Project Open Salina

Project OPEN
785.827.9301
open@salinakansas.org

Project OPEN!

Project OPEN provides entrepreneurial education and business support to entrepreneurs who already own or want to start a business in Saline County. Project OPEN includes Entrepreneur Training and Business Development Services. The purpose of this project is to educate entrepreneurs in best business practices and help them establish or expand their businesses in Saline County, Kansas through education as well as provision of Business Development Services. Business Development Services may include:

Intake Interview
Assistance Plan
Grant and/or loan funds awarded on a competitive basis to eligible applicants
Three years of follow-up services

The Salina Area Chamber of Commerce administers this project. Other collaborating organizations include the City of Salina, North Central Kansas Small Business Development Center, North Central Regional Planning Commission, Salina Downtown Inc. and a volunteer Project OPEN Entrepreneur Development Committee (EDC) and Financial Review Board (FRB).

Funding for Project OPEN is provided by multiple sources including: the City of Salina Economic Development Incentive Council Fund, Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, Salina Downtown, Inc. Development Incentive Program funds, FHLBank Topeka JOBS grants, and in part, is made possible by funds from the Kansas Rural Business Development Tax Credit Program as administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce and as invested by the North Central Kansas Community Network, and by funds from the Kansas Entrepreneur Tax Credit Program as administered by Network Kansas.

Application for these funding programs are open quarterly, in February, May, August and November. Specific dates are announced annually.