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This week’s edition of the Office of Recovery Newsletter features the release of the grant application for the the Building a Stronger Economy (BASE) 2.0 program. This program, approved through the Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) process, will provide $50 million in grants to address infrastructure and economic development. Details on how entities can apply for funding can be found below.
Also included is information about the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation’s (KHRC) Moderate Income Housing program, which provides funding to local governments with a population fewer than 60,000 people for housing development projects. A portion of the program is being funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Funds. Details on the funding opportunity is available below.
For the latest Treasury 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 Department of Commerce Announces Building a Stronger Economy (BASE) 2.0 Grant Application
The Kansas Department of Commerce has announced $50 million will fund a second round of projects under the Building a Stronger Economy (BASE) grant program. BASE 2.0 will continue addressing infrastructure and economic development needs that were delayed or slowed due to COVID-19 in an effort to expand the state’s base of businesses and residents.
The additional funds were designated by the Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Executive Committee and approved by the State Finance Council in December.
Previous applicants that were not funded in round one will be considered for BASE 2.0 and do not need to reapply unless they would like to submit a new application. Awardees from the first round are not eligible for a BASE 2.0 award.
The Commerce Department received more than 440 applicants requesting more than $1 billion in identified projects during BASE 1.0 for the available $100 million funding. This new round will follow the same regulations established for the first round, including the requirement that awardees provide a 25% match.
County and local governments, economic development organizations, local chambers of commerce, and other stakeholders are eligible to apply. Awardees will have two years to complete their projects and utilize all awarded and required matching funds. Applications submitted are required to document how the project was delayed or affected negatively due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting downturn in economic conditions.
The BASE 2.0 grant application process opened January 3. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, January 31. An informational webinar will be held for interested applicants on Wednesday, January 18.
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Housing Development Funds Available to Local Governments
The Kansas Housing Resource Corporation’s (KHRC) Moderate Income Housing (MIH) program is currently accepting applications from local governments for housing development projects.
In response to the need for housing across Kansas, approximately $60 million has been provided to KHRC for the purpose of administering and supporting the MIH program. $20 million of this funding was provided through Kansas’ allocation of ARPA State Fiscal Recovery Funds.
MIH grants and/or loans are awarded to cities and counties to develop multi-family rental units and single-family for-purchase homes in communities with populations fewer than 60,000 people. The ARPA funded portion of the program will be used for housing development in rural areas, although the program is open to any community that meets the population requirement.
The 2023 Round 1 MIH application cycle is open, and applications are due by February 17, 2023 at 5:00 pm. Round 1 awards will be announced in late March 2023.
Additional information about this funding opportunity, including the program Request for Proposal, application, and guidance is available on KHRC’s website.
In December 2022 the State Finance Council approved a total of $374 million in COVID-19 relief funds for broadband infrastructure and adoption, the modernization and improvement of government services, economic development, and health and education initiatives recommended by the Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Executive Committee.
The portfolio of approved funding includes competitive grant programs in the four SPARK Advisory Panel areas: Connectivity, Efficiency and Modernization, Health and Education, and Economic Revitalization.
Additional details on these competitive funding opportunities, including information on the timeline and process to apply for funding through these programs, will be forthcoming from administering agencies by the end of February.
Those that previously submitted a proposal to the SPARK process will be notified of funding opportunities relevant to their proposal once that information is available. In the meantime, please keep an eye out for program updates from the Office of Recovery and administering State Agencies.
Programs approved through the SPARK process that are currently open for application include:
Additional programs will be added to this list as applications open.
COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Funding Is Still Available
In June 2022, bipartisan House Bill 2136 was signed into law, investing $50 million to help small businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Program is still available to provide financial assistance to certain businesses impacted by COVID-19 related shutdowns and restrictions during tax years 2020 and 2021.
The COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Program is funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which requires a federal Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) to be completed for a business to be eligible to receive assistance.
The UEI is issued at no cost through the federal System for Award Management website, SAM.gov.
Due to recent increases in the number of entities registering with SAM.gov, it may take up to 25 business days for new registrations to be processed.
For any issues related to registering with SAM.gov or obtaining a UEI, applicants can contact the Federal Service Desk at 866-606-8220.
Once registration is complete and confirmed, business owners can apply for the COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Program through an online application created by KDOR. The application provides definitions, explains the assistance process in detail, and specifies exactly what information must be provided and/or submitted in support of the application.
Applicants with questions regarding the COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Program can contact the Kansas Department of Revenue at 785-368-8660.
Small business owners have until April 15, 2023, to apply for this financial assistance.
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The Office of Recovery is here to offer support and coordination. Questions and inquiries may be submitted via the Contact Us form. Please visit covid.ks.gov for up-to-date information and resources on recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic for Kansas residents, businesses, and communities.
DeAngela Burns-Wallace, Ed.D.
Secretary, Kansas Department of Administration
On behalf of the Office of Recovery,
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly
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