This week’s edition of the Office of Recovery Newsletter features the announcement of two grant opportunities approved through the Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) process for local governments related to safety and security and water infrastructure.

Also featured is a reporting reminder for American Rescue Plan Act recipients classified as Non-Entitlement Units of Government (NEUs). The second NEU project and expenditure report is due April 30, 2023. More details are below.

Information on the Kansas Education Enrichment Program (KEEP), which is now open for application, is also included. The program provides qualifying parents and guardians with a one-time $1,000 award per child to pay for educational goods and services, such as tutoring and school supplies. Information on the program and how to apply is below.

For the latest information on 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 

Program Spotlight

Local Safety and Security Grant Program Accepting Applications

The Local Safety and Security Equipment Grant Program is now accepting applications for funding. This program is funded from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Funds as recommended by the SPARK Executive Committee and approved by the State Finance Council in December 2022.

The Local Safety and Security Equipment Grant will provide approximately $6.1 million in grant funding to local governments for the purpose of improving the accessibility and efficiency of delivery of services to Kansans through investments to modernize information technology infrastructure, continuity of operations, and safety and security. The replacement of wildland firefighting equipment is also an eligible expense for this program.

Entities eligible to apply for funding include (but are not limited to) first responders, public safety answering points for 911 centers, law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and paramedics/emergency medical services.

Applications for eligible recipient entities can be submitted to the Kansas Governors Grants Program at [email protected] using the forms provided on the Local Safety and Security Equipment Grant Program website. Please note all applications submissions must be emailed to the Governor’s Grants Program no later than June 30, 2023, at 11:59PM.

For additional information, a pre-application webinar will be held on the Local Safety and Security Equipment Grant Program on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at 9:00 A.M. and can be accessed here.

Additional requests for information, or general inquiries about the Safety and Security Equipment Grant can be directed to the Kansas Governor’s Grants Program using the email link provided above or by phone at (785) 291-3205.

Small-Town Water and Sewer Infrastructure Assistance Program Accepting Pre-Applications

The Small-Town Water and Sewer Infrastructure Assistance and Grant Program is now accepting pre-applications for funding. This program is funded from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Funds as recommended by the SPARK Executive Committee and approved by the State Finance Council in December 2022.

This funding opportunity will provide up to $10,000,000 in short term sewer and drinking water grant funding to local governments. Eligible funding recipients would include cities, counties and other identified political subdivisions who have populations less than 1,000 people and are experiencing a health or regulatory compliance issue that an infrastructure project would resolve.

Eligible local governments are encouraged to submit a pre-application form, which can be found on the KDHE Applications Webpage, no later than June 30, 2023. Selected applicants will be notified of their funding awards by August 31, 2023, and projects will be prioritized according to the severity of the health or regulatory compliance issue being resolved (please note projects that resolve issues through regionalization will rank higher than individual utility projects).

Additional information on the application process, program guidelines and eligibility requirements for grant funding can be found in the KDHE STSWIA FAQ.

Should additional questions regarding the Small-Town Water and Sewer Infrastructure Grant Assistance Program be identified , please contact Amelia Ness ([email protected]) for water related questions, or Cara Hendricks ([email protected]) for sewer related questions.

NEU Reporting Resources

NEU Reporting Reminder

As a reminder, the 2nd annual Project and Expenditure Report for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) recipients will be due for Non-Entitlement Units (NEUs) and cities and counties with a population of less than 250,000 people and received less than $10 million in ARPA funding on April 30, 2023. The April 30 report will cover the reporting period between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, and can be submitted using the US Treasury Reporting Portal.

Prior to the reporting deadline it may be useful to review the following resources as they all provide useful information and ARPA Reporting and Compliance:

US Treasury Project & Expenditure Reporting Webinars – Part 1 & 2

Part 1 – Simplified Submissions under Revenue Replacement

Part 2 – Submissions using all Expenditure Categories

US Treasury April 2023 Project & Expenditure Report User Guide

Kansas Office of Recovery April 5, 2023 NEU Reporting Webinar

If you have questions, you can also reach out to the Office of Recovery using the CONTACT US section of the Office of Recovery website or contact the US Treasury directly (for reporting portal technical issues) at [email protected].

SPARK Programs

In December 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.

An overview of approved programs and their current status is available on the Office of Recovery’s website.

Additional details on these competitive funding opportunities, including information on the timeline and process to apply for funding through these programs, will be shared as available.

Those that previously submitted an idea submission to the SPARK process will be notified of funding opportunities relevant to their proposal once that information is available.

Programs approved through the SPARK process that are currently open for application include:

Child Care Capacity Accelerator - https://allinforkansaskids.org/accelerator/
Aviation Learning Opportunities and Funded Training (ALOFT) – https://www.kansascommerce.gov/aloft/

Delivering Residents and Workforce (DRAW) - https://www.kansascommerce.gov/draw/
Local Safety and Security Equipment Grant Program - https://grants.ks.gov/grant-programs/local-safety-and-security-equipment-grant-program-(lsse)
Small-Town Water and Sewer Infrastructure Assistance Program - https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/516/Applications

Updates to Services and Support

Qualifying Families Can Apply for $1000 per Student for Learning Recovery

The Kansas Education Enrichment Program (KEEP) is open to applications from qualifying parents and guardians of Kansas students. KEEP provides a $1,000 award per student to pay for various educational goods and services that promote learning recovery and facilitate academic enrichment opportunities. 

KEEP funds may be used on various enrichment and educational activities, including: 

Day and overnight camps with academic-related curriculum such as music, arts, science, technology, agriculture, mathematics, and engineering 
Curriculum and educational materials, including certain technological devices 
Language classes

Musical instruments and lessons 
Tutoring

The funds are not eligible for school tuition.

Eligibility for KEEP funds is determined by financial need, and funds will be distributed to actively enrolled K-12 Kansas students between the ages of 5-18. Students whose household income is less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines are eligible.

Subject to funding availability, future waves of funding may be provided with expanded household income eligibility parameters. 

Families can learn if they qualify, apply for the program, read the full handbook of rules and instructions, and browse the marketplace of qualified service providers at www.keep.ks.gov. Program participants will have access to a web and mobile app for using their awarded funds.

Businesses that offer educational opportunities and services are invited to join the KEEP Marketplace to assist students and families. Parents and guardians can search for those opportunities across Kansas on the KEEP Marketplace. Parents and guardians may also submit requests for additional businesses to be added to the Marketplace if they know of a business that would qualify.

Businesses interested in becoming a provider on the KEEP Marketplace can apply to become a Qualified Education Service Provider on the program website: www.keep.ks.gov. 

KEEP is being offered through a contract between Merit International, Inc. and the Kansas Office of Recovery to provide educational activities and learning opportunities to students across Kansas to promote educational learning recovery in response to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is funded with American Rescue Plan Act dollars approved through the SPARK process. 