Kansas 2026 Towns Grant Round 2 – Rural Community Placemaking ($1,000-$50,000; December 23)

Funding$1,000-$25,000 per single-ZIP-code project; up to $50,000 for eligible multi-ZIP-code projects. Overall Round 2 pool: $500,000, not the individual award.

DeadlineDecember 23, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Central Time (controlling Round 2 application guidelines).

Last verified2026-10-31

Required next actionApply through the Kansas Department of Commerce Towns Salesforce portal before December 23, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Central Time. Prepare bids/estimates, 10% match proof, 1-3 support letters, signed W-9 and required state policy forms. Verify community and project eligibility, including prior Towns award history.

Broad Eligibility

Eligible primary applicants: county/municipal governments, economic/community development organizations, chambers of commerce, community foundations, 501(c)(3)/(c)(6) nonprofits, and tribal organizations serving Kansas communities with populations of 5,000 or fewer or qualifying distressed urban ZIP codes. One submission per community; no previous Towns grant.

Atlas Analysis

Reviewed official 11-page Kansas Department of Commerce Towns Round 2 application guidelines; Oct 23 state press announcement; live program page; FAQ. Confirmed $1,000 minimum/$25,000 single ZIP maximum/$50,000 genuine multi-ZIP maximum, $500,000 overall program pool, December 23 2026 at 5 p.m. Central deadline, 10% match rules, allowed and disallowed costs, applicant eligibility, required documentation, Salesforce submission, post-contract-only costs, 50/50 disbursement, April 2027-April 2028 performance. Program website has an outdated December 18 sentence contrasting current PDF/hero/announcement December 23; controlling 2026 guidelines support December 23. Project renovation examples also differ across site and PDF; avoid implying renovation is automatically allowed. The official Kansas Commerce application page and October 23 announcement independently confirm the current round and December 23 application deadline. It is applicant grant assistance, not procurement.

Kansas Towns Grant – Round 2 (2026)

Open for applications. The Kansas Department of Commerce Office of Rural Prosperity accepts applications through Wednesday, December 23, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Central Time. This is a state-administered community grant for tangible small-scale placemaking and community revitalization projects, not a purchasing contract.

Applicant award and eligibility

Award requests range from $1,000 to $25,000 for a project in one ZIP code, or up to $50,000 for a genuine multi-community or multi-ZIP-code project with substantive eligible work in each location. The $500,000 available for Round 2 is the overall program pool, not an applicant award. Eligible lead applicants are Kansas county or municipal governments, community or economic development organizations, chambers of commerce, community foundations, qualifying 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6) nonprofits, and tribal organizations representing communities of 5,000 or fewer people or qualifying distressed urban ZIP codes. Only one application per community is allowed; a single primary applicant may partner with others. The official Towns program webpage further states that the community must not have received a previous Towns grant.

Match, project limits, and payment

Applicants must provide a minimum 10% match from private sources or non-state-funded grants. A cash match is required for communities with populations of 1,001-5,000. Communities with 1,000 or fewer residents may meet the match with in-kind support. Allowable projects include community seating, parks, permanent public art, wayfinding, beautification, bike racks, and modest sidewalk or accessibility work. New building construction, event or speaker fees, salaries, LED or electric signage, strategic planning, consultant reviews, and architectural or engineering reports are excluded. Project-specific building renovation eligibility should be confirmed with the program because the website and application guidelines are not fully consistent on that point. Costs incurred before the grant contract is fully executed are ineligible. The state pays 50% after signing the award agreement and 50% once the project is 50% complete. The listed performance period is April 1, 2027, through April 1, 2028.

Application requirements

Submit through the Kansas Commerce online Salesforce application portal linked on the official program page. Required supporting materials include project bids or estimates, evidence of the 10% match, at least one support letter, signed W-9, signed state sexual-harassment-policy acknowledgment, and signed covered-technologies acknowledgment. Certain entities must document Kansas Secretary of State good standing and Kansas tax clearance. Incomplete applications are not considered. The application guidelines control the December 23 deadline even though a separate paragraph of the program webpage retains an older December 18 date. Consult the official guidance and contact Towns@ks.gov about any discrepancy before submission.

Controlling official sources: 2026 Round 2 application guidelines (11-page PDF); Kansas Commerce Towns program and application portal; October 23, 2026 official announcement. Source review date: October 31, 2026.

Source verificationOfficial government source · www.kansascommerce.govAtlas last verified this record 2026-10-31. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗