Grants

We believe a good idea shouldn’t be held back by limited resources. Our grants help innovators and small businesses access the expertise and funding they need to move forward.

Patterson Rural Development Grant

Patterson Family Foundation logo featuring a windmill icon with “Est. 2007” and “Rural USA” text.

The Technology Development Institute (TDI) at Kansas State University, in partnership with the Patterson Family Foundation, is dedicated to helping innovators, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers in rural Kansas and Missouri turn their ideas into reality. This program ensures rural communities have access to the same high-quality engineering and commercialization support available in larger cities.

Three TDI employees working with a robotic arm and manufacturing system at the Technology Development Institute (TDI).

Through the Patterson Rural Development Program, TDI is offering to offset up to 50% of the cost of a project for eligible clients in qualifying rural areas. This support lowers the cost of technical services and accelerates product development, helping businesses and innovators move ideas to market faster.

Our goal is to remove barriers that rural businesses and innovators often face by providing professional technical expertise, business guidance, and development resources, fostering innovation and boosting the local economy.

What the TDI has to offer:

  • Design & prototyping of new concepts
  • Creation of SolidWorks models
  • Creation of production drawings or other manufacturing documentation
  • Conducting customer/market research
  • Conducting intellectual property research
  • Creation of websites or marketing materials
  • Other areas of technical support

Map of Kansas and Missouri counties highlighting regions served by the Patterson Rural Development Program