Network Kansas Entrepreneurial-Community Partnership 

NetWork Kansas is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to developing an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Kansas that connects aspiring, emerging, and established businesses to a wide network of business-building resource organizations across the state.

A NetWork Kansas E-Community has made a commitment to cultivating an entrepreneurial environment by identifying and developing resources to help local entrepreneurs start or grow businesses. Selected communities partner with NetWork Kansas to establish a locally-administered loan fund to assist entrepreneurs with capital, to increase connectivity to resources available to assist entrepreneurs and small businesses, to initiate activities to generate entrepreneurial development, and to participate in a statewide partnership with other E-Communities.

The Seward County Development Corporation hosts our local E-Community Board with members from Equity Bank, USD480, Seward County Community College, and the Small Business Development Center. 

If you’re a business looking for gap financing or additional financing options, contact us, and we can discuss your options.

Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC)
Local E-Communities are also eligible to participate in the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge--a competition for middle and high school aged students who develop their own business ideas and present those models to a panel of judges. Winners of the competition are entered in a state-wide competition that occurs in March of each year. 

Learn More E-Community Loan Application

EMPOWER Loan Fund

The Seward County Development Corporation is proud to partner with Network Kansas and its EMPOWER Loan Fund. NetWork Kansas introduced the Empower Fund to assist minority for-profit businesses and non-profit entities looking to obtain funding for business projects. This no-match program, a subset of the Kansas Community Investment Fund (KCIF), was created to further the mission of increasing access to funding in socially-disadvantaged populations. For the purposes of this loan program, “minority-owned” is defined as any organization that is at least 51% owned by a non-white person, including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic/Latino, and People of Color.


  • $15,000 Loan Maximum
  • 48 Month Term
  • 4% Interest Rate

Community Improvement District (CID)

allow a property owner to petition the city to levy special assessments or impose up to an additional 2% sales tax within a designated area (the district) to pay (or reimburse) eligible project costs. These costs may include infrastructure, design, engineering, and construction-related activities. The special assessments or sales taxes must be spent on improvements within the boundaries of the CID. The city may, upon request of the petitioner, issue bonds supported by the CID revenues.

Liberal CID Policy

Neighborhood Revitalization Plan (NRP)


This plan is intended to promote the revitalization and development of certain areas within the City of Liberal in order to protect public health, safety, and welfare; and improve economic conditions which impair and arrest the sound growth of the community for the residents of the City. More specifically, the City will offer property tax rebates for certain improvements or renovation of the property within the designated areas in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 12-17, 14 et seq.

Liberal NRP Overview