ACCEL-KS proof of concept grants

ACCEL-KS, Accelerating Concept to Commercialization in Kansas, is a proof of concept grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce, run with Groover Labs. Grants are up to $25,000.

The money supports early work on a product, in hardware or software. Awardees send one milestone report, which releases the second part of the grant, and one final report. The program runs through June 2027.

You must be a U.S. citizen with a Kansas address, and you provide a W-9. The product needs to be scalable and have a reasonable path to commercialization.

Applications opened on August 24, 2026, at 9 a.m. CT, and close on September 30, 2026, at 5 p.m. CT. Apply on the Groover Labs form. A review committee reads each qualifying application. Some applicants are invited to a short virtual presentation, and awardees are chosen from that group.

The grant is unlikely to cover marketing, advertising, software licenses that last past the grant, licenses you already pay for, or tools and equipment that Groover Labs or a partner already has.