KC BioHub Secures $34M Award from U.S. Department of Commerce

By Will Crow

KC BioHub has been awarded $38.1 Million from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration to advance regional biomanufacturing growth. Photo credit: Will Crow.

Posted July 28, 2026

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration announced it will award $34 million to KC BioHub to accelerate biomanufacturing innovation and growth in the region.

Kansas City BioSecure Manufacturing Tech Hub (KC BioHub) has been awarded $38.1 million; a four-year award will fund five projects designed to strengthen the region’s biomanufacturing ecosystem.

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) announced the gift and support of KC BioHub through the CHIPS and Science Act in a release from his office.

“Today marks a significant milestone for the Greater Kansas City area and will help strengthen the future of bio and medical research and development throughout the region,” Sen. Moran said in his release. “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.”

KC BioHub, a program of BioNexus KC, is a consortium of more than 115 regional partners and stakeholders that was first designated a federally recognized Tech Hub by the EDA in 2023. The EDA’s award represents its first federal investment with that designation. Additionally, KC BioHub is positioned to receive a total of $150 million in future rounds of funding, according to a KC BioHub release.

The award will support the following core projects across the KC BioHub ecosystem:

  • SCALE Center (Systems for Commercial Advancement of Large-molecule Engineering), led by MRIGlobal, will establish a regional technology maturation center that accelerates FDA approval of advanced biomanufacturing process technologies.
  • EPIC (Efficiency in Pharmaceutical Innovation Center), 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 (KMS), 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.

Through these projects, the consortium expects to create 11,000 good jobs and add $9.2 billion in regional economic impact over 10 years. The initiative is also projected to provide an $11 return to taxpayers for every $1 invested in the project and has already secured an additional $4.6 million of local matching support.

“Together, we have demonstrated that our region has the talent, infrastructure, partnerships, and innovation necessary to onshore the manufacturing of biologics,” Melissa Roberts Chapman, President of KC BioHub, said in the release. “As a consortium, we have positioned the Kansas City region to lead in the global race to build the next great biotech ecosystem.”