Professional Development Scholarship

The professional development scholarship was funded through the Heartland Regional Food Business Center, one of 12 regional food business centers established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2023.  As of September 15, 2025, the Center closed and K-State Extension will process payment to applicants that have approved scholarships.  

The purpose of this scholarship was to provide financial assistance to Kansas food and farm-based businesses to participate in educational and/or professional development opportunities that will improve their enterprises. Requests for financial assistance should be for training that are not already provided by HRFBC collaborators.

Eligibility requirements:

This scholarship is closed, this information is available for applicants whose payments are still being processed.

Actively engaged with Heartland Regional Food Business Center. To connect with the Heartland Regional Food Business Center staff complete this form.
Must be a food or farm-based business operating in Kansas with an identified training need to improve their business.
Training must be related to the food business’ ability to access new markets, expand product lines. This funding cannot be used for training related to growing or raising food.
Eligible individuals include: Food Entrepreneurs, Farmers, Business Leaders within Restaurant, Incubator Kitchens, Farmers’ Market, Food Hubs, and Grocery Store sectors.

Examples of eligible professional development opportunities that could be covered by this fund:

This scholarship is closed, this information is available for applicants whose payments are still being processed.

NetWork Kansas Trainings: Destination Bootcamp, Entrepreneur Business Basics, The Kansas Ice House Entrepreneurship Program, Food Entrepreneur Bootcamp
For producers: Local Foods Producer Workshops
For restauranteurs:
For Food Processors: Workshops for Food Processors - Acidified Food Manufacturing School and Better Processing Control School
For Grocers:
Other opportunities that relates to your business.

Selected individuals may request up to $1,000 of funding to support:

This scholarship does not cover:

Selected individuals will:

Application Process:

This scholarship is closed, this information is available for applicants whose payments are still being processed.

1. Receive an invitation to apply for a scholarship from the HRFBC team.
2. Apply: within 1-6 months of the training. If your opportunity is more than 6 months away, you can apply, and we will notify you once we are within 6 months of the event. We cannot reimburse for professional development completed before you applied for the scholarship.
3. Evaluation: The application will be evaluated by the K-State Research and Extension, Heartland Regional Food Business Center team.
4. Notification: Applicants will receive notification of approval no later than sixty days after the application is submitted.
5. Reimbursement Process: Recipient will be asked to submit required documentation, including but not limited to W9, related receipts, etc. Reimbursement will be processed after training is complete. Once all required documentation is received, reimbursement will be completed within 4-6 weeks.