Community Facilities: Small Grants

The Community Facilities: Small Grants Program is administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce as part of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) initiative. The program supports cities and counties across Kansas that do not receive a direct federal CDBG entitlement allocation. These funds are designated for infrastructure and facility projects that meet specific national objectives, particularly those benefiting low- and moderate-income (LMI) populations. The program is designed to be more accessible to smaller or less affluent communities by lowering the local matching requirement to 10 percent. Eligible applicants include all non-entitlement incorporated cities and counties within Kansas. Communities that are directly entitled to federal CDBG funding, such as Kansas City, Lawrence, Wichita, and all of Johnson County, are excluded from this opportunity. The proposed project must demonstrate at least 51 percent of its beneficiaries are low- to moderate-income individuals. This may be shown using HUD census data or an approved income-based survey. Applicants may propose any CDBG-eligible facility project with total project costs not exceeding $225,000 and grant requests ranging between $50,000 and $210,000. Allowable projects include modernization of libraries and public buildings, installation of public Wi-Fi, energy-efficient appliances, ADA compliance upgrades, emergency sirens, minor park improvements, and small-scale recreational infrastructure. Administrative costs are capped at $35,000 or 12.5 percent of the total grant amount, whichever is less. Applications are accepted from May 1 through November 14, 2025. A pre-application is mandatory and must be submitted by October 14, 2025. This pre-application step is used to confirm eligibility and readiness. Required application materials include a community needs narrative, environmental review documents, proof of matching funds, professional services pre-selection, and a preliminary engineering or architectural report. Applicants must also conduct two public hearings—one prior to submission and another at project closeout—published with adequate notice and held with inclusive access provisions. Grants are awarded based on a scoring matrix with a maximum of 100 points. Evaluation criteria include the project's need (50 points), evaluation of alternatives (10), past efforts to address community needs (10), project readiness (20), and projected impact (10). Up to 10 bonus points are available for communities that haven’t received recent CDBG awards in key categories or that secure at least 10 percent of matching funds from private sources. For further assistance or questions, applicants can contact Ginny Eardley, CDBG Specialist, at [email protected] or by phone at 785-230-6319. General inquiries can be directed to the broader CDBG team at [email protected] or 785-296-3481.

Submit pre-application by October 14 Use HUD data or conduct an approved income survey to confirm 51% LMI status Provide letters of support for bonus points Secure 10% of local match from private sources for additional bonus points Ensure public hearing compliance and documentation