Grant

July 31-August 4, 2017

  • $350,000 in one Public Works project to Independence Community College, Independence, Kansas, to fund the expansion of an existing fabrication laboratory at Independence Community College in Montgomery County named Fab Lab. The expansion of the Fab Lab is in response to usage demand from the community, including individual members, entrepreneurs and organizations. The project will spur entrepreneurial development and grow small businesses, which will attract reputable companies and lead to job creation throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will create 97 jobs and leverage $90,000 in private investment.
  • $355,000 in five Partnership Planning projects to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) process. The CEDS process is designed to bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of an economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.
  • $1.38 million in eight Technical Assistance-University Center projects to fund the fifth year of a five-year University Center program at the institutions of higher learning listed below. The five-year program provides technical assistance and research and development tools to increase productivity, spur innovation, and promote entrepreneurship to help increase long-term regional competitiveness and economic diversification.
    • $250,000 to Kansas State University
    • $250,000 to Iowa State University of Science and Technology
    • $200,000 to the Curators of the University of Missouri-Kansas City
    • $198,987 to Southeast Missouri State University
    • $156,013 to the University of Northern Iowa
    • $115,000 to the University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc.
    • $110,000 to the University of Wyoming
    • $100,000 to the North Dakota State University Research and Technology Park