Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the launch of the Downtown Revive & Thrive: Rehabilitation for Innovation and Incubator Spaces program. There is a total of $500,000 available in funding for Kansas communities with populations of 5,000 or less for projects that result in functional business incubator spaces or facilities designed for temporary retail or restaurant operations.

“Rural communities are hubs of innovation and entrepreneurship but often do not have enough financial resources to maximize their economic potential,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “This program will support the rehabilitation of spaces, especially in our state’s historic downtown buildings, for communities to activate underutilized assets and boost their local economies.”

Rural downtowns are experiencing an increase in vacant and underutilized properties, many of which are historic buildings in dire need of rehabilitation. At the same time, there is a strong demand for spaces that entrepreneurs can use to test products, develop commercial concepts and pilot new retail or restaurant ventures.

The program is designed to support projects that repurpose existing infrastructure to create spaces and provide equipment for pop-up retail and restaurants that drive economic growth and contribute vibrancy to communities.

The Revive & Thrive grant program is administered by the Kansas Office of Rural Prosperity at the Department of Commerce. The application window opens Thursday, January 22, and will close at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 10. Grant awards will be announced in April.

For those interested in applying for funding, a virtual webinar about the specifics of the program is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Thursday, January 29. Registration is required and a Zoom link will be provided once registration is complete. To register, click here.

The Office of Rural Prosperity will host office hours from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. every Thursday, January 29 through March 5. To sign up, visit here.

For additional information about the Downtown Revive & Thrive program, click here.