Catalyze EKY (founders): get paid to move to Eastern Kentucky

Eastern Kentucky, Kentucky offers $5,000 cash. Status: taking applications.

$5,000CashAs published by the program$5,000 relocation incentive; up to $6,000 total; possible accelerator completion award (amount not stated)

Taking applicationsOpen when we checked on October 30, 2026Apply on the official site

Who it's for: A remote job is not required
What you commit to: None stated
Visit before you move: Not mentioned
How we checked: MakeMyMove listing

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays.Checked October 30, 2026.How we check programs

$6,000Total valueCash plus perks
$307,775Typical home for saleStatewide

Who qualifies

A remote job is not required

In the program's words

Core leadership of a startup or company, living outside Kentucky, US citizen 18+; relocate to an eligible county and register the business headquarters there within 6 months.

Perks: Guaranteed accelerator cohort spot; SOAR mentorship and Entrepreneur-in-Residence; SOAR Summit ticket and booth; founder gatherings with travel stipends; housing help via local Realtors; Appalachian Wireless service

Run by: Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR)

Read the official rules and apply

Listed on MakeMyMove, which handles applications for this community; the community has no program page of its own that we could find. Programs change often: confirm the amount and deadline with the program before you plan a move.

Is it worth it?

The grant is the headline. The bigger number is usually what you stop paying every month.

Buying a home$28,635 a year less
The typical home in Kentucky costs $307,775, against $742,000 in New York. That's about $28,635 a year less on the mortgage^1,2.
Renting instead$1,089 a month
A 2-bedroom runs $1,089 a month across Kentucky, against $1,997 in New York, utilities included³.
Program cash$5,000
The program adds $5,000 in cash, $6,000 in total value.
Everyday prices10% cheaper than average
Everyday prices in Kentucky run 9.8% below the US average. In the New York metro they run 12.6% above the US average⁴.

Cost of living in Kentucky

Is it worth it?

The grant is the headline. The bigger number is usually what you stop paying every month.

Buying a home$28,635 a year less
The typical home in Kentucky costs $307,775, against $742,000 in New York. That's about $28,635 a year less on the mortgage^1,2.
Renting instead$1,089 a month
A 2-bedroom runs $1,089 a month across Kentucky, against $1,997 in New York, utilities included³.
Program cash$5,000
The program adds $5,000 in cash, $6,000 in total value.
Everyday prices10% cheaper than average
Everyday prices in Kentucky run 9.8% below the US average. In the New York metro they run 12.6% above the US average⁴.

Cost of living in Kentucky

Living in Eastern Kentucky

Home values, rent, local jobs, things to do and remote jobs you can bring: our guide to moving to Eastern Kentucky.

Other Kentucky programs

5 programs in Kentucky were active when we checked on October 30, 2026.

Get paid to move to Kentucky: every program

Programs in other states

Questions people ask

How much does Catalyze EKY pay?

$5,000 cash: $5,000 relocation incentive; up to $6,000 total; possible accelerator completion award (amount not stated). Source: https://www.makemymove.com/get-paid/catalyze-eastern-kentucky (accessed 2026-10-30; site (C) 2026).

Who can apply to Catalyze EKY?

Core leadership of a startup or company, living outside Kentucky, US citizen 18+; relocate to an eligible county and register the business headquarters there within 6 months.

Is Catalyze EKY still open?

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Notes on the numbers

1Home prices: the typical home is the median listing price, Realtor.com via FRED, Kentucky statewide; we do not have town-level data for this program yet.
2Mortgage: Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA. Rate source
3Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, median gross rent for 2-bedroom units (rent plus utilities). Census table
4Everyday prices and the matching salary: BEA regional price parities, 2024.

Sources for this page

$5,000 cashTaking applications · Eastern Kentucky

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