Active Atlas Opportunity Score 72/100
KS-KDC-KOA-STATE-GRANT-2026 | Kansas | Kansas Department of Commerce | Registered Apprenticeship | Workforce Development | Training Equipment | Employer Partnerships | Youth Apprenticeship
Kansas Office of Apprenticeship State Grant 2026
The Kansas Department of Commerce and Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship have launched a new state grant to expand new and existing Registered Apprenticeship Programs in high-wage, high-demand occupations. The program provides direct operational support for program development and expansion, employer engagement, staffing, marketing, related technical instruction, training equipment, contracted services, administrative costs and mentor stipends.
Funding: $400,000 total available. Awards range from $60,000 to $100,000, with approximately four to six awards expected. The period of performance is twelve months.
Match: A 1:1 match is required. The match may be cash, eligible in-kind contributions, or a combination. Eligible matching costs may include directly related operating expenses, staff salaries and wages, apprentice wages and other allowable program expenses, and the full match must be shown in the budget.
Eligibility: Applicants must have a Kansas address and actively conduct business in Kansas. Applicants must either possess a RAPIDS number beginning with KS or commit to registering a Kansas Registered Apprenticeship Program under 29 CFR Part 29 within three months of award execution. Eligible sponsor or intermediary structures may include single employers, multi-employer intermediaries, unions, nonprofits, K-12 and CTE partners, government entities, Tribal partners, workforce development boards, community and technical colleges, chambers and similar entities. Applicants must be in good standing with the Kansas Department of Revenue and the Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship.
Performance requirements: New programs must register at least five Registered Apprentices within twelve months of award. Current programs must increase enrollment by at least 5% year over year in qualifying occupations. Projects must also address youth engagement by either registering at least two apprentices ages 16-17 or completing four qualifying K-12/community engagement activities and developing a youth outreach strategy.
Allowable costs: Business-support staff, marketing, training equipment, related technical instruction, contracted services, administrative costs and mentor stipends. Apprentice wages and indirect costs are not grant-funded costs, although eligible apprentice wages may be used as match under the current guidelines.
Deadline control notice: Kansas Commerce’s September 23, 2026 announcement, the guideline cover, and the guideline timeline state October 23, 2026 at 11:59 PM. However, the late-application section on page 6 of the same current guidelines states that applications will not be accepted after October 9, 2026 at 11:59 PM Central Time. Because the controlling materials conflict, Atlas treats the exact deadline as materially ambiguous and will not infer which date controls. Applicant-specific outreach or package submission should not proceed until Kansas Commerce resolves or confirms the deadline.
Submission: Applications are submitted through the Kansas Department of Commerce Grant Portal. Required materials include the application narrative and budget plus required state forms, tax clearance, and applicable proof of good standing.
N9+ Fit Score: 15/100 conditional. Training equipment is expressly eligible, but the grant is fundamentally a Registered Apprenticeship workforce program and does not establish a general medical-device pathway. N9+ must not be introduced in ordinary initial outreach. A device fit could be evaluated only for a verified healthcare Registered Apprenticeship project where the equipment is directly necessary for allowable related technical instruction and procurement requirements are satisfied.
QC Healthcare Fit Score: 20/100 conditional. Healthcare apprenticeship sponsors could potentially qualify, but healthcare is not singled out as a program priority in the current materials.
Direct Vendor Fit: 0/100 at present. Atlas has not verified Dr. Miltie or QC Healthcare as a qualifying Kansas Registered Apprenticeship sponsor or intermediary for this opportunity, so no direct-vendor application should be advanced.
Controlling sources: Kansas Commerce September 23 announcement; Kansas Office of Apprenticeship State Grant program page; official application guidelines.
Verified September 24, 2026.