This week’s edition of the Office of Recovery Newsletter features the $69 million awarded to Kansas from the U.S. Department of Treasury through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). This funding will be used to create two programs that will provide matching capital to bank loans for locally owned small businesses.
Also included is information regarding updates to the Kansas Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance System, which will occur over the next 26 months to modernize the system and enhance the customer experience.
For the latest SPARK updates and information about resources available to Kansans, see the “Updates to Services and Support” section of this newsletter. For the most up-to-date information, please visit the Office of Recovery website at: COVID.ks.gov
Kansas Awarded $69 Million to Fund Local Small Businesses
Governor Laura Kelly announced last week that the State of Kansas has received more than $69 million through the federal American Rescue Plan to expand access to capital for traditionally underserved small businesses. The State of Kansas applied for the funding last year in order to provide small business owners with the resources they need to grow and thrive. Approximately 40% of the small businesses supported will be women-owned and 20% will be minority-owned.
This funding, provided by the U.S. Department of Treasury through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), will be used to advance key sectors specified within the Kansas Framework for Growth, including Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace, Distribution, Logistics and Transportation, Food and Agriculture, and Professional and Technical Services.
To distribute the SSBCI funding, the Department of Commerce created the Kansas Framework for Growth GROWKS Loan Fund and the GROWKS Equity Programs. Together they represent the most expansive set of small business funding programs ever offered by the State of Kansas.
The GROWKS Loan Fund and Equity Programs will engage Kansas’ extensive network of more than 600 community and business support partners to provide companion financing to bank loans – also described as matching capital. The result will be more than $1 billion in private sector investment over the life of the programs which can be used for common small business expenses such as inventory, equipment, supplies, and working capital.
Modernization Updates Kick-Off for Kansas Unemployment Insurance System
This week, the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) formally kicked off a $48 million, 26-month-long effort to modernize the state’s unemployment insurance (UI) system. Kansas’ current mainframe system used to process UI benefits was created in the 1970s. The effort to bring Kansas’ UI system into the 21st century will be led by information technology experts Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
Upon completion, the KDOL’s new system will improve the experiences of unemployed Kansans and businesses that interact with the UI systems by:
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Modernizing technology: Replace the agency’s antiquated IT legacy system that supports unemployment insurance taxes, payment of unemployment insurance benefits, and delivery of employment services.
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Enhancing customer experience: Deliver improved services such as online self-service, automation, access to data, and integration with partners.
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Transforming business processes: Provide improved efficiencies in business processes, offer new tools for KDOL employees, and support more effective service delivery to Kansans.
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Improving data security: Better anticipate and respond to security threats and prevent unemployment insurance fraud.
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Providing expandable technology: Deliver a system capable of supporting new programs and functionality, as well as connections to other systems like workforce tools.
A page has been created on the KDOL website to keep the public updated on the modernization project’s progress. For the most recent information, visit www.dol.ks.gov/ui-modernization.
Stay Informed on the SPARK Process
The four SPARK Advisory Panels (Connectivity, Economic Revitalization, Efficiency and Modernization, and Health and Education) spent several months assembling recommendations for the distribution of discretionary American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. All four Advisory Panels presented their investment recommendations to the SPARK Executive Committee during meetings on April 15 and April 18.
The Executive Committee will consider these panel recommendations before finalizing its own recommendations and presenting them to the State Finance Council, which has final authority on investment decisions. The committee has not yet met to finalize its recommendations. The Executive Committee’s next meeting will be available to livestream on the Kansas Legislature YouTube Page once scheduled.
All previous Advisory Panel meeting materials and recordings can be found on our website: Advisory Panels Materials. SPARK Executive Committee meeting recordings and materials, including the recommendation materials presented by the Advisory Panels, are available at: SPARK Materials.
Active SAM.GOV Registration Required for NEUs
The Office of Recovery is preparing for the distribution of the second tranche of Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (LFRF) payments from the American Rescue Plan Act to Non-Entitlement Units (NEUs) in Kansas. The US Treasury requires all local governments receiving funds to maintain an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM).
If your city’s registration is expiring soon, please update your account, or if you have not registered, please visit SAM.gov and register for free as soon as possible. The General Service Administration has put out a tutorial on SAM.gov Entity Registration and Entity Management that may assist in guiding you through the process. If you have questions, you can review the FAQs located in the SAM.gov Questions area of the Federal Service Desk website or contact the service desk directly at 866-606-8220.
If you have any questions regarding the information above or the reporting process, please reach out using the CONTACT US section of the Office of Recovery website.
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