applications. Like any tax credit, it lowers your tax bill instead of paying cash up front ⁠⁷.

Exporting and SBIR/STTR: small grants with tight rules

STEP. Commerce accepts STEP applications year-round from Kansas small businesses that meet SBA size standards. You need at least one year in business and a product made or value-added in Kansas ⁠¹⁰. Approved companies get reimbursed after the activity for things like U.S. Commercial Service Gold Key matching, website and label translation, marketing materials and foreign sales trip airfare. The page’s federal funding disclosure covers an award period that ended September 29, 2026 ($450,000 federal, $150,000 state). Commerce does not publish a per-company cap, so confirm how much is left before you plan a trip ⁠¹⁰.

K-GLOBE. This program reimburses 50% of eligible costs, up to $10,000 per fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). It covers booth space at foreign trade shows, market research, website localization and translation. On foreign sales trips it pays up to $1,000 per person for airfare and $750 for lodging ⁠¹¹. Applications for activities between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027 are open through June 30, 2027. Apply at least 45 days before the activity, and sign the contract before you go ⁠¹¹. Commerce’s grants calendar lists K-GLOBE at $5,000, so confirm the cap with the International Division ⁠⁷.

Kansas SBIR/STTR Matching Program. Phase 0 pays up to $3,000 (50% match) for a grant writer to prepare a federal Phase I proposal. Phase I matching adds up to $25,000 once you hold a federal Phase I award ⁠⁹. You must be a for-profit headquartered in Kansas and do at least 51% of the Phase I research in the state. Money is paid as reimbursement ⁠⁹. The 2025-26 Phase I rounds ran until November 7, 2025 and from April 1 to May 8, 2026. Commerce’s calendar lists October as the usual announcement month, but no 2026-27 round was posted on the program page on October 20, 2026 ⁠⁷⁠⁹.

The calendar also lists ACCEL-KS Proof of Concept awards of up to $200,000 with a 25% match. These are announced and taken in March and April, through partners such as KU Innovation Park and Groover Labs ⁠⁷.

HEAL and the angel tax credit: help that comes through others

The seventh round of Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (HEAL) grants has $1.5 million to rehabilitate vacant downtown buildings for businesses, housing, childcare and similar uses ⁠¹³. Applications are open September 21 to November 20, 2026, and awards will be announced in January. The building owner must show a 1:1 match when applying, and communities that won HEAL in 2025 cannot apply ⁠¹³. The grants calendar lists a $100,000 maximum per project ⁠⁷.

The Kansas Angel Investor Tax Credit gives accredited investors a credit of up to 50% for investing in qualified Kansas startups. Applications to become a 2026 qualified business closed September 30, 2026 ⁠¹².

Getting from first call to funding in Kansas

The Kansas SBDC has seven regional centers hosted at Johnson County Community College, KU, Washburn, the Northwest Kansas Innovation Center, Fort Hays State, Wichita State and Pittsburg State. Most of its services cost nothing ⁠¹⁴.

1. Sign up with your regional SBDC

   Registering as a client is free and takes 10 to 15 minutes. Bring your business plan, financial projections and the amount you need. Advisers help you prepare loan packages and pick programs ⁠¹⁴.

2. Line up a bank loan before asking for GrowKS

   GrowKS only matches money from a financial institution, and the bank loan must be secured ⁠²⁠⁴. Ask your bank whether it works with Network Kansas.

3. Contact Network Kansas

   Fill in the loan intake form or call 877-521-8600. Staff will connect you with an approved partner, such as a certified development company or your eCommunity ⁠²⁠³. The partner submits your application. Network Kansas reviews applications twice a month, usually decides within two weeks, and funds within 10 business days after closing documents are signed ⁠³.

4. Talk to Commerce before you hire or train

   For KIT or KIR, contact Commerce’s Business Development Training staff (785-296-5298, [email protected]) to confirm eligibility. Then send the application template and the $500 fee before training starts. Submit receipts and a trainee roster when the project ends ⁠⁸.

5. Plan export trips 45 days out

   Apply for K-GLOBE or STEP through Commerce’s portal, wait for the signed contract, then keep every receipt for reimbursement ⁠¹⁰⁠¹¹.

6. Watch the grants calendar for SBIR/STTR and ACCEL-KS windows

   Have your federal Phase I award notice ready, or a signed agreement with a grant writer for Phase 0 ⁠⁷⁠⁹.

7. If you are turned down, ask why and adjust

   Network Kansas reports its decision to your partner, so ask the partner what was missing and whether a larger bank share or a different program would fit ⁠³. Commerce training and export funds are limited, so ask program staff for feedback before you reapply ⁠⁸⁠¹⁰.

For other help in the state, see the Kansas overview, or compare states on the small business grants hub.