KC BioHub earns $38M+ to position KC as ‘next great biotech ecosystem’ amid global biomanufacturing race

Kansas City is poised to unlock $150 million in federal investment thanks to a winning bid led by the region’s Tech Hub to accelerate biomanufacturing innovation, workforce development, and industry growth across the region.

KC BioHub — a program of BioNexus KC — announced Monday that it has been awarded an initial $38.1 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Tech Hubs program to accelerate biomanufacturing innovation, workforce development, and industry growth across the region.

“This award is a vote of confidence in the strength of our regional assets, the depth of our partner relationships, and the promise of our shared vision for the future,” said Melissa Roberts Chapman, president of KC BioHub. “Together, we have demonstrated that our region has the talent, infrastructure, partnerships, and innovation necessary to onshore the manufacturing of biologics. As a consortium, we have positioned the Kansas City region to lead in the global race to build the next great biotech ecosystem.”

The four-year award will fund five projects designed to strengthen the region’s biomanufacturing ecosystem, including these core initiatives:

• SCALE Center (Systems for Commercial Advancement of Large-molecule Engineering), led by MRIGlobal — establishes a regional technology maturation center that accelerates FDA approval of advanced biomanufacturing process technologies.
• KC BioHub ecosystem, led by KC BioHub — brings together industry leading bioscience and bioservices companies in the Kansas City region to create a connected, full-service hub for domestic drug development and manufacturing.
• BioSupply Crossroads (BSC), led by Kansas Manufacturing Solutions — strengthens America’s biomanufacturing supply chain by bringing production of critical materials back to the United States.
• BioTalent Catalyst (BTC), led by KC BioHub — builds a stronger biomanufacturing workforce in the Kansas City region by connecting employers, educators, and training programs to better align talent with industry needs.

The KC BioHub consortium — with core support from MRIGlobal and Kansas Manufacturing Solutions — includes more than 115 regional partners and stakeholders, was designated a federally recognized Tech Hub by the EDA in 2023.

From the archives: KC officially earns title of ‘Tech Hub,’ opening door to massive federal grant funding

Melissa Roberts Chapman, president of the KC BioHub and Kansas City’s regional innovation officer, shares insights related to state incentives in Kansas, like angel investor tax credits during a Right to Start town hall event; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

Monday’s award announcement represents the consortium’s first major federal investment associated with that designation; it is positioned to receive a total of $150 million in future rounds of funding. The success of this proposal reflects the extensive partnership and commitment of consortium members throughout the planning and proposal process, Roberts Chapman said.

Grant-related projects are projected to create 11,000 good jobs and add $9.2 billion in regional economic impact over 10 years, Roberts Chapman said, noting the initiative also is expected to provide an $11 return to taxpayers for every $1 invested in the project. Regional leaders anticipate that the award will attract additional public and private investment while further establishing the region as a hub for innovation and industry advancement, she continued.

KC BioHub, BioNexus officials, U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, and representatives from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) tour the biotech startup Ronawk in Johnson County in 2024; photo courtesy of BioNexus KC

“Our region has everything it takes to lead the future of medical innovation, and this investment is proof that the rest of the country sees that, too,” said U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas. “It will help create good-paying jobs, strengthen our regional economy, and reinforce America’s supply chains and national security.”

The regional Tech Hub has already secured an additional $4 million of matching support from the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, Missouri, and Kansas, representing the first time the two state legislatures have co-funded an innovation-focused initiative. The Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation has also committed to a $600,000 social impact investment in support of the work.

“This achievement adds to a long list of extraordinary accomplishments in the life sciences that are rooted in the Kansas City region,” said Dennis Ridenour, president and CEO of BioNexus KC. “It will sit alongside founding Marion Labs, securing the National Bio-Agro Defense Facility, and the establishment of unique institutions like MRIGlobal and the Stowers Institute as a watershed moment for our innovation ecosystem.”

“The commitments and collaboration demonstrated by this group were instrumental in securing this investment and positioning our region for long-term success,” he added.

Kansas City’s initial award comes nearly four years after the federal CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law, establishing the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program to invest directly into high-potential U.S. regions and transform them into globally competitive innovation centers.

Monday’s announcement marks a significant milestone for the region, said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas. As lead Republican on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science, Moran worked to direct $623 million in federal resources for the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program from FY2023 to FY2026.

“I have long supported this program to give Kansas the opportunity to play a key role in supporting our national and economic security through increased research in biotechnology and other key technology areas,” Moran said. “I’m pleased by this latest investment that connects our state’s experienced, highly skilled workforce with the resources to advance innovation and support growth across the region.”

News of the KC BioHub award comes less than a week after the University of Missouri-Kansas City announced an initial $15 million award from the National Science Foundation to boost U.S. production of the metals and critical materials manufacturers require for batteries, aircraft engine parts, semiconductors, medical devices, and other advanced tech.