Community Facilities: Large Grants

Community Facilities: Large Grants is sponsored by Kansas Department of Commerce. Allows cities and counties to propose any CDBG-eligible facility project to support impactful, long-term improvements to community services and quality of life.

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Exporting Programs & Services, Investment, Reshoring Resources for your move to Kansas. Taxes, Credits, & Exemptions To The Stars: Kansas Business Awards Corporate & Professional Services Food Processing and Manufacturing Energy & Natural Resources Community Facilities: Large Grants The Large Grants category allows cities and counties to propose any CDBG-eligible facility project without needing to fit within specific subcategories.

The local match has been decreased to 20% to improve accessibility for smaller or lower-income communities.

Get Program Notifications arrow_forward_ios of the CDBG grant request Benefit Low- to Moderate-Income persons At least 20% matching funds Check qualifications, programs, and more The Community Facilities: Large Grants Program allows cities and counties to propose any CDBG-eligible facility project—such as libraries, childcare centers, large parks, and public infrastructure—without being limited to a specific subcategory to support impactful, long-term improvements to community services and quality of life.

Eligible uses include large-scale projects that enhance community engagement, safety, and health, such as renovations to public facilities, construction of nonprofit childcare centers, park and infrastructure upgrades, public safety enhancements, and associated professional services. A total of $7. 6 million has been designated for Community Facilities Grants (both Large and Small) in 2026.

This program funds projects to increase community engagement, health, connectedness and vibrancy in communities. Eligible expenses include: Public Facilities: Construction, major renovation, or expansions of existing libraries and senior centers. Parks: Development or improvement of public parks, playgrounds, trails, shelters, public restrooms, fencing, and lighting.

Non-profit Childcare Centers: Construction or renovation of childcare or early education centers. Infrastructure: Installation or repair of streets, sidewalks, storm drains, curb cuts, and ADA accessibility improvements. Public Safety: Construction or renovation of public fire stations and fire truck purchases.

Professional Services: Post-award administrative, engineering, and architectural costs and fees. Generally ineligible facilities include tourism-focused, school or institutional, professional sports, private-use, and other facilities that do not demonstrate an eligible public benefit. Only cities and counties (units of local government) can apply for CDBG grants.

Large cities and urban counties are considered entitlement communities and receive CDBG funds directly from HUD, while smaller communities apply through the state CDBG program. The following entitlement communities are NOT eligible to apply for the state CDBG program: Kansas City, Lawrence, Leavenworth, Manhattan, Overland Park, Topeka, Wichita, and all of Johnson County.

All CDBG projects must meet a national objective and involve an eligible activity under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.

The three CDBG national objectives are: Benefit Low- and Moderate-Income (LMI) Persons Prevention or Elimination of Blight Addressing an Urgent Need All activities proposed in applications for the Community Facilities: Large Grants Program must meet the national objective of benefiting LMI persons with a minimum of 51% LMI beneficiaries. This can be accomplished either by using HUD census data or by completing an income-based survey.

Applicants must receive CDBG approval before starting a survey and follow the approved income-based survey methodology. Grant applications are evaluated for funding based on project need, project alternatives, past efforts to address need, project readiness, project impact, and matching funds.

Key considerations include: Demonstrating that alternative solutions were examined to address the facility need Projects that leverage local match amounts of 50% of the CDBG grant request will score higher At least 51% of all program participants must meet LMI requirements – which is at or below 80% of the Average Median Income for the county in which the family resides Communities that have not received a CDBG grant for Community Facilities, Water and Sewer, or Youth Job Training in the past five years will be awarded five bonus points Five bonus points will be awarded if at least 10% of local match comes from other private sources such as foundations (not bonds or state and federal agencies) Download the 2026 Community Facilities: Large Grants Guidelines for more information on program requirements.

Local funding is required for all CDBG projects, and no project can be funded entirely by grants. Matching funds can originate from private or public sources, but the application must document that these funds are firmly committed (e.g., a letter of commitment from a bank or other funding source).

Examples of matching funds include bank loans, industrial revenue bonds, owners’ equity, contributions from local governments, or grants and loans from economic development entities. Applicants are allowed to match CDBG funds with other grant funds if that funding is secured in a city/county account by the time the contract is signed.

At least 10% of the matching funds must be cash from a local source (i.e., owner funds, city/county cash). Any expenses incurred prior to the grant award are ineligible for reimbursement with CDBG funds. This includes grant writing, engineering, and architecture.

A pre-application must be submitted and approved by CDBG before an application can be submitted. The pre-application is used to determine project eligibility and readiness before proceeding to the full application stage. Commerce will review submissions within ten days and provide further instructions.

Only those with an approved pre-application may submit a full application, but approval of the pre-application does not ensure grant funding. Please discuss your project with CDBG staff before submitting a pre-application. You can contact a project manager at any time or email [email protected] .

Can a community apply for more than one project? Communities may apply for multiple CDBG categories but can only be awarded up to two projects total , with no more than one from a major category. Major categories include: Community Facilities: Large/Small, Blueprint to Build, Water and Sewer Infrastructure, and Regional Water Implementation​.

For example, a city can submit applications for a Housing Rehabilitation and a Community Facilities: Large Grants project. However, a city cannot apply for both a Large and Small Community Facilities project. What is the public hearing process?

Citizen participation is a required component of the CDBG program. Any local government applying for CDBG funds must provide citizens with reasonable opportunities to participate in the planning and development of applications, especially residents of proposed project areas. Citizens must be provided adequate and timely information so they can be meaningfully involved in important decisions.

The purpose of the initial public hearing is to inform citizens about the proposed project, including its location, total cost, activities, and beneficiaries. Community members must be given a chance to suggest other project ideas and share their input, and the local governing body should carefully consider this feedback before submitting the application.

The initial public hearing must be held at least 15 FULL days before the CDBG application is submitted, and no earlier than 120 days. The total project funding and CDBG amount requested must match what appears in the public hearing notice. Public hearings must be held at a time and location convenient to potential or actual beneficiaries, with accommodations for non-English speaking residents and persons with disabilities.

Records of these efforts must be part of the grant files, including the public hearing notice, affidavit of publication, record of posting, public hearing attendance log, public hearing minutes, any written complaints and grantee response, and any other documented efforts to involve citizens throughout all stages of the project.

Requirements to Publish a Public Hearing Notice A notice about the hearing must be published at least 5 FULL days in advance (but no more than 20 days) in advance to allow citizens the opportunity to schedule their attendance. The day that the public hearing notice is first advertised and the day of the public hearing do NOT count towards the minimum 5 day period. Is an environmental review always required?

Yes, all CDBG-funded projects are federally required to have an environmental review. The Environmental Determination of Level of Review form must be submitted with the application. This will inform Commerce as to what level of environmental review you will undertake for your project if awarded.

Post-award, the city or county must conduct a full environmental review of the project, even for small projects that don’t require construction . This responsibility cannot be delegated and the cost to conduct the review must be paid with local funds . Project activities may not begin until after Commerce issues the environmental release of project funds.

Parks and Libraries typically are city wide projects. To determine if that is the case, please contact the CDBG team for approval of your project area prior to application. Communities that have not received a CDBG grant for Community Facilities, Water and Sewer, or Youth Job Training in the past five years will be awarded five bonus points.

Securing at least 10% of a project’s matching funds from a private funding source will result in an additional five bonus points on applications. If your community does not automatically qualify as a 51% LMI community, an income based survey can be conducted in most circumstances to evaluate the current income climate of the community. Surveys must be pre-approved.

Gathering letters of support is a great way to enhance your grant application. Get a broad base of community leaders to confirm the importance of your project.

See other communities that have received funding in past years The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program requires that each CDBG funded activity must either principally benefit low- and moderate-income (LMI) persons, aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight, or meet a community development need having a particular urgency.

Based on program participants View LMI Family Income Limits for LMI calculations are from the 2020 Census and LMI by household are from 2026 HUD Section 8. Final LMI will be confirmed upon application review. Assistance from a professional with CDBG grant experience can help you streamline and strengthen your application.

Some or all of the costs to engage help can be covered by your award. Here are the background documents for the Commercial Rehabilitation grant that will help you apply. 2026 Community Facilities: Large Grants Guidelines (.

pdf) Deadline: October 16, 2026 Get notifications for this year and next year Email Jason Teal, CDBG Specialist Incentives & Financing, Taxes, Credits & Exemptions, Site Selection, Doing Business in Kansas Infrastructure assessment, community planning, development support, and downtown activation Find a Job, Job Seeker Services, Employer Services Plan your trip to Kansas. Places to visit, things to do. Order a free Travel Guide.

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