News Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today announced two CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants to Kansas from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). The two grants, totaling $2 million, will benefit the northwest and northeast regions of the state.

“A key component of recovering from this pandemic is building back a strong economy, and these investments and new resources for Kansas will help us accomplish that goal,” said Sen. Moran. “The grants will not only help create new jobs in our state, but also provide resources to small businesses and entrepreneurs to keep their lights on and employees on the payroll. I will continue to work with our federal agencies to make certain that Kansas is a priority when these resources are distributed, especially as our state recovers from this pandemic."

“The Economic Development Administration is committed to helping communities across the nation implement strategies to mitigate economic hardships brought on by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Dennis Alvord. “These EDA investments will grow businesses and create jobs by expanding a diesel and automotive technician training and education program in northwest Kansas and supporting the capital needs of businesses in northeast Kansas.”

Northwest Technical College in Goodland will receive $1.2 million to expand their Diesel Tech training facility, increasing their capacity to train workers to compete for high-skill, high-wage jobs and positioning the region for recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. The project, to be matched with $295,986 in local funds, is expected to create nearly 300 jobs.

The Kansas Center for Entrepreneurship in Wichita will receive $800,000 to capitalize and administer a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to provide critical gap financing to small businesses and entrepreneurs adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic in Clay, Douglas, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Lyon, Marshall, Miami, Morris, Nemaha, Osage, Pottawatomie, Shawnee and Wabaunsee counties.

Both grants are funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided EDA with $1.5 billion for economic assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19.

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